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Articles from Chef Todd Mohr | Selfgrowth.com
- What Are Some Tips for Healthy Living? Chef Todd Asks the Experts. - by Submitted on Apr 13, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrI really need some tips for healthy living. The New Year is in full swing, and like I said earlier this week during my 7 Tips for Healthy Cooking, I feel like crap. Perhaps it’s not JUST the food I eat. Maybe there are items in my environment that could be affecting my mood, health and ...
Views: 955(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) - 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) - 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) - 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) - 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) - Roll Out Cookies For Santa The Right Way! - by Submitted on Apr 13, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrI’d be worried if I made cookies for Santa and he didn’t eat them. What would that mean? Was I too naughty this year for him to even take a bite? Or, is Santa expecting more from me than stale cookies from the store? Santa expects cookies from scratch and I’ve let him down in past years. ...
Views: 1052(11 votes) - 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) - 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) - 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) - 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) - 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: 1024(8 votes) - 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) - 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) - 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) - 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) - 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) - 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) - 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) - Why Carve Turkey at the Table? Here’s Another Way - by Submitted on Apr 13, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrIt’s turkey time! The bird is out of the oven and it’s time to carve turkey! Rather than trying to cut all the meat directly from the carcass at the table, consider creating an attractive platter behind the scenes this year. The turkey is fully roasted when my thermometer reads 165F (74C) ...
Views: 1009(13 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) - 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) - 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) - 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: 671(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) - 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) - Crepes Are an Easy and Elegant Brunch Menu Idea - by Submitted on Apr 22, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrCray-pe or Creh-pe, no matter how you say it, the simple French pancake makes an easy and elegant brunch menu idea. They’re incredibly simple to make, and flexible enough that they can be breakfast, lunch, dinner, or late night snack. However, their delicate nature makes them perfectly ...
Views: 932(1 vote) - 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 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) - 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: 887(1 vote) - The 5 Skills You Need To Cook Better - by Submitted on Aug 02, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrI can cook better than I ever have because I don’t follow recipes anymore. They’ve let me down too many times. However, if I don’t have written instructions, how do I create amazing meals at home? There are 5 elements, or necessary skills that I use to be able to cook the way I want, with ...
Views: 918(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) - Baking-How-To Answers Are In The Mixer, NOT The Oven - by Submitted on Oct 28, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrI get more baking-how-to questions about oven temperatures than any other query. Home bakers have been duped into thinking that somehow oven temperature and baking time are the keys to successful baked goods. It’s not true. The greatest amount of baked good worry from home bakers comes from ...
Views: 820(2 votes) - 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) - Top 15 Fathers Day Presents From The Kitchen - by Submitted on Jun 02, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrFathers day presents from the kitchen are a great idea for the dad that cooks. Men and women cook differently. Men need gadgets, men like tools, and some of the best new dishes he’ll create may be because of the new device you’ve given him. Today, I’ll go through my kitchen drawers and ...
Views: 971(2 votes) - 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) - Avoid Destroying the Color Texture and Nutrients in Vegetables! - by Submitted on Sep 14, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrNutrients in vegetables usually wind up in the green colored water you’ve just cooked them in. Have you ever noticed that if you cook carrots in water, you’ve got orange colored liquid and carrots that taste like water? Where do you think the nutrients go? If you want to avoid destroying ...
Views: 949(2 votes) - Boil Corn On The Cob and You Lose - by Submitted on Jun 24, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrBoil corn on the cob and you’ll notice the corn tastes like water and the water like corn. If you think about it, you can make a flavorful vegetable broth by simmering onions, carrots, and celery in water. So, are you trying to cook your corn or make corn broth? Boiling is a moist ...
Views: 1019(1 vote) - 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) - Food TV Won’t Teach You To Cook - by Submitted on Sep 06, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrWatching Food TV won’t teach you to cook. Perhaps you shouldn’t believe or attempt everything on your flat screen that’s designed for entertainment value, not educational value. Neither will you learn to cook from a cookbook. Written recipes won’t teach you to cook any more than sheet music ...
Views: 792(1 vote) - Great Sauces Always Start With Roux - by Submitted on Sep 16, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrGreat sauces can save a badly cooked piece of chicken. However, a bad sauce will ruin the best cooked meal. Being able to consistently create flavorful and smooth sauces is one of the best skills to have in the home kitchen. When you can make a variety of sauces, you multiply the number ...
Views: 764(1 vote) - 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 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) - Learn How to Saute For Countless Quick Dinners - by Submitted on Aug 05, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrWhen you know how to sauté, then you have power over your food choices. It’s quick, easy, and you can sauté almost anything! Most cookbooks concentrate on the list of ingredients and forget to tell you HOW to cook. When you can repeat one cooking method, then the ingredients don’t ...
Views: 798(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) - 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) - 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) - The Eight Steps of How To Braise from Culinary College - by Submitted on May 23, 2012 from Chef Todd MohrKnowing how to braise is a cooking skill that’s widely misunderstood. Knowing WHAT to braise is even more confusing to most home cooks. Now, it’s time to end any confusion about this ignored way of cooking because I’m presenting the information to tomorrow’s chefs at culinary college. Our ...
Views: 1067(1 vote)