Clotilde Dusoulier, cookbook author and food blogger extraordinaire (of Chocolate and Zucchini fame) has some great suggestions on the best way to store fresh greens, timely tips for the beginning of salad season. Even if you haven’t started your window-box herb garden or sprout center, there may still be hope for finding fresh edible leaves this spring. Take a look at Local Harvest’s directory of local growers to find a farmer near you who might have early greens.

Once you’ve found the goods and followed Clotilde’s advice, what next? After months of stews, soups, and hearty winter fare, what could be more delicious than a light, fresh salad? Here are a few ideas for dressing up your greens:

• Dried fruit (currants, cranberries, or diced apricots) add texture and a delightfully sweet flavor.
• Toasted seeds and nuts (almonds, walnuts, sunflower or sesame seeds) pack a crunchy, protein-filled punch.
• Grated root vegetables (beets, carrots, turnip or rutabaga) can dress things up with a burst of color.
• A bit of crumbled or shredded high-quality cheese is always welcome – just keep it light to avoid overpowering the delicate greens.

Let your creativity guide you as you make a salad to remember!

Copeland was one of three children, raised by his single mother and extended family. He never finished high school, but got his start in the food industry at an early age, working as a soda jerk. By 18 he had his own Tastee Donut franchise.

Before his 30th birthday, Copeland opened his first chicken restaurant in New Orleans. It failed, and he went back to the drawing board to adjust his recipe. The following year, in 1972, Copeland tried again, with a restaurant bearing the name Popeyes Mighty Good Fried Chicken. Within 20 years he owned or franchised over 800 Popeyes.

Although Copeland went on to lose most of his Popeyes when he filed for bankruptcy after buying a competing chicken chain, that didn’t stop him.  He opened Copeland’s of New Orleans, a chain that has expanded to 9 states, and owned several other restaurants, hotels, comedy clubs, and even a food processing company at the time of his death.

What can chefs-in-training learn from Copeland’s life? While he may have taken his secret spice blend recipe to the grave, Copeland’s example reminds us of the importance of using mistakes as an opportunity for learning and growth. May he rest in peace.

According to the organization’s mission statement, the Chefs Collaborative values local food in an effort to support a more sustainable food supply. An ambitious vision statement directs their activities:

“As a result of our work, every chef in the U.S.A. will be aware that food purchasing choices affect the environment and our communities.”

How do they hope to achieve such an idealistic and inspiring reality? Chefs Collaborative (CC) offers information about sourcing local ingredients and sponsors chef trainings (most recently in the Boston area) on topics such as how to break down a whole pig. In addition, CC is active in the Renew America’s Food Traditions (RAFT) coalition, to encourage members to use regional animal breeds and produce varieties in their kitchens. Finally, through a program called Seafood Solutions, CC educates chefs on the complex issues surrounding the fishing industry to help them make sustainable choices.

Interested in joining this high-minded group? Next month’s Earth Dinner, organized by CC and Organic Valley at participating restaurants around the country will be one opportunity to meet other culinary professionals working on these issues over a delicious and environmentally-friendly meal.

According to the short bios of the 16 “chef-testants”, the great majority (thirteen) have completed formal training in the culinary arts. Only three are described as “self-taught”. Which leads to the question that most aspiring chefs ask themselves at some point – do you need a formal culinary education to be a successful chef?

While there’s no concrete answer, the judges on “Top Chef” seem to value formal training. Of the winners from Seasons 1-3 of this popular show, all three are graduates of the Culinary Institute of America.

Among the many famous chefs profiled on this site are a number whose training consisted of a combination of apprenticeships and world travel. Can you, too, can backpack around Europe and learn all you need to know to open your own restaurant by working under a French chef? Or should you bite the bullet and enroll in an A.O.S. (Associate in Occupational Studies) in Culinary Studies?

Ultimately, there’s no sure-fire way to success in any field. Some graduates of culinary school go on to work as bank tellers. There are executive chefs who have never taken a formal cooking class. If you’re looking for a structured path to a career in the food industry, a culinary degree is probably your best bet. However, if you’re a free spirit who prefers to learn through life experience, perhaps a one-way ticket to Italy is a better investment.

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1. Kate on Quail -The movie’s opening monologue, delivered by perfectionist chef Kate(Catherine Zeta-Jones) details her favorite ways to prepare quail. The fact that this speech is directed at Kate’s new therapist adds humor to an already mouth-watering soliloquy.

2. Restaurant Life- From the numerous scenes in the kitchen to the meals shared by the staff of 22 Bleecker, “No Reservations” offers an interesting window into life in a successful fine-dining establishment, complete with the complex relationships that come with the territory.

3. Truffles - It’s nice to see these fungi steal a few scenes, most notably when Zoe (Kate’s orphaned niece, played by Abigail Breslin) mistakes them for garbage and tosses them out.

4.Bonding Over Food - Anyone who enjoys cooking and eating will appreciate this first date: Kate, Zoe, and Nick (Kate’s love interest and opera-singing sous chef) make homemade pizza and then eat it together on the living room floor.

5.A Sexy Dessert If you ever doubted that Tiramisu could be an aphrodisiac, check out the romantic encounter between Kate and Nick over a Tupperware container of Nick’s signature dessert. It may just inspire you to whip up a batch for your next date…

6. Fish Sticks?! -While most chefs tend to be food snobs, Kate’s reaction to her therapist’s suggestion that she feed Zoe fish sticks will hit home with most foodies.

7. Great Advice - Therapy finally pays off for Kate when therapist Bob Balaban gives her a mantra that could apply to anyone’s life :”The best recipes are the ones you create yourself”. Her interpretation of this suggestion is sure to make you smile.

This Culinary Titan was raised in a rural town in Illinois, surrounded by the flavor traditional Midwestern favorites. After hitchhiking across the country, Van Aken’s culinary senses awakened with the alluring spices and multicultural traditions of Key West. The self-taught chef was the first to coin the widespread culinary term “fusion,” which he used to describe his combination of local Latin and Caribbean recipes with traditional European techniques. 

Van Aken’s Innovative Vision Captivates Culinary Aficionados
In 1995, Chef Van Aken captured the taste-buds of the nation when he opened his own New World Cuisine restaurant in Miami, Norman’s. Norman’s patrons enjoy such flavorful creations as pan-roasted chorizo-crusted dolphin on a plantain paella Valenciana with olives, peas, garbanzos and Romesco aioli.

Norman’s has earned the title of “Best restaurant in South Florida” in the New York Times, “Best Restaurant in Miami” in Food & Wine Magazine, and was honored as one of “America’s Top Tables” four years in a row by Gourmet Magazine, among many other honors. Van Aken himself has also received a wealth of awards, including the James Beard Foundation’s “Best Chef in the Southeast,” the Robert Mondavi Culinary Award of Excellence. 

Sources:
Normans.com, “Chef Norman Van Aken”
New York Times, “A Columbus of Chefs Among the Papayas”

With his newly honed cooking skills, chef Trotter went on to open his own restaurant, Charlie Trotter’s, in a quaint Chicago brownstone. Since it opened in 1987, Charlie Trotter’s has attracted prestigious awards and rave reviews in national publications. 

The Freshest Ingredients Fuel Charlie Trotter’s Culinary Success
Organic chicken breast stuffed with braised oxtail, watercress with onion tortellini with thyme-infused consommé, and Japanese hamachi with fennel sauce, celery root, and pommery mustard vinaigrette are just a few of the diverse dishes that tempt patron’s palates at Charlie Trotter’s restaurant. Chef Trotter’s conscientiously crafts his daily menus from naturally raised meat, line-caught seafood, and organic produce that arrive each day.

A zealous worker and educator, Trotter has written six cookbooks and bagged dozens of culinary honors, from the James Beard Foundation’s Who’s Who in Food and Beverage Award to a & Châteaux Relais Gourmand designation, to a coveted spot in the Nation Restaurant News Fine Dining Hall of Fame. As the Wine Spectator  raved, Charlie Trotter “is the Michael Jordan of American cooking. He has moves no one else has.” Craine’s Chicago Business agreed: “Each dish that emerges from Chef Trotter’s kitchen is a work of art-exuberant yet refined; often experimental, always elaborate.”

Sources:
James Beard Foundation, “James Beard Birthday Dinner”
Charlie Trotter’s “Charlie Trotter’s Restaurant”

In 1998, Jean Pierre Dubray of the Ritz Carlton Hotel Company personally asked Jacques Torres to move to the United States and become the company’s Corporate Pastry Chef. One year later, the legendary restaurateur Sirio Maccioni invited the now-famous pastry chef to work at Li Cirque, one of New York’s most famous restaurants. For eight years, Torres crafted his exquisite, hand-crafted sweets for celebrities, presidents, and even kings.

Torres Tastes the Sweets of Pastry-Chef Success
In 2000, Chef Torres opened two chocolate factories in New York City. Chocolate lovers from around the world flock to order Torres’ fresh roasted hazelnuts in creamy milk chocolate, rich, bubbly champagne truffles, and dark chocolate with anchovies and chipotle chilies. He made his TV debut in the PBS series “Jacques Torres’ Dessert Circus,” and starred in three series on the Food Network, including Chocolate with Jacques Torres. 

Jacques Torres has written a number of cookbooks, and teaches budding pastry chefs the tricks of the trade at the French Culinary Institute. His numerous awards include the James Beard Pastry Chef of the Year, the Chefs of America Pastry Chef of the Year, the Chartreuse Pastry Chef award, and membership in the Académie Culinare de France. 

Sources:
Jacques Torres Chocolates, “Shop Online”
Food Network, “Bio, Jacques Torres”

Chef André was born in Alsace, and began his culinary career at an Asatian hotel when he was 15. He came to the United States, and, in 1961, became the executive chef and owner of Lutèce. The restaurant earned a four-star rating from the New York Times, and became one a New York City landmark for fine French cuisine.
 
Soltner’s Recipe for Success
For decades, André Soltner’s impeccable, old-world menu, elegant atmosphere, and upscale service attracted food-lovers and celebrities alike, from Woody Allen and Mia Farrow to President Nixon. Customers waited months to snag a reservation at this classic hot spot, traveling across the country to try Chef André’s saumon farci en croûte and chicken in Riesling with delicate marrow dumplings. Lutèce finally closed its doors in 1994–but not before André Soltner received more than two dozen awards, including the James Beard Foundation’s lifetime achievement award, the French government’s prestigious Officier du Mérite National, the Chevalier du Mérite Agricole, and the Légion d’Honneur. 

Through all his fame and fortune, André Soltner always remained modest and personable. A New York Times article reported that, in over 30 years, there were only 5 nights when the master chef was not at Lutèce, weaving through his dining room and checking on patrons to see how they liked his food. 

Sources:  
PBS, Julia Childs: Lessons With a Master Chef. “Meet the Chef: André Soltner”
The New York Times, “Our Dinners with André”