From The Chef

Cooking

From The Chef

In late years of last century, in USSR to buy a refrigerator or furniture, it was necessary to spend the entire night in an unthinkable queue, with a written by chemical pencil number on the hand, your number in this queue. For imported toilet or other plumbing supplies, these were the limit of dreams, and a necklace of toilet paper tied in a chain on someone's chest caused terrible envy. Food was simple. It wasn't there. A can of green peas, a glass jar of mayonnaise were the limit of dreams, Bulgarian canned cucumbers, or tomatoes, could make any man a hero and earner for a family holiday table. The word “sale” replaced with a more specific and explanatory “give.” Any person who noticed any queue, immediately joined a long line, and only then asked, "What do they give us today?"

No matter what it was, it could always exchange for something needier.

At this time of total deficit for everything, to draft a culinary book on the theme of long-forgotten dishes and products necessary for the creation of a tasty meal, seemed not just naïve, but perhaps even insulting and degrading to human dignity. My comrades and I gathered in the evenings and read aloud different culinary recipes from rare antique books for entertainment.

"... If some guests suddenly visit you, go down to the basement, cut a large chunk of ham, take a dozen eggs... "

It caused a wild spree. Where was that basement, where was that ham? It was ridiculous. We, then the students in the system of cooking and catering, used a single handbook, operating throughout the vast country. The violation of a prescribed ingredient and explicit norms as they wrote and any changes in prices was punishable. The portion of borscht, from the western to the eastern borders of the country, should not differ in taste and cost.

Few people who wanted to speak or write something different from the established norms and rules, punished. And the road to the publication of culinary fantasies was closed.

Given that the writing of such occurred in the freedom of American emigration, the author punished anyway. After it sent to a publishing house, the book copied by offended folks' artisans and after a while came out of print in the former homeland under their names, bringing them undeserved fame and a cash reward.

Thinking about the creation of a culinary collection, I at least wanted to write something not dull, consisting of detailed recipes, with a list of ingredients. Today, anyone interested in creating a meal can easily find it on the internet with a lot of detailed explanations on how and what to do, with a vast choice of photographs, pictures, and often everything from footnotes to clips. Some of these materials contain info from reputable sources, part of their fantasies, multiplied on the great love of cooking and the desire to share their discoveries with the world. Cooking appeals to all people. Some like it because of the need to eat or feed others. Others love to be creative in the kitchen and cook for an appreciative or thankful audience. And indeed, everyone wants to hear the evaluation of their skills, consisting of a simple description: tasty, tasteless.

Cooking is science. Like any science, it has its laws and rules. Despite the apparent simplicity, the preparation of any dish requires specific knowledge and understanding, as a combination of products, and the method of cooking work with this product. Sometimes the food itself can negate the technique and effort spent on cooking.

When preparing a dish, it is necessary to present not only the result, but also to know which ingredient to add, and from which it is better to abstain. The fantasy in the kitchen is lovely, but if you want a 100% positive result, you need to choose the right recipe in advance and observe it. For food preparation, there are necessary utensils, temperature mode, and a way of delivery and methods to verify the readiness of a dish. But the essential criteria are luck. Every time a cooked meal is a test. No previous merits, well-cooked dishes, excuses, or explanations will save the chef from a verdict of tasteless.

For some people, this is the most valuable pleasure in life; others refer to the process of eating as a necessity to maintain the body in the right shape.

But for all, without exception, nutrition has a natural effect, making us healthy and cheerful, or sad and sick.

The long-established phrase is, “We are what we eat.” It’s not sad, but’s not going to go away. And often, what is tasty is not always useful.

Somewhat modern cooking is obliged to consider the influence of food on the physical condition of those whom we domesticated and feed. Usually, the woman in a family is the chef on whom the health of the family depends — meaning she is responsible for their well-being.

" data-url="www.shimongarber.com" data-title="From The Chef" data-image="images/articles/small_cover16.jpg">

Language: Russian

Published: 2019-07-01

Number of pages: 264

Printing: Newcomers-Authors Publishing Group

ISBN-10: 1732823228

ISBN-13: 978-1732823228

Autor: Shimon Garber

Editor: Vladimir Belinker

Type:

Paper
Ebook

The desire to share with others knowledge of the field of culinary experiences has implicitly lived in consciousness always. Once I even created a culinary book. In 1980, together with my wife, we made this book. She was a great illustrator, and I, poking with one finger on a purchased typewriter, dragged in culinary fantasies from the sky tops of pre-revolutionary culinary thoughts. This culinary opus was called "The forgotten Russian cuisine." All this happened during the "blessed times of stagnation and emigration," as it’s still remembered in Russia.

In late years of last century, in USSR to buy a refrigerator or furniture, it was necessary to spend the entire night in an unthinkable queue, with a written by chemical pencil number on the hand, your number in this queue. For imported toilet or other plumbing supplies, these were the limit of dreams, and a necklace of toilet paper tied in a chain on someone's chest caused terrible envy. Food was simple. It wasn't there. A can of green peas, a glass jar of mayonnaise were the limit of dreams, Bulgarian canned cucumbers, or tomatoes, could make any man a hero and earner for a family holiday table. The word “sale” replaced with a more specific and explanatory “give.” Any person who noticed any queue, immediately joined a long line, and only then asked, "What do they give us today?"

No matter what it was, it could always exchange for something needier.

At this time of total deficit for everything, to draft a culinary book on the theme of long-forgotten dishes and products necessary for the creation of a tasty meal, seemed not just naïve, but perhaps even insulting and degrading to human dignity. My comrades and I gathered in the evenings and read aloud different culinary recipes from rare antique books for entertainment.

"... If some guests suddenly visit you, go down to the basement, cut a large chunk of ham, take a dozen eggs... "

It caused a wild spree. Where was that basement, where was that ham? It was ridiculous. We, then the students in the system of cooking and catering, used a single handbook, operating throughout the vast country. The violation of a prescribed ingredient and explicit norms as they wrote and any changes in prices was punishable. The portion of borscht, from the western to the eastern borders of the country, should not differ in taste and cost.

Few people who wanted to speak or write something different from the established norms and rules, punished. And the road to the publication of culinary fantasies was closed.

Given that the writing of such occurred in the freedom of American emigration, the author punished anyway. After it sent to a publishing house, the book copied by offended folks' artisans and after a while came out of print in the former homeland under their names, bringing them undeserved fame and a cash reward.

Thinking about the creation of a culinary collection, I at least wanted to write something not dull, consisting of detailed recipes, with a list of ingredients. Today, anyone interested in creating a meal can easily find it on the internet with a lot of detailed explanations on how and what to do, with a vast choice of photographs, pictures, and often everything from footnotes to clips. Some of these materials contain info from reputable sources, part of their fantasies, multiplied on the great love of cooking and the desire to share their discoveries with the world. Cooking appeals to all people. Some like it because of the need to eat or feed others. Others love to be creative in the kitchen and cook for an appreciative or thankful audience. And indeed, everyone wants to hear the evaluation of their skills, consisting of a simple description: tasty, tasteless.

Cooking is science. Like any science, it has its laws and rules. Despite the apparent simplicity, the preparation of any dish requires specific knowledge and understanding, as a combination of products, and the method of cooking work with this product. Sometimes the food itself can negate the technique and effort spent on cooking.

When preparing a dish, it is necessary to present not only the result, but also to know which ingredient to add, and from which it is better to abstain. The fantasy in the kitchen is lovely, but if you want a 100% positive result, you need to choose the right recipe in advance and observe it. For food preparation, there are necessary utensils, temperature mode, and a way of delivery and methods to verify the readiness of a dish. But the essential criteria are luck. Every time a cooked meal is a test. No previous merits, well-cooked dishes, excuses, or explanations will save the chef from a verdict of tasteless.

For some people, this is the most valuable pleasure in life; others refer to the process of eating as a necessity to maintain the body in the right shape.

But for all, without exception, nutrition has a natural effect, making us healthy and cheerful, or sad and sick.

The long-established phrase is, “We are what we eat.” It’s not sad, but’s not going to go away. And often, what is tasty is not always useful.

Somewhat modern cooking is obliged to consider the influence of food on the physical condition of those whom we domesticated and feed. Usually, the woman in a family is the chef on whom the health of the family depends — meaning she is responsible for their well-being.