While proper knowledge on which knives to buy is essential as there are so many choices in today’s society, knowledge of the food you are making whether it is at home or in the restaurant is easily of the utmost importance. A good portion of the list provided below is based on books I use at home and at work, and I have included a few suggestions by Chef Dylan Montanio and Jeremiah Gray; to make the list easier to follow I have broken it up into the following categories: Essential References- 4 books Alternative Cuisines- 2 books For The Advanced Cook- 3 books Others Worth Noting- 7 books The... Read More

Starting and stopping is always hard. Each sentence is like its own new beginning, so going from one thought to another can be a challenge when trying to string them together. In the not so metaphorical sense regarding our current society, anyone would get whiplash just thinking about everything going on. We all know while we have all been dealing with this pandemic it has strained each of us in our own ways, each hardship as valid as the next. Yet while the country is slowly opening again, it is easy to agree that nothing feels the same as it was. We have lost many during this time, whether it... Read More

Any local cooks are all too familiar with where to buy good kitchen utensils like kitchen knives, measuring devices, whetstones; you name it, any slew of kitchen professionals will mention one or two local shops that’ll give you what you are looking for, such as Sparrow Hawk. First founded in 1979, Sparrow Hawk, a local family-oriented cookware shop owned and operated by Sam and Allen Eppley, focuses on providing quality kitchen products at, or even below, market cost value. Sam and Allen even bring in custom made kitchen knives from companies such as Mattia Borrani, the pioneer of America’s... Read More

It is not unknown that society as we have come to know it is limping along due to the pandemic we have addressed as COVID-19, or the coronavirus. Businesses have closed down, whole cities are on lockdown, individuals are falling ill left and right—this is all incredibly stressful. Anyone can tell you how easy it is to fall into a state of panic because of this virus and what professionals have been telling us, but it is very important to keep in mind that we are all dealing with this together and we can get through this. This can be as simple as making sure the elderly have the opportunity to... Read More

While it would be easy to sit here pushing my way into a clever anecdote about goats, or the idea of goats wearing patches, or goats wearing patches drinking a beer, or a goat wearing patches drinking a beer in a local brewery located off of North Cascade Avenue in Colorado Springs—well, that one got away from me a bit. In all, it would just be easier to let the staff and customers of Goat Patch Brewing Company speak for themselves on this matter, or simply find your way there and see it for yourself. Goat Patch Brewing Company is still a fairly new company located in the Colorado Springs area,... Read More

As anyone can tell you, when you find something worth your time, whatever it may be, there will no doubt be a love-hate relationship you are confronted with constantly: growing pains, mental walls, frustration, anger, you name it—it has most likely been experienced by you or those around you. This is no different when it comes to the life of a chef. Being a chef requires that you fully submerse yourself in your career; it becomes just about every part of you, digging deep into your soul and sinking the hooks in, making a home inside your heart and mind. There are the days where you love every... Read More

Notes: This is a continued topic from my article last week “Chef Knives: What Do The Professionals Use?” So, if you have any questions about the content or persons mentioned, please refer to my previous article. Thank you! So, now that we know what some of our beloved local professionals use in their kitchens, you have enough knowledge to go out and find your own knives, right? Well, yes, but there are other factors to consider, like the pros and cons of a specific metal over another. While it is a given to go and buy a really nice stainless steel Chef knife, there are also carbon Chef knives... Read More

            This article is to not serve as a promotion for any businesses mentioned below   We have all been there, watching the food channels on the television, and the thought occurs to you: What are these professionals using? Which knife brands should I be looking at? While we all love a celebrity chef, let’s consider the local professionals that work hard to bring quality to your plate, whether you used a delivery method to eat at home, or you are dining in, you matter. In the same breath, the quality of their tools matter, it is easy to understand that a sharp knife... Read More

This article is to not serve as a promotion for any establishments possibly mentioned below, it is strictly an analysis of events and how they were handled. The individuals pertaining to the contents of this piece have asked they remain anonymous. It is no mystery that the area of Colorado Springs is getting older while the clientele that frequent the restaurants are getting younger; and with the younger generations there is a new degree of culture that should be addressed by the management and staff of the restaurants, and like establishments, in this city. One specific culture is non-binary... Read More

Let’s paint a picture; when we sit and think about the culinary industry it is almost natural to imagine a man with a thick British accent screaming at the cooks about everything they are doing wrong, tearing everyone down piece by piece. Is that what really happens though? In some cases, yes, but not in every single kitchen around the world, let alone just here in Colorado. Most of the Chefs I have met here in Colorado are, honestly, downright mellow; sure, it is natural to have a bad day here and there where you lash out at everyone and everything around you, but it’s not a constant occurrence.... Read More