T.S.D.O.B: Day 29 - Chefs I Like

Only 1 post left of Thirty Straight Days of Blogging. I'm looking forward to the final post for a number of reasons. I think it's going to be a pretty good post, if I say so myself. More importantly, I'm going to complete a challenge I set for myself. As fun as it has been, it's also been a bit tough this last week and a half. Lots of work and outside issues have made getting these last few posts tougher to do. Even now, I have to finish this post asap so I can build a propane grill. All in all, it's been a hell of a ride that I don't regret for a second. If anything, I'd be willing to do it again.

For now, I'm just going to give a little insight to a few chefs that have inspired me along the way. The chef above is Jacques Torres. He's a pastry chef that just fucking rocks. His medium is chocolate, and he just makes it look so easy. I first read about him when I was in school and was lucky enough to meet him years later. He was very laid back and liked to laugh whenever possible. Just a good guy.

Another chef that inspired me in school was Ewald Notter.

While Jacques was the king of chocolate, this guy was the king of sugar. His sugar work can best be described as art masterpieces. The way he works with sugar is the way guys like Joe Satriani and Steve Vai work with a guitar. I always thought he did spectacular work, but I didn't truly appreciate it until I started working with sugar myself. When you begin to understand how much time and practice it takes to get comfortable with it, you start to understand just how much time and dedication it takes to reach that skill level.

Another pastry chef that I really like is Elizabeth Falkner.

You may recognize her from numerous appearances on Food Network, which is where I first saw her. It wasn't until I read her cookbook in which I gained a lot of respect for her. Her ideas and presentation of the food is truly inspiring. She is taking classic desserts and bringing unique twists to them in a very modern approach. Her plate-ups are clean and elegant. Just knowing that there is a chef like this out there makes me want to step my game up.

When it comes to having a passion for cooking, the first chef that comes to mind is Rick Bayless.

While Mexican food is not a strong suit for me, seeing this guy throw down in the kitchen always gets my fire lit. The love he has for cooking and creating dishes just pours through the screen. A blind man could see how much he loves what he is doing. He is another one that makes everything he does look so easy. Plus, he has a crepe recipe that works so well, I'm extremely hesitant on using other recipes.

These are not the only chefs that have inspired me. In fact, the chefs that have helped me become the chef I am today, you have never heard of. I have been lucky enough to have been taught by and worked with some great people. People that have taken the time to show me the right ways to do things. People that have challenged me to be a better chef because they felt I had the skills to do so. People that have shown me what it truly means to be a Chef and how to lead a kitchen with integrity and maintain respect from all the cooks.

To all of the people that have helped shaped my culinary career, I say Thank You. Your lessons haven't been forgotten. 

That's it for this one. Come back tomorrow for the big finale of Thirty Straight Days Of Blogging!

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