One of the most common questions (and greatest culinary mysteries) that diners from around the world have been asking since the dawn of time is “why are there always so many cooks in a kitchen?”

Well believe it or not, one of the greatest culinary innovations holds the key to the answer itself.

It’s called the Brigade de Cuisine, also know as a Kitchen Brigade. The concept of the Kitchen Brigade was created by the godfather of french cuisine, Georges Auguste Escoffier. The idea was to create a structured team system whereby different responsibilities would be assigned to different individuals in the kitchen.

Chef Escoffier, who served in the french military, was inspired by the rigidity and effectiveness of military personnel rankings and how each officer of the military had a specific role to carry out and did not deviate due to their ranking.

Here is the hierarchy of titles (in order)in a Kitchen Brigade: Chef de Cuisine, Sous Chef de Cuisine, Chef de Partie, Cuisinier, Commis and Apprentice. In every kitchen, food is prepared at different stations which are run by the Chef de Partie whom report to the Sous Chef, who in turn reports to the Chef de Cuisine… still with me? Good because there’s more. Each station has its own unique purpose and is staffed by a chef who is also assigned a title that identifies their role and responsibilities. The Saucier is responsible for sauces. The Rotisseur is in charge of roasting. The Gillardin is commonly known as the grill man. The Friturier handles the frying. The Poissonier does fish. The Legumier makes the veggies. The Garde Manger exclusively prepares all cold dishes. The Patissier is makes desserts.

Since the adoption of the Kitchen Brigade, restaurants over time have eliminated and/or combined certain roles due to labour costs, menu development and restaurant size. However the structure of the Brigade itself still remains in tact and has withstood the test of time.

As a chef in training in culinary school, I appreciate and value the brigade system. Without the brigade, kitchens around the world would exist in complete and utter chaos.

So there you have it! The next time you’re dining out and you happen to catch a glimpse inside the kitchen, you now know why there are so many cooks in the kitchen.

The question which has eluded mankind since the dawn of time is “what came first, the chicken or the egg?”

To be honest, I’m glad both did and frankly could care less which one in fact came before the other. However, for the purpose of this post, Chef Seth is on Team Chicken. Here are few factoids about our delicious feathery friend which I recently learned and thought I would impart on you. According Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, the country’s official government website, Canada produced 1.2 billion kilograms of chicken, of which 60.8% came from Ontario and Quebec. If you break that down per person, that’s 33.1 kilograms available for every person in Canada. The main purpose consumers buy chicken is for its high source of protein.

But let’s face it, chicken isn’t exactly super tasty. Chef’s refer to the chicken as a blank canvas with unlimited potential. This also carries over to the many ways of cooking the meat including grilling, baking, frying, boiling and braising to name a few. My choice for this post is grilling. Why you ask? I love my barbecue and its grilling season. Nuff’ said. Let’s get to it.

I popped in to my local butcher shop which prides itself on carrying the best local meats purchased direct from Ontario farms. The shoppe purchases whole animals that are Organically raised, 100% grass fed, hormone and antibiotic free and humanely born and raised in Ontario. After a quick chat with the butcher, I purchased 8 breasts and 10 wings. Total cost was $45.

• Chef Seth’s Summer Marinade Grilled Chicken:
• 2 Chicken breasts skin on
• 4 Wings/legs
• 1 cup canola oil
• 1 lemon zested/juiced
• 1 shallot (fine dice)
• 1 tbs fresh ginger (rasped)
• 2 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
• 1/2 orange (zested/juiced)
• 2 sprigs rosemary (finely chopped)
• 1 tbs honey
• 1 tbs basil
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp cumin
• Combine canola oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, shallot, ginger, garlic, orange zest/juice, rosemary, honey, basil and cumin into medium mixing bowl and whisk ingredients
• In a large ziplock freezer bag, add marinade and then add chicken
• Seal bag airtight and massage marinade over chicken
• Place in fridge for 1 hour
• Remove from fridge
• Remove chicken from bag and place on a clean tray
• Dab the excess spices off the chicken using a paper towel
• Lightly coat chicken (both sides) with salt, pepper and cumin
• Heat grill to medium
• Before placing the chicken on the grill, use a sauce brush to coat grill top with canola oil to avoid chicken sticking on grill
• Place chicken on grill and cook until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees
• Flip chicken over midway through cooking to ensure both sides are evenly done.

My entire life, I have fearlessly tried foods from around the globe without hesitation. Whether it was abalone in Beijing; deadly blowfish in Monaco; raw frog in Macau; Nyotaimori in Korea; Cheval in Belgium or scorpion in the Sinai, I have never had an aversion to anything that is edible and always promised myself that no matter where I was in the world, I would always be open minded and allow my palette the opportunity to experience new and fascinating foods.
However, as all Chef’s do, I too have my own culinary kryptonite. One so powerful that the thought of even steering my shopping cart down the aisle where it is displayed immediately sends shocks of fear to my brain and weakness to my knees. My kryptonite is the Avocado. The mere thought of its scaly, alligator skin feel makes me cringe. The soft, vomit green color elicits a gag response from my brain to my mouth that can only be described as repulsive. I think you get the picture….Chef Seth and Avocados will never find an amicable resolution of mutual respect and adoration…..or will they?

My assignment for this blog post is to choose a food I have never tried before and provide you, with a sensory evaluation of my experience. Well, I believe its much bigger then a simple sensory evaluation….way bigger. This is the cage match of the culinary century….the ultimate battle between my palette and my brain. The heavyweight championship of the world! So without further ado, (cue Michael Buffer)…Let’s Get Ready to RUUUUUUUUUUMBLE!

One of the most surprising findings is that the skin of the avocado is very deceiving considering what it is housing on its inside. The ugly crocodile skin exterior has always been my mental barrier to the inside of this fruit. Basically it’s a berry with a big seed. OK, I can deal with that. Let’s cut it open and deal with the interior. The meat of the avocado has a few pleasing (and surprising) elements. One, it doesn’t taste how I thought it would (I thought it would taste like an alligator purse)…it has elements of sweetness balanced by an earthy flavor and a tinge of savory. Now granted, I’m no expert here but I can tell you that as a Chef, I have fallen in love with this gift from the fruit gods. A little embarrassed by my avocado aversion and ignorance, I am now a fan.

The skin feels bizarre and unwelcoming. However, once the avocado is sliced open, a surprisingly different tactile experience unfolds. The pit is large and its exterior is smooth (think cue ball) and rock hard. The meat of the avocado is best removed using a spoon to scoop out the flesh. At this point, I admittedly did get a little queasy (damn kryptonite again), but I was relentless. I slowly slid the meat from the spoon onto my hand. It feels strange as its a notch over slimy and not hard enough like the meat from a fruit you have to peel (orange, grapefruit, etc).

The uniqueness of this food is how deceptively ugly it is on the exterior and how deliciously pleasing and versatile it is on the interior. This is a food that without question I refuse to fear from this moment forward. My foe is now my ally. I’ve never tasted a food like avocado before and frankly, there is no food that it resembles in terms of taste. It’s delicious, unique, earthy, sweet, salty and has undeniable qualities that I want to further explore. Now I understand why for centuries, this fruit, which originates from South Central Mexico, has been a staple for many cultures and has been a centrifugal force for Chef’s to create some of the most celebrated dishes.

To Avocado or Not To Avocado was the question…..my answer is TO AVOCADO!

…George Bernard Shaw

My name is Seth Feller and welcome to my “Journey to Michelin” blog.

An aspiring chef, single full time dad of two amazing kids, world traveler, and lover of golden retrievers, I have achieved much on my life’s journey in my 49 years. However, there is a new goal I have set for myself, and one which is considered by all chefs to be the nirvana of the culinary universe…

3 Michelin Stars!

Sounds fairly easy, no? Open a restaurant with a funky name no one really understands; create masterful looking dishes using high-tech equipment to blend, saute, emulsify exotic ingredients that, by all intent and purpose, could pass as art exhibits in the MOMA or Louvre when plated and served and then voila!!! Michelin stars should be raining down from the night sky and landing on my hard-as-hell-to-pronounce restaurants’ name doorstep….. 

But let’s not put the cart before the cheval here…WHOA NELLY!!!

Before we can begin filling our flutes with Armand de Brignac Champagne and toasting my Michelin greatness, I want to tell you that I have a massive mountain to climb to get to the peak of Mount Michelin and I haven’t even bought a tent yet.

Have no fear I say and know that my journey to Michelin will be one fraught with excitement, angst, failure, self-mutilation (after all, chef’s do work with sharp knives), self-doubt, moments of fleeting greatness, self-congratulatory pats on the back, 1000s of hours in a kitchen honing my craft…and ultimately culinary enlightenment will be achieved (cue the choir and angels with horns).

So as this journey begins, there is no one I’d rather share it with then you. So sit back, pour yourself a glass of wine and please enjoy my quest towards Michelin greatness.

Cheers to you!

Chef Seth

(o.k., I graduate in 2020 from George Brown Culinary School so the title is a little premature….but a man can still try and reach for the stars…especially if they are Michelin stars)

Born from a very special afternoon spent between Chef Alain Ducasse and my mother’s dearest friend Gloria, this dish represents a moment in time that will forever be cherished..and a story that is told through the beautiful and simple flavors in this recipe.

1/4 cup butter unsalted – 8 leeks cleaned/sliced thinly – 8 medium sized Russet potatoes – 1 tbsp coarse salt – 5 cups low sodium chicken stock – 2 cups half and half – 1 cup heavy cream – nutmeg to taste – ground white pepper to taste – chives to garnish

melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat – add leeks and stir/cook until soft (10 mins) – add potatoes, coarse salt and broth – simmer until potatoes soften (30 mins) – emulsify/blend until liquid becomes smooth – add 1/2 and 1/2 – add heavy cream – nutmeg to taste – white pepper to taste – return to stove over medium high heat until warmed – serve garnished with chives

Reflections. Challenges. Opinions. Take Away. – A fun dish to prepare and perfect to serve on a cold winter’s night. Simple ingredients and easy to follow recipe will deliver a balanced and playful flavor. Challenges were primarily to ensure spices did not overtake ingredients. A feather in the cap moment after serving to guests and receiving incredibly kind compliments coupled with constructive suggestions and ideas for the next time i create this soup