One of the most important jobs performed by any competent chef begins well before they enter the kitchen. Being able to identify and source the freshest, highest quality produce is arguably the most important skill a well-trained chef has. In fact, I’d go so far as to say that it is the one skill that differentiates a great chef from a merely competent chef. When I’m looking to bring a new trainee into the restaurant, I’m more interested in their ability to identify and select great produce than I am, at least initially, in their ability to cook. I can teach them to cook. And to a certain extent I can provide instruction on selecting great produce. But I honestly believe that the best chefs have additional sensory capacity and powers of...

If you’re anything like me, chances are you’re constantly in a rush. Let me guess, despite your desire to observe the tenets espoused by the slow food movement, your boss is yet to come to grips with the fact that you’re entitled to a lunch break. Am I right? I thought so. Well, it’s time to slow down. And there’s no better dish to slow you down than a well made chowder combining the freshest seafood and organic produce you can lay your hands on. This one’s not difficult, but it does take a little bit of preparation time. So, pour yourself a nice glass of chardonnay and let’s take time out to make one of my favourite dishes – a delightful seafood chowder incorporating fresh organic produce. I don’t pretend to know the history...

Stuffed mushrooms might be a little bit 80s, but they’re the best way I know of introducing mushrooms to my nieces and nephews without having them turn up their noses. So, if you’re above enjoying a nicely made stuffed mushroom, I suggest you tune out now. If like me you like to have a bit of fun in the kitchen and you don’t take yourself too seriously, hang in there and we’ll whip up a feast of stuffed organic mushrooms that’ll have everybody in the house running in to the kitchen to find out what’s going on. The thing I love about stuffed mushrooms, apart from the fact that they bring out the fresh flavours in good quality organic produce, is that they seem dull and uninteresting until you start making them. And then everyone...

This is an old standby. My Uncle Ivan loves Caesar Salad. Consequently, I grew up eating it most evenings during the summer months. Believe me, that’s quite some pedigree. I still love the flavour combinations that pervade a well-made Caesar. And, when fresh organic ingredients are used, there’s no salad that comes close to it. Actually, I lie. There are a few other great salads besides this one. But more about those later. Let’s get into some Caesar action. But don’t underestimate this dish. Many people do. They feel that, by virtue of the fact that they’ve had it served to them in a decent restaurant on a handful of occasions, they’re adequately prepared to do it justice. Sometimes, they’re not. And the results can be unflattering....

I love organic mushrooms. They are so versatile yet, at least in my opinion, highly undervalued in most kitchens. If you’ve got family and friends who adhere to vegetarian principles, then mushrooms provide a great focal point for a number of brilliant mains. Unfortunately, I find that most recipes involving mushrooms are often so overdone that the delicate and subtle flavours embodied in the mushrooms tend to be overpowered by an annoying array of flavours. I keep telling people, if you start with fresh organic produce, there’s no need to distract people’s attention away from it. That’s what I like about this particular recipe. The flavours contained in this soup are sufficiently subtle that the wonderful aromas and textures of...