Please read the notice from Google posted below. If you'd like to continue to access the website  If you'd like continued access to the website "Cuisines Of Asia with Chef Pardus" you will need to contact me directly and request specific access. You can contact me by leaving a comment in the "Comments" section at the bottom of this post.   I will try to manually supply access to everyone who requests it, but please don't ask if you're not actually going to use it. Please keep in mind that I RETIRED from the CIA on April 30, 2021, and I don't want a new job! I'll try to sen ..read more

Heads up -Japanese do not generally cook in woks, and the woks we have are used for many other, stronger flavored dishes. On Days 6+7 we may use woks to steam or boil water, but not to cook in - the flavors come out "muddy".  You may use them to blanch vegetables, bones or noodles, or use the wok steamers; ask me if not certain about when a wok might be appropriate. In advance of the Vietnamese Menu for Days 8+9 you should watch the videos in the side bar in the Vietnamese section of the website, they are also listed here for your convenience. If you do not, you'll be unprepar ..read more

Sous Chefs- Pay attention - Indian people, traditionally, do not eat with western utensils OR with chop sticks - they eat with their right hand, scooping food up with the first three fingers and pushing it into their mouths with the thumb. DO NOT place chopsticks on the demo table for service.  We make our own yogurt on Day 11 to use on Days 12 + 13 + 14.  On Day 12,  Recipes calling for "drained yogurt" should start to drain 3 containers in a china cap lined with cheese cloth, start this right away so that it has plenty of time to drain - don't squeeze it, let gravity do al ..read more

Know Your Thai Curries Sous Chefs- Plating: Street food similar to VN menu, sauce in the center is mentioned below. Scroll back to photo of Vietnamese Street food set up. and adapt to the Thai menu - be sure that we have sterno on hand for the chaffing dishes before we place a supplemental order at 7:30 AM. You will need: - 8" round plates - 1 oz. ramekins of Thai Dipping Sauce - 1 chaffing dish with 3 x 1/3 pans to hold hot food - Fish Cakes, held hot - Beef Satay, held hot - empty 1/3 pan to hold heat - Green papaya salad - Seafood "yam" - long grained sticky rice - Cucumber Sa ..read more

There are videos on how to handle Herbs, Lemon grass, and Tamarind that you must watch to be prepared for the Vietnamese section of class, please check them out below or in the side bar of the Vietnamese Section of the Website. If you are assigned to prepare pork ribs for Days 8 + 9, review the Pork Rib Fabrication Video from the Pre-Day 1 Must-See videos on the Website,  Table Salad and handling herbs:  Working with Lemongrass: Working with Tamarind paste: The video on handling herbs and composing Table Salad is in the left side bar on the website. Each Station  ..read more

Heads up -Japanese do not generally cook in woks, and the woks we have are used for many other, stronger flavored dishes. On Days 6+7 we may use woks to steam or boil water, but not to cook in - the flavors come out "muddy".  You may use them to blanch vegetables, bones or noodles, or use the wok steamers; ask me if not certain about when a wok might be appropriate. In advance of the Vietnamese Menu for Days 8+9 you should watch the videos in the side bar in the Vietnamese section of the website, they are also listed here for your convenience. If you do not, you'll be unprepar ..read more

Practice set up, cooking, plating on Day 4; service on Day 5 at 11:00 AM Written Assignment Due 7:00 AM Day 4: Use the tracking schedule to determine which station you are assigned to on days 4 + 5 and draw a complete and detailed diagram of what your station will look like at service. Include equipment, ingredients, and utensils. Each component should be properly identified/labeled. The diagram should show where each item will be on your station for service, and demonstrate an efficient and ergonomic work space. This is an individual assignment - NOT a group project. Please ..read more

Sous Chefs - No Salad today - please choose one of the soups - Wonton or Hot + Sour!  ALL STATIONS - be prepared to serve 40+ portions of each Dim Sum item. See details below and on web site. Each station making Dim Sum should be ready for me to do a demonstration at their station at 9:00 AM. If everyone is set up, we can do the demos at the same time and then each person can try their hand at forming the various pieces - similar to the way the Wontons were done on Day 2 Prepping for Day 3 means being comfortable enough with the regular menu items that you can step up and add an ext ..read more

 While working around the house, I listened to this pod cast. It really moved me and I wanted to share.  This is not a "feel good" interview. If stress, mental illness, and discussions of suicide are triggers for you, you may not want to listen.   It's about the pain that may lead to, and come out of, what most of us consider success.   It's also about the Korean-American immigrant experience, food, and what the pressure of success can look like from inside.  https://ppaca.player.fm/series/fresh-air-1324361/chef-david-chang ..read more

Day 2 requires that you know the Day 1 menu and set up PLUS add new items to the line and prep for Day 3. Please be sure to go over your successes and mistakes from Day 1, learn and move ahead, and to use what you learned today to prep for Days 2 + 3 with better planning and more confidence. Please read this entire post AND the entire tracking schedule so you know what's going on throughout the kitchen and can be informed enough to help each other. Everyone: Remember that the diagram for Day 3 will be much different from the one I gave you for Day 1.  Here is how the Dim Sum Sta ..read more