PAULA DEEN : NICE SOUTHERN COOKING
The U.S is one of my favorite holiday destinations. The expansive nature and variety always speak to the imagination. At gourmet level, America is not highly recommended and in many ways this is not entirely unjustified, but in certain areas of inter alia The South, in rural regions where life is less hectic and people are still trying to stick to more traditional forms of life, recipes are still passed from mother to daughter.
I myself have had the opportunity to be able to sit down with a family of ranchers in Kentucky where the lady of the house made delicious food. True them I got introduced to the temperamental and laughter income of the southern cook Paula Deen, her television shows always starts with the words “Hey y’all”.
Het temperament and laughter was so contagious that I want to present her with all the fun to you: Paula was born in Albany Georgia in the heart of the “Southern American Cuisine”. She is a self-made woman who learned the secrets of Southern cuisine from her grandmother.
It all began in Savannah where she started her catering company “The lady and the Bag”, after a tough divorce and with only $ 200 she took a chance, a chance that changed her live completely. She brought the Southern cuisine with it sunny flavors inside the musty gray offices and clinical and medical practices in the area and quickly she became the “talk of the town”. Her dishes were traditional with a touch of originality, the barbecue specialty “Boston Bud” or “Grilled Chicken Pot Pie” was a huge success.
In 1990 she opened together with her sons ,the restaurant “Lady and Sons” and that was a great success. She went from small caterer to one hell of an imperium and the books she published when over the counter like sweet candy. He books: Paula Deen and Friends, Living it Up, Southern Style, The Lady and Sons Savannah Country Cookbook, … were all a sales success.
In 1999, she had her own television show on the channel “Food Channel”. She was a big hit throughout the U.S. and even earned her an Emmy as “Personality of the Year”. Today everyone knows Paula Deen. Paula Deen today confessed she has diabetes and she is adapting her recipes to her disease.
RACHEL RAY, THE CHEF WITH PUNCH !
I want you to meet a second American chef I like, Rachel Ray. Rachel Ray I met through our friends in Kentucky. They told us about the new hype among chefs on TV. What for us Jeroen Meus, is for many Americans Rachel Ray. Her warmth, temperament, energy and boundless curiosity make her cooking show a great success. The show motivates to live like Rachel Ray and the public adores it. She wants to bring every America back to cooking with her easy approach in the way of cooking. Rachel find simple solutions to everyday problems in the kitchen and that makes her just so popular.
Rachel Ray grew up among the pots and pans and cooking was given by mothers milk. When she saw her mother flip over a homemade hamburger with a spatula, she wanted to do the same thing, cooking like her mom. At the age of 3-4 she burned her dump doing so. And that is where she knew cooking was in her blood.
Rachel was lucky to be growing up in a traditional culinary family, that’s how she came in contact with a wide range of cooking techniques. And she learned quickly. Her grandfather was her inspiration: he taught her the tricks of the rich traditions of Louisiana cooking. The Ray family were owners of several restaurants in Cape Cod, Mass.
True the years they moved to New York “The Big Apple “. New York ,her mother was Maître Chef in a restaurant. Rachel could steal with her eyes. A little bit later, they started their own food chain restaurant and they were one by one very big success. If you can make it in the Big Apple you can make it anywhere!
In her twenties , Rachel moved to New York, where she first worked at Macy’s in the candy department as a cashier, this would not last long, she had more to offer. She quickly made a career, she climbed the ladder to manager of the fresh foods department. This job gave her the opportunity to indulge, her two years, into the wonderful world of gourmets. She had giving the opportunity to work as manager and buyer for the prestigious Deli The Agata & Valentina, in New York. Of course she took that job with both hands.
Rachel had more ambition than just being a shop manager and knew she had more to offer, there was only one option: to move to uptown New York, where she worked in various restaurants.
Finally she recruited by Cowan & Lobel, in Albany, a very large deli. And that’s where she her career as a Maître chef. She inspired people with a whole new concept “cooking classes for busy career people”. They called it the “30-Minute Southern Meals,” It was such a huge success, she was in the spotlight. Today she has her own cooking show on Food Channel, introduced her own magazine and as Paula Deen, she was awarded an Emmy as “Personality of the Year”. Her books are a hit and selling like hot candy .
GUY VAN CAUTEREN : CLASSIC WITH A TWIST
In the beautiful picturesque village Berlare, just below the church, was a building where culinary history was written. ” t Laurierblad ‘with chef Guy Van Cauteren, known for the cooking series “Cooking with Guy” on Vitaya, he pressed undoubtedly a mark on culinary Flanders. Unfortunately, the restaurant-hotel closed down. With great sadness, I see a wonderful, inspiring chef resign.
At the spot where the restaurant was, Guy Van Cauteren was born. He is the son of a butcher. As a child, Guy was a spirited fellow, a little rebel and at the College of Dendermonde he was well-known. He left college, where he learned Latin-Greek, because his father felt he could better learn a craft. So he changed courses to butchering, he tried to work at the shop of his parents, but he wanted more. So he took cooking classes in a high level cooking school in Oostend. Once he completed his studies Guy traveled to Paris. He worked in renowned restaurants as L’arche trade ‘and’ Lucas Carton.
Driven by enthusiasm and years of practice he returned to Belgium. The young chef went to work in the French embassy as Maître Chef. His young violence in the kitchen was a real success, he was well-known in the business and had gathered interesting contacts. In 1979, Guy Van Cauteren started his restaurant, in, what was once the family home. The butchery got a completely new character and a stunning restaurant was born. His time in the restaurant hasn’t been an easy one, but his love for the craft and enthusiasm for cooking was always stronger and he didn’t quit. Meanwhile,Guy Van Cauteren , has built up a career of 40 years, experience accumulated in Flanders and belongs to the high top of Topchefs. His restaurant and cookery rays are a great personality. His product knowledge and love for local products gave this restaurant something pure and true. No meringues, powders and foam but go for the pure taste.
The dishes where a wonderful harmony of flavors, the combinations appeal to the imagination and where always a pleasure. The kitchen was a traditional kitchen with a big imagination. The dishes where simple but beautifully presented, refined. This restaurant wasn’t an unpleasant surprise, every visit was a festive delight. That’s why Guy Van Cauteren remains a source of inspiration for me. I have been able to meet Guy at his restaurant, a modest man with a twinkle in the eye as you can appreciate his kitchen.
We conclude with a wonderful slogan on the website” t Laurierblad ‘condition and everything describes: “The discovery of a new dish contributes more to human happiness than the discovery of a new star.”. Or to say it in the words of the chef himself: “Enjoying the good, the true art of life.”.
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