Chef’s Thoughts with Elijah Pulley

Edgewood Valley CC’s Chef De Cuisine says this is his favorite kitchen hack.

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Chef’s Thoughts is sponsored by barillafs.com.

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Elijah Pulley is the Chef de Cuisine of Edgewood Valley Country Club (La Grange, Ill.). Earlier in his career, he interned with the Union League Club of Chicago.

1. You’d be surprised to learn that I blast Alicia Keys in the kitchen.
2. If I could trade places with one chef it would be Ivan Orkin.
3. One of my most memorable meals was enjoying a bowl of pho with a friend who shared with me his great-grandmother’s recipe.
4. My go-to drink is Vietnamese coffee.
5. My last meal would be a hot pastrami sandwich.
6. My worst culinary creation was beet-marinated halibut.
7. If I could change one thing about my club it would be more cooler space.
8. My favorite junk food is caramel creams.
9. If I wasn’t a chef, I’d love to be a roadie.
10. I knew I wanted to be a chef when I attended a cooking competition at 9 years old and served as my father’s “sous chef.”
11. You’ll never see truffle fries with truffle oil on the menu at my club because it is basically truffle hair spray.
12. The most ridiculous member or guest request I’ve ever had was requesting a new end cut of a prime rib because when they received it it did not end side up.
13. I love being a club chef because there is a little bit of every dining service.
14. When I’m not in the kitchen, I’m on the hunt for a new coffee spot.
15. My biggest mistake when I first started as a chef was that I was too fast-paced.
16. I cook microwave quesadilla 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 Anthony Bourdain.
18. The most valuable piece of career advice I’ve ever received was, “In a world full of squares, be a circle.”
19. My favorite celebrity chef is Anthony Bourdain because he was always searching for more.
20. The most important piece of equipment in my kitchen is the vac seal machine.
21. I want to learn more about forcemeats and terrines because they are on the CMC exam.
22. My favorite ingredient is bonito flakes. Microgreens are the most overrated ingredient. Mirin is the most undervalued ingredient. I detest lettuce, and I can’t live without sesame oil.
23. I don’t like to brag, but I make a mean bowl of Pho.
24. My most embarrassing moment in the kitchen was when I spent 4 hours making platters of dessert for fondu and I accidentally unplugged the cooler I put them in.
25. If I could have one superpower, it would be to be in multiple places at one time.
26. My favorite cookbook is Larousse Gastronomique.
27. My favorite kitchen hack is making hollandaise over a fryer.
28. I am motivated and inspired by endless opportunities to learn.
29. The hardest service of my career was Mother’s Day Brunch when the waffle iron when out.
30. The most popular item on my menu based on sales is seared halibut brushed with paprika butter, served with green beans, corn, and cherry tomatoes with a Maltaise sauce.
31. I’d lose my job if I took the parmesan-crusted chicken off the menu.
32. Willingness to learn is the most important quality in a sous chef.
33. My go-to breakfast is an egg sandwich.
34. When hiring, when people don’t capitalize their first and last name kills a resume fastest for me.
35. My biggest professional pet peeve is when people show up at their scheduled time.
36. I will always purchase any Asian brand of crispy shallots instead of making them from scratch.
37. The most important question I ask during the interview process is “What do you hope to learn from working here?”
38. The best excuse I’ve ever been given for calling off work was when my pantry cook had to call off because his son had an ant in his ear.
39. If I had to hire a family member, I would choose my father because he is a chef and inspired me to get into the business.
40. The best culinary gift I’ve ever received was my dad’s knife set from his younger years.