member blog: danny
danny
From
Jamie's Office
Member since
6th Jul 2004
About
On a mission to learn more about food, life and the meaning of!
danny's blog posts
Snail Trail
Thu 08 May 2008GENERAL BLOG
Hi,
Recently on the forums we have been chatting about what to do with snails. I planted some herbs and the next day found many of the little critters munching away. Take a look at the pic attached. What I ended up doing is placing all of the pots on the table that I have in the backyard. At the end of the day I have found that there are no snails. Maybe it takes them too long to climb up the table? Anyway, it seems to have worked....
Dan
more chats to the apprentices about Chef's Week
Wed 07 May 2008GENERAL BLOG
Dan
Hi Daryl how are you getting on with Chef’s week?
Da
I am loving it actually, I am finding it easier to work on my own than when I am working with one of the Chef’s on a normal shift because it is all yours and you know everything that is going on.
Dan
You have to make your own decisions?
Darryl
Yep you definitely have more responsibility.
Dan
What section are you running Darryl?
Da
I am running the Past section
Dan
What is your favorite Pasta?
Darryl
Torteliini, I love stuffed pastas like Ravioli and obviously Gnocchi. I have loved my filled pastas since I was a kid.
Davina and Jodene fifteen graduate interviews
Mon 05 May 2008GENERAL BLOG
Whilst I was speaking with the apprentices I noticed that two graduates where having lunch at Fifteen. Both of them are now employed by Fifteen and I was interested to see how they were getting on. Davina is on the left of the photo and Jodene is on the right with her lovely little boy.
Davina
You must remember Chef's week at 15 well and now you are back for lunch. How was it?
It was good, very enjoyable, I really enjoyed it.
What did you have?
I had the gnocchi with broad beans and peas and the scallops with Fergola
Would you have made the dish any differently?
Maybe a touch more lemon juice in my Fergola
What is Fergola?
It's pasta basically
Did you pass your feedback onto the apprentices?
(laughing) yes I did
How did they respond?
They took it very well
You graduated October 2007 and have been working at 15. How is it going?
Yep it's good I am enjoying it, learning loads more stuff and enjoying my time really.
Jodene
How was lunch today for you Jodene?
Excellent!
What did you have?
I had Papperdelle with Pork ragu and Lamb Vigniola
How’s life since you graduated 3 years ago?
Yes I am really enjoying working back at Fifteen. I have worked on every section aside from working upstairs in the Trattoria
Any favorite area?
I worked with Gennaro on pasta for 9 months which was great.
Learning to make pasta with Gennaro must be like working with a master craftsman if you are starting out as a potter?
Most definitely, he creates art with pasta and I'm sure he's really pleased when graduates come back and work at Fifteen, he's a great mentor.
Sam Fifteen trainee interview
Wed 30 Apr 2008GENERAL BLOG
Hi,
Welcome to my very first “Editor’s Blog”. Last week (21st April) the current group of apprentices were busy running Fifteen in London as part of “Chef’s week”. This is a very important part of their training and for a whole week they run each of the stations in the kitchen by themselves. I managed to chat to a few of the apprentices and also to Andrew Parkinson the Executive Chef at Fifteen.
Danny
So I am here with Sam, one of the apprentices who is running Chef's week at 15.
What does Chef's week at 15 involve?
We take over the running of the kitchen, not the front of house and we have more responsibility, there is much more responsibility all together.
Was the idea of doing this quite daunting?
Yes, when I first came to the restaurant I was blown away and I never thought that I would be able to do this, it's a great experience. Given the fact that the apprentices are aged between 16 and 24 this is a great effort.
Is there an appointed Team Leader who is ultimately responsible for running the kitchen?
Not amongst the apprentices but our Training Chef Lucien is on hand in the kitchen.
So you have your own work stations but you work as a team?
Yes exactly
How did it go today? Any challenges?
It's always a challenge every day but it was great. Everything ran smoothly, there was allot of communication between every student in the kitchen and overall it was very good
What happens at the end of the week? Are you graded on this as part of your overall mark for the course?
Yes we are graded on the week and there is a prize for the best Chef of the week. We are graded on many different things such as the flavour of the dishes that we are cooking and even your appearance for the week.
How is the course going?
Yes it is amazing, it's something that I never thought that I would have done a couple of years back
Where you into food before?
Not really. I watched cooking prgrammes on TV but I never really thought that I would end up doing this. It's going really well so far.
What is your favorite food now having worked at 15?
There are too many to make a choice
There do you see yourself working after completing the training?
Hopefully a restaurant that has Michelin styled food. I like all of the garnishes and the presentation, it really excites me.
Send Jamie pics of unusual Vege and fruit!!
Wed 01 Aug 2007GENERAL BLOG
Hi Everyone,
In preparation for the Jamie At Home Podcast, Jamie has asked if you could send him images and info on very unusual vege, fruit and herbs from the four corners of the planet!! Jamie was on a TV talk show last year in Aus and the interviewer presented him with a Choko and asked if he knew what it was. Jamie then proceeded to bite the Choko and as I am an Aussie lad I know that you do not eat them raw!! My granny - Martha McCubbin had a Choko vine and we used to eat them all the time. Does anyone have any tips on cooking Choko's?
Would be great to also receive your images and info on any other weird and wonderful delights...
Cheers
Danny
danny's foodwise posts
