Joseph Mahon

Equipment Mode

I am a chef who is huge on details. Having the proper equipment in the kitchen is paramount to any chefs success. How are you suppose to produce consistent, quality products without the correct tools? Good tools/equipment make the cooking process less stressful and gives you the ability to concentrate on other things that are going on in the kitchen. It is not very fun or smart to be sauteing a piece of fish in a pan where the heat is unevenly distributed throughout the pan. When I talk about tools I mean stoves, ovens, knifes, pots, pans, cutting boards, containers, floor mats, towels and anything else that will assist you in the cooking process. These are all the details that I believe, are sometimes overlooked and might clog the vision of the person cooking. Overtime, working with solid equipment will give you a more consistent product and a better mind set when approaching cooking. I believe a big factor of a great chefs success, is the equipment he or she uses in there own kitchens. The chefs I work with always spared no expense to get the best tools/equipment to succeed. Like most things, equipment is an investment; you must understand it, take care of it properly and will pay off in due time. JM

Sea Salt Mode

Sea Salt, Sea Salt, Sea Salt.....where do I begin? Simply put, do not use anything else for your seasoning purposes when cooking. Great, solid, consistent cooking is all about the little things. Sea salt is a huge detail in how your cooking of a recipe tastes. In my case, Baliene sea salt is my salt of choice when it comes to the dish's I serve. Throughout my career, sea salt in one form or another has always played a key role. Sea salt comes from various parts of the world including Cayman Islands, Greece, Hawaii, and Cape Cod. However, in my opinion, the french sea salt fits my palate the best. It is extremely interesting how each salt has it's own distinct characteristics of that region of the world. Salt is a double sided sword in the sense that it can be your best friend or worst enemy. Food that is over-salted can not be eaten and under salted food taste like what your mother use to make for dinner. The careful balance of seasoning with salt can take an good dish to a great dish in one pinch. I do not know any other ingredient that can that. JM