Chef’s Thoughts with Chef de Cuisine Andrew Parfitt

If given the opportunity, Shadow Wood CC’s Chef de Cuisine would like to compete against this Certified Master Chef.

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Chef’s Thoughts is sponsored by barillafs.com.

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Andrew Parfitt, CEC, WCEC, CCA, is the Chef de Cuisine of Shadow Wood Country Club in Estero, Fla. He has held this role for the past two years and is responsible for culinary operations within the club. Prior to this post, he was Executive Chef of Greyhawk at the Golf Club of the Everglades, Naples, Fla.

1. You’d be surprised to learn that I am a certified personal trainer.
2. If I could trade places with one chef, it would be Richard Rosendale, CMC.
3. One of my most memorable meals was shrimp tempura and fried rice in downtown Tokyo. Such simple food made perfectly.
4. My go-to drink is water.
5. My last meal would be cheese pizza and chicken wings.
6. My worst culinary creation was a redwood smoked salmon & teriyaki wrap. The idea did not match well with the end result. There were too many contrasting flavors.
7. If I could change one thing about my club it would be implementing a standalone bakery for fresh breads, pastries and desserts.
8. My favorite junk food is Cape Cod potato chips and French Onion dip.
9. If I wasn’t a chef, I’d love to be an aeronautical engineer.
10. I knew I wanted to be a chef when I was 10 years old making chocolate-covered pretzels with my aunt.
11. You’ll never see lobster on the menu at my club because of the large market price variation and the recent inconsistency within the supply chain.
12. The most ridiculous member or guest request I’ve ever had was splitting their side salad six ways.
13. I love being a club chef because of the family-oriented atmosphere and bonds you build with the membership.
14. When I’m not in the kitchen, I’m spending time with my family and exercising.
15. My biggest mistake when I first started as a chef was trying to climb my way up the ranks before mastering the basics. Master the craft before you reach for bigger positions.
16. I cook minute rice at home, but I’d never cook it at the club.
17. If I could have dinner with one person, dead or alive, it would be my late aunt.
18. The most valuable piece of career advice I’ve ever received was, “Never stop challenging yourself.”
19. My favorite celebrity chef is Phillip Tessier because of his ability to accept challenges and overcome them.
20. The most important piece of equipment in my kitchen is the tilt skillet.
21. I want to learn more about advanced baking & pastry because every chef should be able to bake as well as he or she can cook.
22. My favorite ingredient is thyme. Microgreens are the most overrated ingredient. Shallots are the most undervalued ingredient. I detest soup bases, and I can’t live without salt.
23. I don’t like to brag, but my meat fabrication is impeccable.
24. My most embarrassing moment in the kitchen was talking pre-shift with my staff while frustrated and stressing concerns and then slipping and falling as I left the room. It was not my finest moment.
25. If I could have one superpower, it would be the ability to time travel.
26. My favorite cookbook is Larousse Gastronomique.
27. My favorite kitchen hack is making hollandaise in the food processor.
28. I am motivated and inspired by my chef, my peers at work, and the leadership of Chef Gerald Ford, CMC.
29. The hardest service of my career was the opening night of my club with 500 people on a newly developed menu, equipment we have never used, and very limited staff.
30. The most popular item on my menu based on sales is our variation of “bang bang shrimp.”
31. I’d lose my job if I took pizza off the menu.
32. Loyalty and confidence are the most important qualities in a sous chef.
33. My go-to breakfast is egg whites and oats.
34. When hiring, poor grammar kills a resume fastest for me.
35. My biggest professional pet peeve is taking shortcuts just for speed.
36. I will always purchase Heinz ketchup instead of making it from scratch.
37. The most important question I ask during the interview process is, “What I can do that hasn’t already been done to make the establishment better?”
38. The best excuse I’ve ever been given for calling off work is my uber driver kicked me out of the car on my way to work.
39. If I had to hire a family member, I would choose my wife because of her drive to be the best at what she does.
40. The best culinary gift I’ve ever received was having my name embroidered on my first chef coat as a young culinarian.
41. If I could compete against any chef, I’d compete against Gerald Ford, CMC.