As soon as you walked through the door into Shola's kitchen, it was evident that cooking and furthering his techniques are his passion. I wasn't quite sure what to expect when I walked in, and to be honest I assumed that he would be the typical, over confident chef that you see on the Food Network. Rather than falling true to my assumption, Chef Shola completely altered my previous opinion, and I think that everyone was taken back at how passionate he was towards cooking and finding new ways to change the field. His energy throughout the entire time was unbelievable, as he never became tired or even bored when we didn’t have any questions for him.
As a result of this experience I think that my opinion on the definition of a chef has changed. I don’t think that to be a chef means that you must be cooking in a restaurant or cooking food solely to serve to customers. In my opinion, Shola is definitely a chef as he is extremely passionate about what he does and is always searching for new ways to advance the field. His passion towards innovation clearly demonstrates what it means to be a chef as he cares about the effect that food has on society. He told us that not only does he visit other restaurants just to go out to eat, but he enjoys seeing what society is eating in order to gain a new perspective on food. I thought that this was one of the most interesting things that Chef Shola told us, and I think that this truly captured the importance of being a chef.
The organization within Chef Shola’s kitchen displayed to me that he is a very particular chef, and wants each of his dishes to reach perfection. Spices were labeled in containers and lined the walls of his kitchen as his plates and bowls were specifically organized as well. I think that his organization and desire for perfection are key aspects as to why Chef Shola is as successful in his field as he is. The high standards that he has for himself are just another reason why his food is not only very good, but unique to the field of cooking. In my opinion, the originality of each dish allows Chef Shola to continue to experiment with new foods and techniques, as well as continue to be successful in his field.
Throughout our time in Chef Shola’s kitchen, he had various pieces of equipment that he would use in order to exemplify the importance of texture to your food. The pasta machine was one of my favorites as it was extremely easy to use and you could create almost any form of pasta that you desired. His complete pasta dish that he served to us was also my favorite dish of the day. Another one of my favorite dishes was the lemon and brie meringue that he made for us using liquid nitrogen. Again, this technique illustrated the importance of texture while he also served us an interesting flavor combination. Chef Shola is clearly an important figure within the field of cooking, and I think that his innovation is displayed through his passion and will to experiment with almost any food or technique.
I agree that Shola should be called a chef. His passion was inspiring and I loved how he is always searching for new things to do with his food. He was very organized and precise and I think he would run a kitchen well.
ReplyDeleteI had a similar experience of my opinion shifting. At first when I went to studio-kitchen I thought that Shola was not a chef because he didn't have his own restaurant. But after we talked to him it was evident how passionate he was about his work and he really loves what he does.
ReplyDeleteI was struck by his comment that "he enjoys seeing what society is eating in order to gain a new perspective on food." Although he has very strong opinions on his food choices, that line of thinking really helped me to soften my opinion of him. It also made me realize that I need to be less judgmental about restaurants and food choices that other people make. If a chef of his caliber is eating (and even enjoying or learning) from unlikely places, then I can too.
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