Chefs Blog | Culinary Industry | Culinary Education

In my role as "Brand Ambassador" for Le cordon Bleu Portland, I am asked to do many things outside my regular teaching schedule. Many fun things. Events, charitable donations, contests, and television cooking demonstrations are all part of the Ambassador's job. My most recent TV gigs have been regular appearances on KOIN TV's Studio 6. The hour-long format provides me the opportunity for up to seven minutes of live cooking time (a true rarity for the format), and I work with the show's producers to demonstrate dishes that strike a balance between the complexity of Le Cordon Bleu and the simplicity of the home kitchen. My personal bread recipe below was demonstated on Studio 6 last March 28 with Jenny Hansen. I call  it "Paul's Rustic Bread"...it will work for a sandwich loaf, rustic round, baguette, foccacia or pizza. My Baking colleagues at LCB scoff at a recipe being so versatile, but I will swear to the results if the user makes sure to allow 1-2 hours rising time for the dough.

Behind Every Bottle, There's a Story:  Flying Cigars

As cooks and chefs sometimes we need a day off. I am lucky enough to have one of those rare jobs that allows me time off during some of the traditionally busy winter holidays. That wasn't the case during my days as a caterer. The month of December had us driving to the most places in the worst possible weather, and unlike the summer months with high-revenue weddings, December parties were smaller and took place later in the day. Bottom line: More work for less money. The light at the end of the tunnel was of course the family time, gifts and great food. My wife and her family are great cooks, so during those busy Decembers, after the catering was done, I was only asked to handle the protein. No problem.