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Articles from Chef Todd Mohr | Selfgrowth.com
- 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: 4514 - Why Poaching Fish is Better Than Boiling - by Submitted on Jun 01, 2012 from Chef Todd Mohr“What has less flavor than water?” I pose the question to my cooking college class. Nothing! Nothing has less flavor than water. If you’re thinking about poaching fish, chicken, or eggs, why not ADD flavor to the final result by cooking them in a flavorful liquid? That’s the first rule of ...
Views: 4193 - 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: 3414(5 votes) - 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: 3323(8 votes) - 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: 2752 - How To Cut Vegetables Using The Tip Fulcrum Method - by Submitted on Aug 16, 2012 from Chef Todd MohrI know how to cut vegetables. Trust me, I do. Early in my career I was a lowly prep cook. I was part of a very large system, at a very large kitchen, that fed 15,000 people TWICE a day! My job was to cut vegetables, all day every day. I did this for months! From six in the morning to five ...
Views: 2478(2 votes) - 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: 2429(1 vote) - This Chicken Kiev Recipe Was Invented in Culinary Arts School - by Submitted on Apr 12, 2012 from Chef Todd MohrMost home cooks would begin searching cookbooks for a Chicken Kiev recipe that met their tastes, cooking skill, and ingredients on hand. This is most often a time consuming task. Actually, it takes MORE time just to find the recipe that it would to cook this stuffed chicken entrée. In ...
Views: 2214 - 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: 1913(16 votes) - The 9 Steps of Basic Saute Are Not Only For Bourbon Chicken - by Submitted on Aug 25, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrThey asked me to make Bourbon Chicken for the Beer Bourbon BBQ Festival this year. The mistake they made was asking me to send the recipe. They should know better than to ask the guy famous for burning recipes to write something down. That’s just the point, I don’t use recipes. Bourbon ...
Views: 1806(1 vote) - butter cake recipes - by Submitted on Apr 13, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrButter cake recipes will always be disappointing if you don’t use the correct mixing method. While most people blame the oven for cake faults, the problem is not in the baking. The most common cake faults stem from mistakes made during mixing. Mixing methods are the most important step in ...
Views: 1659(8 votes) - Mahi Mahi Recipes You Can Do in 15 Minutes - by Submitted on Feb 24, 2012 from Chef Todd MohrMahi mahi recipes are no different than any other recipe. I’m sure you know by now how I feel about recipes. They have inherent flaws that make them very difficult to duplicate consistently. If you’re going to get varied results from the same recipe, why even follow it in the first ...
Views: 1576 - Dig Deep For The Best Clam Chowder and Stuffed Clams - by Submitted on Jun 10, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrClam digging is a tradition in my family. I grew up on the water, and had my own boat shortly after my first bicycle. It’s an activity that not only yields fantastic fresh ingredients for cooking, but a family activity that everyone enjoys. It’s one thing to buy fresh fish; it’s another to ...
Views: 1528(1 vote) - A Great Thanksgiving Appetizer Recipe by Burning Peppers? How? - by Submitted on Apr 13, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrA great Thanksgiving appetizer recipe can be the start of any reason to celebrate. Whether a holiday dinner, birthday, or weekend party, offering attractive and delicious yet simple appetizers can get any gathering off to a great start. Appetizers, or “hors d Oeuvres” are small bites of food ...
Views: 1516(5 votes) - At Home or In Baking Classes, Study Your Ingredients First - by Submitted on Oct 28, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrWhen I was a student at Baltimore International Culinary College many years ago, the chef who taught one of my baking classes blew my mind. “All of baking is 5 basic ingredients,” he said. “Butter, milk, eggs, flour, and flavoring, they make everything from pound cake to crepes. HOW you ...
Views: 1457(3 votes) - At Home or In Baking Classes, Study Your Ingredients First - by Submitted on Oct 28, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrWhen I was a student at Baltimore International Culinary College many years ago, the chef who taught one of my baking classes blew my mind. “All of baking is 5 basic ingredients,” he said. “Butter, milk, eggs, flour, and flavoring, they make everything from pound cake to crepes. HOW you ...
Views: 1457(3 votes) - Beware That Different Potatoes Cook Differently - by Submitted on Aug 03, 2012 from Chef Todd MohrDifferent potatoes DO cook differently. Most people think a spud is a spud; one is no different from the other. But this isn’t true; all varieties of potato are not the same. Using the correct type for the dish you’re making is important for excellent results. In today’s culinary college ...
Views: 1413(2 votes) - The Turkey Gravy Thickener that Grandma Ignored - by Submitted on Apr 13, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrMy Grandmother used cornstarch to make turkey gravy. My Mother inherited this procedure of dissolving cornstarch in water to thicken the drippings. Well, this generational laziness stops here! If your family is like mine, your elders will be sliding the roasting pan from the oven in a few ...
Views: 1413 - Tea Types Scandal Uncovered! - by Submitted on Apr 13, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrI had never heard of “Tea-M-Z”, but they believe they’ve uncovered a tea types scandal. Their cameras followed me around all week and finally confronted me with their accusation. “Did you say you liked black better than white”? they probed. These celebrity tabloid TV shows are always looking ...
Views: 1393(19 votes) - Christmas Dinner Ideas Start with Appetizers Too Fancy For You. - by Submitted on Apr 13, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrChristmas dinner ideas come easy. Turkey, Ham, or Beef with potatoes and vegetables. However, how you START your meal can be a more perplexing problem. There are infinite choices of holiday appetizers to choose from. How do you find the right recipe? You don’t FIND the right recipe, you ...
Views: 1365(6 votes) - Stock vs Broth Makes All The Difference - by Submitted on Aug 23, 2012 from Chef Todd MohrThe best soups and sauces are made from intensely flavored liquids. The question of stock vs broth must be considered when making either of these kitchen staples. What is the difference between the two? Why are they different? What effect will either have on my cooking? A stock is a ...
Views: 1353(1 vote) - 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: 1323(4 votes) - Mixing is More Important Than Baking in Christmas Cake Recipes - by Submitted on Apr 13, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrHave you ever taken the results of your family’s Christmas cake recipe out of the oven and been disappointed? How can the same recipe created year after year always come out differently? “Why didn’t my cake BAKE correctly?” I’m here to tell you that the problem with most home baking ...
Views: 1320 - 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: 1285 - 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: 1281(5 votes) - Diagnose Your Cake Problem with Dr. Bakegood - by Submitted on Nov 03, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrIt’s time to solve that cake problem once and for all! You know the one I’m talking about. It’s the dark crust on your layer cake that you carve away with a knife. It’s the chewy or dry texture that you’ve tried to overcome so many years now, but haven’t. Stick out your tongue and say ...
Views: 1271(4 votes) - The Real Facts About Eggs Say It IS The Perfect Food - by Submitted on Aug 10, 2012 from Chef Todd MohrExquisitely simple, yet enormously complex, the egg is one of nature’s marvels. The real facts about eggs have been scrambled in recent years, as they’ve gotten a bad rap for being high in cholesterol and fat. This singular view has ignored the enormous benefit of fresh eggs to the human body ...
Views: 1269(3 votes) - Poaching Salmon Two Ways with Green Day - by Submitted on Apr 13, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrEven an American Idiot can learn there’s more than one method to poaching salmon. I’ve come to the realization that neither MTV nor Food TV are doing their jobs these days. MTV doesn’t play much music, and Food TV doesn’t teach anyone to cook. I’ll accept the challenge that’s been ignored by ...
Views: 1263(9 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: 1254(2 votes) - How To Cut Onions Without Buying A Chopper Device - by Submitted on Mar 09, 2012 from Chef Todd MohrIf you want to know how to cut onions and aren’t easily fooled by late night TV commercials, I’m about to save you a tremendous amount of time and money. I have a neighbor that owns every kitchen gadget and appliance available. She must have the QVC shopping network on speed-dial. These ...
Views: 1225 - 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: 1223(3 votes) - Salmon Gravlax Roses Make an Attractive Holiday Appetizer - by Submitted on Apr 13, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrGravlax Roses can make a simple and attractive holiday appetizer from dry-cured salmon. Whether you cure the salmon yourself, or just purchase it, my simple procedure can be the focus of a fancy appetizer selection that only you know was quite simple. To me, the definition of cooking is ...
Views: 1220 - 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: 1216(3 votes) - How To Make Homemade Sauces Like The Pros - by Submitted on Aug 29, 2012 from Chef Todd MohrProfessional Chefs know how to make homemade sauces using basic cooking methods, not written instructions. That’s why you won’t see a truly skilled cook run for a recipe when they need a sauce. Empowered with HOW to make a sauce, they don’t need a recipe to say WHAT to put in it. A good ...
Views: 1213 - Cook Green Beans in Advance and Keep Their Vitamins Intact - by Submitted on Apr 13, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrWhen you cook green beans this holiday season, will you open a can of condensed soup and let the beans bake for hours? Most people do. Baking vegetables over a long period of time reduces their nutrient value. Plus, if you are trying to have a stress-free holiday cooking experience, you’re ...
Views: 1209(13 votes) - 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 - 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: 1184(13 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: 1182(11 votes) - Cook Simply and Easily with Fresh Ingredients Delivered to Your Door - by Submitted on Aug 17, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrDo you want to cook simply and still ensure that your kitchen is only producing healthy meals? Then you are going to love the idea that I'm going to share with you today. I just received my first produce box! This produce box is filled with healthy, fresh ingredients that practically guarantee ...
Views: 1173(1 vote) - Making Pierogi is no Polish Joke - by Submitted on Sep 02, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrThe taste of pierogi is still on my mind as I’ve returned from the Polish Festival in Riverhead, New York. That thought brings me back to my Grandfather who made the stuffed dumplings by the hundreds when I was a child. I had a Polish Grandfather, so we made Pierogi. But if he were Italian, ...
Views: 1172(1 vote) - 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: 1163(10 votes) - Apple Cranberry Sauce that Didn’t Slide From a Can - by Submitted on Apr 13, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrApple Cranberry Sauce is something unique that you can add to your holiday table this year and avoid the gelatinous creature that slides from a can every holiday meal. I’m not crazy about cranberry sauce in the first place. Cranberries are very tart and sour. That’s why they’re combined ...
Views: 1155 - Grilling How To: New Ideas From Cleaning Your Grill to Non-Stick Fish - by Submitted on May 27, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrI’m inspired to create this “Grilling How To” because outdoor cooking season is now upon us! It’s my favorite cooking time of the year, but before I actually get grilling, I’ll have to inspect my barbeque and decide whether it will survive another summer. My poor, poor barbeque grill, it ...
Views: 1155(2 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: 1147(6 votes) - 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: 1138(1 vote) - How to Steam Food in Culinary College - by Submitted on Apr 06, 2012 from Chef Todd MohrWelcome back to culinary college! Today’s lesson is How To Steam Food. I’m glad you are punctual to class because you’ll want every minute of this four and one half hour lecture and laboratory class. The students at Stratford University in Baltimore aspire to careers as professional ...
Views: 1132(1 vote) - How To Make Homemade Sauces Like The Pros - by Submitted on Aug 29, 2012 from Chef Todd MohrProfessional Chefs know how to make homemade sauces using basic cooking methods, not written instructions. That’s why you won’t see a truly skilled cook run for a recipe when they need a sauce. Empowered with HOW to make a sauce, they don’t need a recipe to say WHAT to put in it. A good ...
Views: 1125 - 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: 1119(1 vote) - 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: 1116(2 votes) - Top 10 Eating Healthy Tips for 2012 - by Submitted on Jan 13, 2012 from Chef Todd MohrEating healthy is not just a fad. It’s not just for hippie granola types, it’s not something to practice only under a doctors direction. Carefully choosing the foods you eat has an impact on every aspect of your life, happiness, social interactions, and overall well-being. However, eating ...
Views: 1106(13 votes) - This Strawberry Pie Recipe Is a Great Method for Any Other Fresh Fruit Pie. - by Submitted on Apr 13, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrThis Strawberry Pie Recipe Is a Great Method for Any Other Fresh Fruit Pie. Unlike canned fruit, fresh fruit does not come with extra liquid. However, we do need some liquid to use as a binder for our pie. If we just sliced strawberries, placed them on the right type of flakes pie crust, and ...
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