Ultimate Resources
Most Recommended
The Resources You Need To Succeed
What prompted me to seek the skill level I was hoping to achieve came to me during one night while I was cooking dinner for my wife. I ended up burning and ruining the entire dinner due to some very fundamental mistakes. As much as I hurt my own ego, I started on my mission to correct and relearn the things I thought I knew. This involved 3 years of culinary arts schooling and over 1200 hours in professional high-end kitchens. Even now, I still realize that there are things that I just don’t know and work towards those goals every day.
We’ve put together some of our most recommended resources for you to utilize in your culinary quest. I firmly believe in only recommending products that I use or have used in the past. I have developed some partnerships with some of my most recommended products and services to offer you the very best on your journey. I am excited to bring you this list. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us.
Online Classes
Getting yourself up to speed is one of the biggest challenges when it comes to the fast-paced lifestyles that many of us live. Sometimes taking a culinary arts program just doesn’t fit. We are hoping to launch our own line of courses on Udemy sometime in 2017, in the meantime, we have partnered with some very high quality companies that offer specialized courses related to cooking and I encourage you to sign up. Combining the knowledge within our website with the practicality of online courses you will be able to learn as much as a 1st year culinary arts student does in a fraction of the time.
Masterclass
Masterclass with Gordon Ramsay is an incredible experience that will supercharge your desire to learn more
It is very rare to be afforded the opportunity to be taught by actual experienced and famous professionals. Gordon Ramsay is a world-renowned Michelin Star chef known for his work on Hell’s Kitchen, MasterChef, Kitchen Nightmares and the F Word.
This exclusive opportunity to learn alongside Gordon Ramsay is one that every aspiring cook or chef needs to take. I owe a lot of my passion and knowledge from his cookbooks (Which we have listed below) and TV shows. I know Gordon would never put his name on something that was not the highest of quality. Our partner gave us a sneak peak and boy is it exciting. $90 bucks for the course. Pre-enrollment is happening right now and the class starts early 2017, so go sign up now.
Udemy
#1 For Online Cooking Classes
Udemy is one of my favorite resources that I highly recommend if you are looking to expand your culinary knowledge. It is a core belief of mine that knowledge is an ongoing lifelong process that never stops. When we stop learning, we stop growing.
With over 12,000 instructors and 12 million visitors, it is the most popular online class that can be found on the web. One of my favorite aspects of the site is how diverse the classes are. Learning regional cooking techniques or new unique skills are easy to learn and affordable. There are a few free courses that are fantastic to start off with before you dive into the main courses (pun intended).
Cookbooks
The Professional Chef
A “textbook for the chef”, the content in this book is one of our favorites. It is fundamental, factual, and backed by chefs the world over. A must have for anyone serious about learning the art of cooking from the professionals.
The Flavor Bible
One of my most used books. Showing you the different flavor profiles of various regional cuisines is a must. For anyone venturing outside of classic French cooking and wanting more than Mirepoix can provide, this is a must have.
Boy Meets Grill
If you have a passion for the grill and you are looking to take your grilling to the next level, Bobby Flay’s “Boy Meets Grill” is a fantastic reference. From what most people consider a hobby, Bobby Flay turned into a career. Taking every day ingredients and turning them into gourmet cuisine is the hallmark of a chef and Boy Meets Grill does just that.
Gordon Ramsay: Home Cooking
Gordon Ramsay is one of the best chefs in the world. One of my favorite things I like about him, outside his Yelling Chef persona, is his ability to combine pragmatism and passion allowing him to make critical assessments. This translates into a skillset that has no ceiling and the makings of a leader in the culinary world. This book makes cooking easy and simple, but always following the fundamentals that nurture and grow your skills. This book has had a huge impact on how I view cooking and has changed my perceptions.
Top Brands
When it comes to outfitting your knife roll or upgrading your home cookware, it is important to know what brands to trust. There are a lot of products that are worth spending your money on and some that are not worth the stainless steel they are built out of. These brands come with high praise and recommendation based on quality and practicality.
Cookware
All-Clad
All-Clad is a company that produces some of the best quality cookware around. Not only are they durable, built to last with the professional in mind, but readily available and made in USA. While there are definitely other manufacturers that come close, such a Vollrath, All-Clad remains top of its class and the best cookware you can find.
Chef’s Tools
Wusthof
A chef’s knife is a personal preference and one that is met with some fierce devotion, which I why I expect that many professional cooks that read this will disagree. While there are other exceptional knives out there including other German steel such as Henckels and Japanese Steel manufacturers like Shun and Global, most are specialized to a certain type of style. Wusthof is the best all-around top quality knife you can find and you should considered yourself blessed to learn on such a fine steel.
Cooking Appliances
KitchenAid
It was tough to decide between KitchenAid and Cuisinart for our recommendation, but we went with KitchenAid for a couple reasons. One of the biggest apprehensions was the famous switch to plastic gears in their stand mixers in 2010 which caused a massive failures when mixing any type of heavy doughs. It has since fixed the issues and it’s Classic and Professional line of stand mixers so far have proven to be a much more reliable product since. If you are still hesitant and would like another option, you can go with Cuisinart for almost all your home kitchen appliances.
Restaurant Supply/Professional Supply
Katom Restaurant Supply
Katom Restaurant Supply is one of the best resources in sourcing professional used cookware, appliances and restaurant supplies. Katom has a huge supply of products ranging from chef wear to professional ranges to cookware. If you run a restaurant, or you are looking to outfit your house with professional grade products, look no further than Katom.
