Cooking with The Kilted Chef
Have you found yourself spending more time in the kitchen lately? Are you looking for a few tips to make your latest dish stand-out? Have you ever wondered how the pros cook at home? Join us for our new blog series as we talk to chefs and producers around the province to find out what they’re cooking at home.
Eating at home should be just as stress-free and delicious as dining in at your favourite restaurant. We talked to Chef Alain Bossé, The Kilted Chef, to collect helpful hints for cooking restaurant-quality meals at home. The Kilted Chef shared tips with us for everything from how to organize your pantry efficiently to what kind of food you could be cooking.
Do an inventory of your fridge, cupboard and pantry
Chef Alain suggests organizing your food by when it will expire. “Move things that may be on the way out to the front. When they’re in your line of sight, you’re more apt to use them. Do the same thing with cupboards and the pantry, and if there are things that need to be used, set them on the counter as a visual reminder,” he says.
Featured recipe: Honey Roasted Apple and Parsnip Soup
Buy items with longevity
To keep your grocery list affordable, buy items that will last. For example, buy less fresh fruit and more frozen wild blueberries. “This way, we’re still getting that amazing punch of flavour with all of the antioxidants that we need, but we’re not worried about them spoiling before we can fully enjoy them,” says Chef Alain.
Featured recipe: Sugar Cookies with Blueberry and Rhubarb Buttercream
Keep things affordable by baking and cooking from scratch
“Mixes and pre-made meal kits are definitely convenient but we’ve never had more time to spend in the kitchen then we have now!” Pre-made items can sometimes also take up a large portion of your grocery budget. “A homemade pizza can be relatively inexpensive compared to takeout.”
Chef Alain suggests using our time at home to experiment in the kitchen, and try making things you never thought of before, like your own yogurt!
Featured recipe: Cornect Family Farm HoneyLicious Loaf
Try making new comfort foods
Since we’re spending more time in the kitchen, we might as well try out some new comforting recipes. “I think that we along with everyone else have been trying to make comfort food,” says Chef Alain, who suggests using local ingredients found in your own backyard or community to make various styles of cuisine.
Featured recipe: Chaudrée De Poisson
Looking for more of Chef Alain’s tips and tricks for cooking at home? Watch his virtual cooking class on The Kilted Chef’s Facebook page every day at 3 p.m.