ChristopherCina.com » Chef

Almond Poundcake, Cherry-Goat Cheese Ice Cream, Cherry-Whiskey Sauce

Christopher — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 19:23:12 +0000

What is it that sets individuals apart from the masses, be it chef, writer, photographer or what have you? Is it their creativity? In part, yes. Is it their execution? Most definitely that is a large part of it. But there is a single factor that encompasses all these little attributions that make up what [...]

It’s a Food(ie) thing…

Christopher — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 04:01:50 +0000

What is a foodie really? Is it someone who loves food? It has to be more than that, I’m quite sure that non-food lovers are in the minority, I mean, everybody loves SOME type of food, I’d bet on it. Is it someone who works with food professionally? I suppose it could be, but [...]

Vietnamese Beef Pho

Christopher — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 03:02:26 +0000

No matter the situation, if you look hard enough you’re bound to find a silver lining. Something that makes all the hell you’re going through worth it, or just something you want to take with you. I’ve posted several times about my experience with corporate cooking, how it wasn’t a good fit and how I [...]

So YOU wanna be a Chef?

Christopher — Fri, 07 May 2010 06:22:39 +0000

You’ve watched the Food Network since you were knee-high to a Wagyu calf. You helped your (mom, grandmother, older sister, best friends uncles mistress) in the kitchen and like a sponge you soaked it all in. You’ve thrown dinner parties that were such a success (they still talk about your Thanksgiving turkey) that people have [...]

How much is that bottle in the window?

Christopher — Fri, 07 May 2010 06:14:53 +0000

Restaurant wine pricing, is there anything more aggravating than paying $40 for a bottle of wine you could pick up at the local liquor store about $15? It really doesn’t seem all that fair and as a consumer you’re certainly obliged to feel like you’ve been taken to the cleaners. You’ve heard the arguments that [...]

Pumpkin-Ginger Panna Cotta

Christopher — Thu, 06 May 2010 06:17:47 +0000

Originally Posted: 04 Nov 2009 12:47 AM PST

I, like many chefs, have always had a bittersweet anticipation of the holidays. That stretch from Thanksgiving through New Years is filled with holiday parties, special dinners, romantic dates, midnight kisses and lots and lots of alcohol. Unfortunately, not so much for myself or my chef brethren. [...]

A ‘Chef’ by any other name.

Christopher — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 17:28:20 +0000

In the early 80’s, you could count the number of celebrity chefs on one hand, and yes, that includes Jack Tripper. With the public access to the internet still years away and the media relying only on analog methods of communication, chefs were limited to local celebrity status with the occasional national plug in magazines [...]

Chicken Liver Pate with Dried Cherry Compote

Christopher — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 08:06:56 +0000

From dishwasher to Executive Chef, it was a 14 year journey of the ins and outs of the restaurant business. In those 14 years, I had seen everything, and I mean everything, from watching my waitstaff snort coke off the rim of a dirty toilet seat at one restaurant to sweating my nuts off in [...]