Here's how you can showcase your culinary trend and technique expertise in an interview.

Here is what I learned early on: the same water that softens the potato, boils the egg. Being the best cook in the kitchen usually means it is time to find a new kitchen. Interviews have gone out the window and have been replaced with a mystery basket; and, go! Knowledge about proteins, vegetables, and starch are strengths but so are seasonings. Play to your strengths and learn about you weaknesses. An interview should not make or break your culinary career. Apply again and find your place in this field. You never know where you might end up!

On the day of the event, one of our junior chefs was tasked with preparing a basic element of the menu: a simple, classic chicken broth that would serve as the base for one of the more complex dishes. As the head chef tasted the broth, he immediately noticed the off flavor due to the impurities. He called the junior chef and me to the side and emphasized the importance of mastering and respecting the basics. He explained that no matter how advanced our techniques become, the foundational skills are what ultimately define the quality of our dishes. I always made sure to instill this principle in any kitchen team I worked with, ensuring that we never lose sight of the core skills that make us successful chefs.

Basic cooking methods have value only when used to express a modern variety. For example, understanding the value of a long, slow simmer for stock vs. making stock in a quarter of the time in a pressure cooker. The pressure cooker can produce superior results in less time if one understands what makes for a good stock. Additionally, there is lost value in the deep understanding of cultural relevance. Anyone producing food, whether that is in a home kitchen, a test kitchen, or as part of a process in food research & development needs to deeply understand the importance of taste, texture, aroma, appearance, ritual, and sound as it relates to a specific culture. For example, knowing the basic aromatics in global cuisines is a must.

Recently, I noticed the growing popularity of plant-based dishes and decided to experiment with jackfruit as a meat substitute. I created a jackfruit "pulled pork" dish, using slow-cooking techniques and smoky barbecue sauce. After refining the recipe and conducting taste tests, I introduced it as a special at our restaurant. The dish was a hit, especially with guests seeking plant-based options, and it became a permanent menu item. This experience highlighted the importance of staying updated with industry trends and demonstrated my enthusiasm for food innovation. By embracing new trends, I was able to create a dish that resonated with our guests and added value to our menu.

At a high-end restaurant, I led an initiative to embrace zero-waste cooking by using vegetable scraps for broths and creating dishes with parts usually discarded, like carrot tops and beet greens. One highlight was making a carrot top pesto and sautéed beet greens, which guests loved. This not only reduced waste but also inspired creative resource use and reinforced my commitment to sustainability.

Experience is a sought out skill set, and should ALWAYS be encouraged. In one example, in my work, my team was tasked with creating prototypes for the Brazilian market. We immediately set to a deep-dive into the culture that included many cooking shows/cookbooks that we used to create traditional and modern Brazilian foods in our test kitchen. Additionally, and equally as important, we set to discover the music, art, cinema, fashion, and written word of Brazil. There were several instances of dancing in the test kitchen to music we discovered which lent a genuine sense of culture we would otherwise not have discovered. They go hand-in-hand.

I've been experimenting with cooking beans lately - and discovered my pressure cooker as a tool to help deliver consistent results. As I experimented, I developed a method of adding a separate "chamber," so to speak, in the pressure cooker to create aromatics and a sauce to be added to the beans. Basically, I add a heat proof bowl filled with aromatics - in one instance this was miso, molasses, ginger, garlic, shallots, and mirin - set on a trivet into the pressure cooker, above the beans and seasoned water. Bring to pressure and cook till beans are tender. Carefully remove the bowl of aromatics, and puree. Drain off some of the bean cooking liquid and combine the pureed aromatics with the beans to create a dish with a rich sauce.

One memorable experience from my culinary career was when I introduced a zero-waste approach in my kitchen. I noticed we were discarding a lot of vegetable scraps, so I started using them to make stocks and broths. This not only reduced waste but also enhanced the flavors of our dishes. The team embraced the change, and our kitchen became more sustainable. This initiative not only aligned with our values but also impressed our diners, leading to positive feedback and an increase in customer satisfaction. This experience reinforced my belief in the importance of sustainability in the culinary world.

Here's a key strategy to effectively showcase your expertise in culinary trends and techniques during an interview: take the opportunity to ask insightful and relevant questions that demonstrate your understanding of current trends, your grasp of advanced culinary techniques, and your eagerness to engage in meaningful discussion. This shows your knowledge and enthusiasm for the culinary field and positions you as a proactive and engaged candidate.