Self Improvement Site
On The Internet! Take the Self Improvement Tour
On The Internet! Take the Self Improvement Tour
Articles from Chef Todd Mohr | Selfgrowth.com
- The Eight Steps of How To Braise from Culinary College - by Submitted on May 23, 2012 from Chef Todd MohrKnowing how to braise is a cooking skill that’s widely misunderstood. Knowing WHAT to braise is even more confusing to most home cooks. Now, it’s time to end any confusion about this ignored way of cooking because I’m presenting the information to tomorrow’s chefs at culinary college. Our ...
Views: 1823(12 votes) - The Best and Easiest Homemade Pasta Sauce Recipes Anyone Can Master - by Submitted on Apr 13, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrDo you think you need a pasta sauce recipe to make a great pasta dinner tonight? I promise you that if you learn three of the most commonly used (and so called) culinary mother sauces, you will be creating all kinds of dishes with a never-ending variety of options. You might even find a new ...
Views: 2881(15 votes) - A Chef’s Potluck Party Tips to Make Them Jealous - by Submitted on Apr 13, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrA potluck party can be a food nightmare. As a professional Chef and caterer, few things offend my culinary senses more than the holiday potluck party. With hot items going cold, badly portioned and picked-through platters, nacho dip next to brownies, and unidentifiable entrees all sharing the ...
Views: 903(28 votes) - 10 minutes to change your cooking without any experience at all! - by Submitted on Apr 13, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrIt’s time to eliminate the idea that you have in your head that you don’t know how to cook and possibly can’t even learn how to cook! In fact, I say that you already have some cooking knowledge and I’m going to prove it to you. How? Well, you are eating something at home right? We all have to ...
Views: 1458(33 votes) - Easy Healthy Recipes Left on My Doorstep! - by Submitted on Apr 13, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrWant to make some easy healthy recipes and ensure that your kitchen is only producing healthy cooking? Then you are going to love the idea that I’m going to share with you today. I just received my first Produce Box! The Produce Box is filled with healthy, fresh ingredients that practically ...
Views: 1278(3 votes) - What Everybody Should Know About Preparing Your Kitchen for Daylight Savings Time - by Submitted on Apr 13, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrIf you have a love of cooking like I do, you’re excited about the days getting longer. Honestly, with the exception of cooking for the holidays, cooking in the winter seems more like a chore to me. However, cooking in the spring and summer is cooking for fun. In fact, I can’t wait to start ...
Views: 1087(3 votes) - A Quick Dinner Recipe Frees You From the Kitchen Faster - by Submitted on Apr 13, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrStir Fry is the best way to create your own quick dinner recipe using ingredients you have on hand. It’s also a great way to create healthy meals using fresh ingredients and free yourself from the kitchen faster than following a written recipe would ever allow. In the video that accompanies ...
Views: 1241(17 votes) - Pumpkin Tarts Means Fall Food Starts! - by Submitted on Apr 13, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrPumpkin tarts are always the first thing I make when I have access to the fresh ingredients of Fall. I know it’s time to start enjoying Fall foods when the colorful assortment of squash come to my local farmers market. However, I see the wrinkled brow of concern and confusion on shoppers ...
Views: 1466(25 votes) - Why Eating Healthy Food is Easy with Paris Cuisine - by Submitted on Apr 13, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrSince I’ve been on my Paris tour, I’ve discovered that eating healthy food is much easier than I imagined with Paris cuisine. I’m also noticing that everything I’ve eaten tastes incredibly good, so fresh, amazingly flavorful without being overly filling. For someone who already studies food ...
Views: 796(22 votes) - Seafood Paella is a Quick Easy Dinner Made in One Pan - by Submitted on Apr 13, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrWhat is a quick easy dinner I can make in one pan? is a question most often asked of me. While I know the expected answer is a recipe, they’d be asking the wrong person for a recipe. I’ve been urging people to “Burn Your Recipes” through my online cooking classes and DVDs for years now, ...
Views: 742(19 votes) - Cooking With Steam and Gin Blossoms - by Submitted on Apr 13, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrI’ve said it before, “the Food Network is the MTV of cooking.” MTV used to play music, now they’re entertainment about music. Food Network is entertainment about food. They don’t teach anyone to cook. Last week, I was listening to my favorite band, The Gin Blossoms on my iPod while cooking ...
Views: 1315(8 votes) - 10 Romantic Dinner Ideas From a Chef Who Loves His Wife - by Submitted on Apr 13, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrIt’s easy for me to share 10 romantic dinner ideas with you, because I cook this way almost every night. I only cook what I’m inspired to create, and my wife, Heather has always been the muse behind my creativity, from culinary college until today. The most romantic meals have three ...
Views: 1441(13 votes) - Summer Cooking: The Simple Steps for Cooking Perfect Steak - by Submitted on Apr 13, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrCooking perfect steak might mean different things to different people, but by using the same - very simple procedure, everyone can achieve their own personal definition of perfection right on their own BBQ grill. The process begins with choosing and preparing your own beef tenderloin and ends ...
Views: 1263(18 votes) - Easy Family Dinners Are Closer Than Thailand - by Submitted on Apr 13, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrEasy family dinners can come from your own kitchen but have the flavors of far away. I mean that you don’t need to cook like the greatest Italian Chef to make an Italian inspired meal. You don’t need to study in Thailand to use the characteristic flavors in a simple cooking ...
Views: 1134(5 votes) - Fast Dinner Ideas From Your Kitchen Cabinet - by Submitted on Apr 13, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrFast dinner ideas come from the combination of quick cooking methods and the ingredients you have on hand. Planning and cooking meals for your family can be frustrating when you depend on written recipes that command specific ingredients. Sometimes you have the items, sometimes you don’t. ...
Views: 1256(5 votes) - Spoiled Food Is Stinking Up Your Ability To Cook On a Budget - by Submitted on Apr 13, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrFood is a constant expense. Every day, three times a day, whether eating out or cooking at home, you have to spend money on food. If you have to cook on a budget, you’re probably very careful about what you bring home from the grocery for everyday cooking, but how do you protect this investment ...
Views: 825(23 votes) - 7 Tips for Healthy Eating at Home - by Submitted on Apr 13, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrI’ve devised my 7 Tips for Healthy Eating at Home because I feel like crap. What the heck is going on? I’m a healthy guy, I’m not overweight. I exercise more than most people. I was the Executive Chef at a large hospital, so I know about nutrition and I can cook. Why do I feel lousy? Why ...
Views: 1382(11 votes) - 7 Skills You Must Have to Cook Food Consistently - by Submitted on Apr 13, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrI know you’ve said this before, because it’s happened to many a restaurant – • “Their food used to be great, but the chef left”. • “They’re inconsistent. You never know if the food is going to be great or not.” While having all of your meals taste exactly the same is probably not your ...
Views: 1117(16 votes) - How Drying Herbs Saves You More Green - by Submitted on Apr 13, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrIf you love cooking healthy using fresh ingredients, you’re in good company. The trend today is away from the large, corporate agri-businesses and in support of your local farmer. This is great news as you can have more healthy cooking using locally grown, fresh produce. And, nothing helps your ...
Views: 940(2 votes) - Summer Cooking: Cooking Shrimp for Unlimited Uses - by Submitted on Apr 13, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrCooking shrimp at home is a wonderful, casual alternative to a night out at a restaurant. But that's only if you know how to handle shrimp and produce those beautiful professional results yourself. Unfortunately, most people have trouble with shrimp for a couple of reasons. First, there is the ...
Views: 1282(2 votes) - The Farmer’s Secret to Growing Tomatoes in Winter - by Submitted on Apr 13, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrThe trees are bare, the ground is frozen, and if you want the best and freshest ingredients, where are do you go? Well, there is someone growing tomatoes in the winter! If you understand the science of cooking and you want the freshest ingredients even when they’re out of season, then you’re in ...
Views: 1345(4 votes) - 9 Steps to Great Low Carb Cooking From Home - by Submitted on Apr 13, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrYou don’t need a written recipe to achieve great low carb cooking from home. One basic cooking method and the ingredients YOU desire are all it takes. Earlier this week, I showed you a low carb chicken recipe using sauté method. Today’s inspiration will follow the same procedure with ...
Views: 1365(7 votes) - Ethnic Profiling Is The Key to Cooking With Spices - by Submitted on Apr 13, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrCooking with spices is an aspect of cooking that frustrates many people. The questions I receive all highlight a confusion over which spices to buy, how to use them, and how much of them to use. All of those questions can be answered with a simple change in thinking. Use ethnic ...
Views: 1265(7 votes) - Can’t Cook On a Budget? It’s Grandma’s Fault. - by Submitted on Apr 13, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrCooking everyday at home is a great way to cook on a budget. But sometimes, the habits that we picked up as a kid can be detrimental to saving money on food. Let me explain what I’m talking about – remember the end of most family meals when grandma would push the serving platter at your already ...
Views: 828(5 votes) - Poaching is the Path to More Quick Dishes - by Submitted on Apr 13, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrI’m so happy to share more quick dishes for everyday cooking with you. Earlier this week, I caught a Taco Fish and helped you discover the simplicity of a basic breading procedure you can use on any ingredient in your pantry. In the time it takes most people to just FIND the right recipe, I ...
Views: 1164(5 votes) - Don’t Leave Shirred Eggs Off Your Menu For Brunch - by Submitted on Apr 26, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrIf you’re writing a menu for brunch, don’t forget Shirred Eggs. They’re extremely simple, can be made well in advance, and make a great table presentation. People love foods in individual serving dishes. In my many years of Catering, I’ve seen the trends come and go, but high visual appeal ...
Views: 1154(3 votes) - The Essential Cooking Tips for Gas Grills - by Submitted on Apr 13, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrWhen preparing food for the grill, the greatest challenge for home cooks is that grilling is an intense form of direct heat cooking, and controlling the heat can be tricky. Although most people see it as easy, grilling is actually one of the most challenging of the basic cooking methods. If ...
Views: 1162(3 votes) - The Best Homemade Pizza Recipe Delivered in 7 minutes or It’s Free! - by Submitted on Apr 13, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrI’m back from Sunburst Tomato Farm in Momeyer, North Carolina. What a great trip! While I was learning about growing tomatoes in the winter, I was thinking about making a homemade pizza recipe to add to my cooking classes. But then, I thought, what does the local tomato farmer like to make with ...
Views: 861(5 votes) - 3 No Recipe Uses For The Season’s Best Strawberries - by Submitted on May 23, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrNo recipe will tell me what to do when it’s strawberry season. It’s one of the great seasonal joys in fresh food, and I take full advantage of the short time. The best strawberries come from your local farm, local farmer, local rain and soil. I celebrate the beginning of strawberry season ...
Views: 1165(3 votes) - A Consomme Recipe That You’ll Never Try - by Submitted on Oct 04, 2012 from Chef Todd MohrI’ll admit it. You’ll never try this consommé recipe. Even my students in culinary college will make it once and probably never again. I try to bring you the best aspects of cooking and make it simple. But, there’s no way to make this clear and flavorful broth easily. It’s a professional ...
Views: 1557(1 vote) - Are You Missing The 5 Benefits of Simple Cooking? - by Submitted on Mar 15, 2012 from Chef Todd MohrSimple cooking is the best cooking. There, I said it for the 1000th time! No matter where I travel, no matter to whom I speak, those people and cultures that know good food say the same thing. In Paris, the spice store shared his incredibly simple secret to eating healthy, “Simple things are ...
Views: 1279(1 vote) - Cake Mixing Like the Pros with the Two-Stage Method - by Submitted on Apr 13, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrCake mixing techniques are always more important than cake baking temperatures. I demonstrated this in an earlier blog by using a butter cake recipe to demonstrate the creaming method. This method combines butter and sugar to trap air, then uses egg yolks to form an emulsification. The ...
Views: 1825(1 vote) - Catch a Taco Fish, One of the Quick Dishes for Everyday Cooking - by Submitted on Apr 13, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrIf you could cook like me and create quick dishes every night of the week, you’d never need a recipe book. Without a recipe book, you’d never need to stress about dinner. It’s the written recipe that causes so much anxiety about preparing family dinners. Are you always trying to figure out ...
Views: 1190(1 vote) - Crepes Are an Easy and Elegant Brunch Menu Idea - by Submitted on Apr 22, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrCray-pe or Creh-pe, no matter how you say it, the simple French pancake makes an easy and elegant brunch menu idea. They’re incredibly simple to make, and flexible enough that they can be breakfast, lunch, dinner, or late night snack. However, their delicate nature makes them perfectly ...
Views: 889(1 vote) - Do it Yourself -4 Steps to Copycat Restaurant Recipes. - by Submitted on Apr 13, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrI have a friend that plays guitar. He can hear a song and figure out how to play it. This has always impressed me. I watch him intently listening to the song, nodding his head, humming a bit, and then his fingers go to work. The left hand forms chords, the right strums or picks at the ...
Views: 1208(1 vote) - Essential Cooking Instruction: Why Most Home Cooks Fail Before They Even Begin - by Submitted on Apr 13, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrWhen you follow a recipe to a disappointing outcome, you probably say, "well, that didn't cook right." What you don't realize is that the actual cooking is usually the least important factor in culinary success. In fact, most issues start right in the beginning with inadequate knife skills. ...
Views: 889(1 vote) - Flaky Pie Crust or Mealy Pie Crust? Avoid Soggy Bottom Pies With The Right Choice. - by Submitted on Apr 13, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrChoosing a flaky pie crust or a mealy pie crust for you pie can mean the difference between pie pride and pie purgatory. It’s not that you need different recipes for the two types of pie crust, you just need to employ two different methods. Flaky pie crust will absorb more moisture than a ...
Views: 1045(1 vote) - Great Cooking Turkey Tips For Choosing Your Bird - by Submitted on Apr 13, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrI’ve got a lot of cooking turkey tips for you this year, but the very first must be choosing your bird. There are many different classifications and labels that are placed on Thanksgiving fowl, and it can be confusing knowing which type of poultry to purchase. A “Free Range” bird may not ...
Views: 1145(1 vote) - Holiday Fun with Brown Sugar Ham Glaze and a Blowtorch - by Submitted on Apr 13, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrMaking your own brown sugar ham glaze is so simple that you won’t need to buy a commercially prepared sweet-baked ham this year. You can save money by buying, baking, and glazing your own ham this holiday season. Brining Turkey is Better Than Burning Down Your House was my advice for people ...
Views: 1201(1 vote) - How To Create a 6 Course French Dinner Without Recipes - by Submitted on May 13, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrWould you break into a sweat if you had to create a 6 course French dinner for friends? Most people would, it can be intimidating cooking for other people. What makes this cooking stress even greater is trying to follow written recipes. Cooking is fun. Referring back-and-forth to written ...
Views: 1202(1 vote) - It’s Angel Food Cake Hell If You Mix It Wrong! - by Submitted on Apr 13, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrNo, you’re not. You’re not looking for another Angel Food Cake recipe. The recipe really doesn’t matter as much as the procedure. So, rather than look for a new written set of instructions, how about scrutinizing the steps that professionals take in creating this fat free dessert? When you ...
Views: 3473(1 vote) - Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution IS The War On Drugs - by Submitted on Apr 13, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrI’m not sure why Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution has returned to television. Does the former Naked Chef want to cure obesity? Does he want to reduce diabetes? Does he want to remove additives from our food? Is it fat? Is it sugar? Is it children? Is it adults? Is it a war on drugs? Why ...
Views: 1194(2 votes) - Number One Chef Secret Will Change Your Cooking Forever! - by Submitted on Apr 13, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrHave you ever wondered how a chef can be told to cook with a few ingredients and they can pull together a dish without using a cookbook? How is that possible? It’s possible because there are chef secrets that we use in cooking every day. They’re the same chef secrets that I teach in my online ...
Views: 1394(1 vote) - Roll Out Cookies For Santa The Right Way! - by Submitted on Apr 13, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrI’d be worried if I made cookies for Santa and he didn’t eat them. What would that mean? Was I too naughty this year for him to even take a bite? Or, is Santa expecting more from me than stale cookies from the store? Santa expects cookies from scratch and I’ve let him down in past years. ...
Views: 1341(1 vote) - Spritz Cookies – It’s All In The Bagging! - by Submitted on Apr 13, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrSpritz cookies are my favorite cookie at the holidays. I don’t make them any other time of the year, just as I don’t watch “A Christmas Carol” or “The Grinch” in July. These cookies bring back strong childhood memories for me, mostly of my Mom’s frustration with her antique cookie press. If ...
Views: 722(1 vote) - Stuck for Christmas Dinner Ideas? Try Potatoes Anna - by Submitted on Apr 13, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrChristmas dinner ideas are harder to come by than any other holiday menu. Most people have deep traditions when it comes to their Thanksgiving table, but Christmas presents a great opportunity to try new things, new ideas for the coming new year. Let’s start with starch. Potatoes are high ...
Views: 1212(1 vote) - Summer Demands an Easy Baked Stuffed Clam Recipe - by Submitted on Apr 13, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrWhen I go clam digging and I am as successful as I was on this particular trip, my favorite clam recipe to cook is baked stuffed clams. Today, I’m going to share how I create this fantastic dish! Knife Skills First and foremost, all of the clams need to be cut into small, yet uniformly sized ...
Views: 1005(1 vote) - The 5 Skills You Need To Cook Better - by Submitted on Aug 02, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrI can cook better than I ever have because I don’t follow recipes anymore. They’ve let me down too many times. However, if I don’t have written instructions, how do I create amazing meals at home? There are 5 elements, or necessary skills that I use to be able to cook the way I want, with ...
Views: 1105(1 vote) - The Canning How To on Barbeque Sauce - by Submitted on Jul 07, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrThese canning how-to tips came out of necessity. You see, I’ve been making my own barbeque sauce since I was a kid, but it caused conflict in my household. I loved using the sauce as a grilling marinade so I’d make gallons of my “New York Attitude” Barbeque Sauce and portion it into used ...
Views: 818(2 votes) - The Number 1 Method for Great Cookies From Scratch - by Submitted on Apr 13, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrThe idea of great cookies from scratch is what brings people back to their kitchens this time of year. Even people that don’t bake for the other eleven months of the year, somehow find themselves back in the kitchen for holiday cookie time. Whether you have fond childhood memories of baking ...
Views: 714(2 votes)