How to Be Your Own Private Chef: Five Ingredients That Make Your Food Look and Taste Like a Million Bucks

As a private chef for the last 16 years, I’ve developed all kinds of little tricks to make my food appear more dynamic, high-end or effortful. Here are five easy additions to any recipe that will make you look like a pro.


#1. Truffle Oil

I like to call this stuff “Liquid Gold.” It’s pricey, about $20 bucks for 4-6 ounces, but it’s well worth it and way cheaper than an actual truffle. Besides, a few drops goes a long way so that tiny bottle will last you months.

Made by infusing olive oil with either black or white truffles, black truffle oil, which is slightly less expensive, tends to be lighter and spicier than the deeper, muskier overtones of white truffle oil.
The two most important things to remember about truffle oil is you don’t want to store it in the refrigerator, just in a cool, dry place like the pantry, and you never ever want to heat it or cook with it; that burns off the flavor. When your dish is done cooking, the idea is to drizzle truffle oil over the top, allowing it to release its rich earthiness, just before you serve. Think of it like spritzing perfume on your neck just before you walk out the door.

Use it to top pasta, eggs, meat or, my new favorite, mixed with stone ground mustard and lemon juice to make an amazing vinaigrette.

#2. Sriracha

When I was a kid, I traveled around Southeast Asia quite a bit with my family. When we returned to the United States, I was so disappointed to find that my favorite table staple, a thick hot sauce paste made from chili peppers, garlic, sugar, vinegar and salt, was nowhere to be found, replaced by boring ol’ Heinz. Luckily, in recent years, Sriracha, or “rooster sauce,” has started to infiltrate more restaurants and recipes. It even got a shout out during Top Chef’s ice cream Quickfire Challenge in season three.

Adding heat, tons of pungent garlic flavor and just the right amount of acid, Sriracha brings new dimension to everything from soup to chicken. But use it with caution if you’re not much of a chili-head. #3. Zest-- the rind of citrus, not the soap

I used to have a client who was good friends with Bill Clinton. I never had the chance to meet our former president but I did get to use a gift Bill bestowed on them; the raddest microplane ever. I don’t know if it was the fact that it was a Clinton-approved zester or simply the ease of use, but it got me obsessed with adding zest to dishes, especially when I discovered how it brightened them up, both in terms of flavor and presentation.

Zest, the outer rind of citrus like oranges, lemons and limes, is where all the good citrus flavor lives, thanks to oils in the fruit. It’s also beautiful and colorful, lending a little visual pop to your dish. Bonus Jonas: a good microplane or zester only costs about $10 bucks.

Try lime zest in Mexican dishes, orange zest in pancake or muffin batter and lemon zest with seafood or vegetables.

#4. Flat leaf (aka: Italian) Parsley

I’m a garnish eater. When I was younger and would go to Denny’s with friends, I would always steal the wilted curly parsley from their plates and pop it in my mouth. Because of its clean flavor and vibrant green color, parsley is the perfect addition to any dish that needs a little freshening up. Chopped, left whole, added to sauces, used to make Gremolata or Chimichurri, parsley is the bomb. But stay away from the Denny’s-style curly stuff and go for the flat-leaf variety. It’s got way more flavor and none of the diner food connotations.

#5. Kosher Salt

There are all kinds of scientific reasons for why chefs prefer kosher salt but basically it comes down to basics. Less flaky and overwhelming than flake salt, less cumbersome than sea salt, more flavorful than table (or iodized) salt; kosher salt has the perfect texture to pinch and sprinkle over dishes, the slightest crystallized crunch and a delightful briney flavor. Plus, it’s the salt of my people. I gotta rep The Tribe.

By adding any of these five things to your repertoire, you can make everyday dishes, from eggs to salads to dessert, taste infinitely better.

Originally posted to CafeMom

Hollywood Bites: Secretariat's Carrot and Cardamom Soup

Even though I didn't love the movie Secretariat, it did leave me craving a day with the ponies. Riding them, not betting on them. Add to that LA's recent sweater weather and I started having a mighty jones for this Carrot and Cardamom Soup. It's simple, sweet, spicy, Sriracha-ed and Secretariat approved thanks to a bundle of carrots (and one sweet potato for extra body).

Carrot and Cardamom Soup
serves four

1 tablespoon butter (if making a vegan soup, just use a bit more olive oil)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, grated
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon Sriracha
Salt, pepper and red chili flakes to taste
2 cups vegetable broth
2 cups water
1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced
6 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves

In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, melt butter and add olive oil.

Add onions, and cook until golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes.

Add garlic, ginger, cardamom, turmeric, cinnamon, Sriracha, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes and cook until another minute.

Add broth and water to the pot, increase heat to high and bring to a boil.

Add sweet potato and carrots. Reduce heat to medium, cover and simmer until the vegetables are fork tender, 25 to 30 minutes.

Remove from heat, allow to cool slightly before pureeing in batches until smooth.

Season again with salt and pepper as needed and garnish with cilantro leaves and additional Sriracha if desired.

Sidenote: If you want a creamier soup, add a cup of coconut milk before pureeing.

Enjoy!