Lok WONG - Secret of cooking (I)

Lok said, "Tips for Cooking Mushrooms-The cooking time of a given food depends on its texture, as well as the thickness of the portion. Maitake mushrooms, with its 'powerful' flavour, are recommended for dishes that require a longer -cooking time while mild-flavoured shiitake mushrooms takes a shorter time to cook as overcooking would spoil their flavour. I believe these experiences also apply to cooking other dishes".

The essence of Japanese culinary arts lies in simplicity and sophistication. It requires years of training and hardship to master the cooking techniques


Secret skill 1 : Honour thy teacher
Every Japanese restaurant is governed by a set of complicated rules and etiquette. Apprentices have to perform duties according to them; in case of non-compliance, the apprentices will be yelled at. Once you can convinced your maestro that you are dedicated to the job, he will teach you everything he knows. In my case, they even encouraged me to start my own business towards the end of my apprenticeship.


Extract from CookSmart, Issue 18