Thursday, May 2, 2013

Birth of a Dish

As a professional chef, I don many hats during the daily course of my work. The speed at which I have to switch from being a grievance counselor to a grocery shopper or a guest relations personnel to accountant is akin to that of a chameleon. As creepy as that sounds, its true.

However, the role that most distinguishes me as a chef is that of a creator. To me, the true measure of a chef is his level of creativity. A chef who doesn't conceive new dishes is arguably not a chef in the truest sense of the word. It wasn't until I was assigned to my current role at the restaurant two years ago that I got the opportunity to do this. So I consider myself a tadpole in this regard.



It is however far fetched to think that even the best chefs develop completely new recipes. Most dishes are merely combinations of ingredients to which different techniques are applied--a plethora of permutations that are delicious and appeal to diners.