Why do they call it a brigade of chefs?

Understanding that simple question will make your cooking process at home, that much simpler.

You need to know two things about good cooking:

1) Its never chaotic – always organised and requires a modicum of planning;

2) Its about practise and repeating.

A brigade is the collective noun used to describe both a military group and a professional kitchen. Running a kitchen is a military operation. What are the hallmarks of a good military – sound basic training; repetitive till it becomes instinct; planning; intel; good equipment; ability to ‘overcome and adapt’ and finally a command structure. So apply those principles to your cooking and shave hours off your work load.

Basic training – Learn a few basic techniques and practise them until they become instinctive such as tossing the food in a sauté pan or knife skills. Watch a u-tube video and practise what they show you. We’re talking a couple hours (like 2) to save hundreds of hours farting around with a knife in your hands. Learn the basics of slicing, dicing, and being able to cut food into large and fine matchsticks, that skillset combined with grating and you’ve pretty much got it covered. Why – If it’s cut evenly it cooks evenly. Rule one of knives – make sure they’re sharp. I’ve run kitchens for decades- most hand cuts…