‘PERFECT’ – THE NEW GROOVY!

Perfect’ – the new groovy!

Seems like the whole world is waxing lyrical about how ‘perfect!’ everything is today – including their food! It has become a new catchphrase, a buzzword, the new ‘groovy’ even. The word ‘perfect’ rolls effortlessly off the tongue of many a chef when describing their culinary creations, but what exactly does it mean? I’ve been cooking for over 35 years, and I have to say I have never made a ‘perfect’ dish – tasty, yes…delicious, yes….. the best I can have made it at that particular moment in time, yes…but perfect? No. And nor should yours be.

The best plate of food is never perfect. Food is an organic substance, derived from the ground, and cooking is a fluid and creative process, which can never be duplicated to the same exact standard. Your food will come out slightly differently every single time. I always tell my students that perfection doesn’t exist, but by sourcing the best and freshest ingredients you can find and utilizing your Basic Skills, you’ll do the food, and yourself, complete justice.

Trying to achieve perfection is a thankless, and often exhausting task. Striving for an ideal can strike fear in the heart of every home cook. As we sit surrounded by high-gloss images of the ideal in magazines, on the web and on TV, it’s hard not to be intimidated by these gorgeous plates of restaurant-quality fare, which have been styled to within an inch of their lives. But don’t be! We yearn to re-create this so-called perfection in our own home, but in all honesty, all that really matters is the taste. If you take the pressure off yourself, get inspired by the freshest food, follow the established techniques that you know work every single time, and season to taste, then you’ll be sure to end up with the most delicious end results every time you cook. This is what we try to instill in our students here at the school. We just want you to make good food, and have the confidence and know-how to do so in your own home!

So be fearless in your cooking, throw out all those unattainable ideas about perfection, cook from the heart, enjoy the process and you won’t fail to make good food – every single time!