Blogs and Tips

a day in the life, Austin Personal Chef, Austin Private Chef, Business, cooking lessons, cooking theory, culinary, Culinary Career, food, food for thought, instructional, kitchen technique, restaurant work, social commentary Ryan Francis a day in the life, Austin Personal Chef, Austin Private Chef, Business, cooking lessons, cooking theory, culinary, Culinary Career, food, food for thought, instructional, kitchen technique, restaurant work, social commentary Ryan Francis

What I Wish I Had Read Before Becoming a Chef

This read is for the person who's never been in a professional kitchen before but is considering entering the profession or beginning (as well as finishing) culinary school. This is a reality check as well as a source of knowledge from experience that I would have appreciated reading before beginning down this path myself.

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Austin Personal Chef, Austin Private Chef, Business, culinary, food, private chef, where to eat, social commentary, food for thought, environmental awareness Ryan Francis Austin Personal Chef, Austin Private Chef, Business, culinary, food, private chef, where to eat, social commentary, food for thought, environmental awareness Ryan Francis

Our Responsibility As Consumers in a Deteriorating Ecosystem

Food journalist Michael Pollen has transformed the public’s awareness and perspective concerning what we eat and the implications these choices carry over time. This article picks apart the vicious cycle of the procurement of processed foods and the unhealthy effect it has on us and more importantly, the environment.

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cooking lessons, cooking theory, Austin Personal Chef, Austin Private Chef, culinary, Culinary Career, food, Instructional, kitchen technique, a day in the life, restaurant work, line cooking Ryan Francis cooking lessons, cooking theory, Austin Personal Chef, Austin Private Chef, culinary, Culinary Career, food, Instructional, kitchen technique, a day in the life, restaurant work, line cooking Ryan Francis

Tenets of Line Cooking

I write this because when I started cooking, I often wondered if anybody out there had taken the time to share what they had learned to make this game easier, or more efficient, or less painful. I write this to share what I have learned and what I've passed onto my co-workers either passively or intentionally. The same tenets here apply to the barista, as well as to any skilled chef.

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Austin Personal Chef, Austin Private Chef, cooking lessons, culinary, food, good eats, Recipe Ryan Francis Austin Personal Chef, Austin Private Chef, cooking lessons, culinary, food, good eats, Recipe Ryan Francis

Jessica Prentice's Niter Qibbeh, an Ethiopian Spiced Ghee

This classic cooking oil of Ethiopia is a great thing to use whenever you want to give something a more complex North African or Middle Eastern Flavor. It is also a primary ingredient (along with the spice mixture berebere) of Ethiopian cooking.

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Austin Personal Chef, Austin Private Chef, cooking lessons, cooking theory, culinary, Personal Chef Service, private chef, instructional, kitchen technique, knife sharpening, knives Ryan Francis Austin Personal Chef, Austin Private Chef, cooking lessons, cooking theory, culinary, Personal Chef Service, private chef, instructional, kitchen technique, knife sharpening, knives Ryan Francis

The Best Knife Sharpener for the Chef's Kitchen

The chef's knife is the most important tool in the kitchen. The home cook, line cook, or executive chef should take pride in having their tools perform at peak performance.  Not only is it disrespectful to the ingredients to use a knife as dull as a baseball bat, but there is nothing more dangerous than a dull knife. I've seen a coworker stab straight through the fleshy part of his hand from a miscalculation with a knife dulled by animal fat and sinew. This knowledge matters.

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