Culinary school quotes of the week, Week 1

The truth about the truth

"It's a tradition. Well, it's more of a nuisance than anything else. But you gotta wear it."
-- Chef John Meidinger (right) telling students on Day 1 that wearing a complete uniform as school rules require for all classes includes the neckerchief.

Don Juan and Casanova were chefs

"Cuisine is not about power; it's about finesse. As chefs, we're poets and lovers, not fighters."
-- Chef Tony Marano describing the military-like organizational "brigade" of the kitchen staff as established by the great Frenchman Georges-Auguste Escoffier.

Bad career move

"You don't want to take a chance on making someone sick or killing someone, because that will ruin your career. Or it should."
-- Chef John Meidinger explaining that food spending a cumulative four hours in the "danger zone", 41-135 degrees Fahrenheit, should be thrown away.


Addicted to science

"Food scientists can be our best friends, or they can be evil. ... Worldwide (restaurant) chains use food scientists to layer fat, oil and sugar to levels in foods to make them addictive."
-- Chef Tony Marano (above left) discussing how tastes and flavors can be manipulated.


Rocco my world
"We have books about cute chefs like Rocco (DiSpirito, a New York City chef/restaurateur, photo at right), but also not so cute chefs."
-- Diana Vasquez, Librarian at the California Culinary Academy, telling students what's among the 4,000 volumes she oversees. She didn't identify any "not so cute" chefs.

(Rocco DiSpirito photo credit: delish.com)