Houston CC’s Executive Chef says this is the most important piece of equipment in his club kitchen.
Chef’s Thoughts is sponsored by barillafs.com.
Executive Chef Alex Darvishi has led the culinary team of Houston (Texas) Country Club for the last thirteen years. Over the course of his career, he has worked at multiple prestigious restaurants, hotels and clubs nationwide and his involvement with local, national and international culinary competitions spans more than thirty years.
- You’d be surprised to learn that I am an avid reader.
- If I could trade places with one chef it would be Alain Ducasse.
- One of my most memorable meals was at La Francais Restaurant in Wheeling, Ill.
- My go-to drink is hot tea infused with lemon, fresh herbs and honey.
- My last meal would be a hearty, ginger-infused chicken consomme or a healthy homemade lentil soup.
- My worst culinary creation was making an oyster ravioli appetizer using off-season gulf oysters. The natural texture and flavors of the oysters ruined the dish.
- If I could change one thing about my club it would be tripling the amount of non-food storage.
- If I wasn’t a chef, I’d love to be a design engineer.
- I knew I wanted to be a chef when I lived, dreamed, and thought about creating and working with food all day long.
- You’ll never see fake or over-processed food on the menu at my club because that is a disservice to our members’ well-being and health.
- The most ridiculous member or guest request I’ve ever had was years ago when a member asked us to serve his steak completely raw with hot “Forestiere Sauce” poured over it.
- I love being a club chef because I get to work with an array of high-quality ingredients, have the freedom to be creative, the atmosphere and working conditions, caring membership, and the people I work with.
- When I’m not in the kitchen, I’m working out, spending time with my family, or reading .
- My biggest mistake when I first started as a chef was spending too much time away from my loved ones.
- I cook duck eggs at home, but I’d never cook it at the club.
- If I could have dinner with one person, dead or alive, it would be Albert Einstein.
- The most valuable pieces of career advice I’ve ever received were “Let your food speak for itself,” and “You know you have acquired great skills when your food has exceptional taste and flavor as well as an exceptional practical presentation.”
- My favorite celebrity chef is Anthony Bourdain because he brought people together from all over the world through food and culture.
- The most important piece of equipment in my kitchen is our Quick-Chill unit.
- I want to learn more about real food as medicine because it affects our well-being and we are what we eat after all.
- My favorite ingredient is lemon. Truffle oil is the most overrated ingredient. Avocado is the most undervalued ingredient. I detest more than two to three bites of fried food and I can’t live without fresh fruit and pure fresh local honey.
- I don’t like to brag, but I have been and still am a proven mentor and coach to many successful young culinarians and culinary competitors.
- My most embarrassing moment in the kitchen was in my early days as a chef when all the chocolate souffles for a large party fell seconds before being served even though I had tested the whole process with great success multiple times before the event.
- If I could have one superpower, it would be to bring peace and unity amongst all people around the globe.
- My favorite cookbook is Cooking of Southern France by Paula Wolfort.
- My favorite kitchen hack is tenderizing, marinating, or infusing proteins instantly through our vac machine.
- I am motivated and inspired by creating food that is simple, elegant, attractive to the sight and yet full of pure flavors.
- The hardest services of my career were when I was struggling to survive while speaking little English and making $2.35 per hour when I first immigrated to the United States at a young age with no family or friends to lean on.
- The most popular item on my menu based on sales is Southwestern Gulf Snapper with summer corn and tomatillo chowder.
- I’d lose my job if I took seafood gumbo off the menu.
- Trustworthiness is the most important quality in a sous chef.
- My go-to breakfast is banana and a protein bar.
- When hiring, multiple short tenures at previous jobs kills a resume fastest for me.
- My biggest professional pet peeve is when someone does not respect the profession and or shows no passion for the craft of cooking.
- I will always purchase ketchup instead of making it from scratch.
- The most important question I ask during the interview process is: Name four or five positive attributes that, if hired, you will bring to the organization.
- The best excuse I’ve ever been given for calling off work is “My grandmother died” except this person used that excuse several times during the year.
- If I had to hire a family member, I would choose my mother because she is an awesome cook.
- The best culinary gift I’ve ever received was a narrow blade antique Henkel barding knife.