Veggie Chef

The Staff Canteen
The website and blog of award winning vegetarian chef Eddie Shepherd - http://www.veggiechef.co.uk/ 26-year-old Eddie is an ambitious young celebrity chef to look out for and expect big things from in the future. With his modern experimental style he's breaking new ground in vegetarian cuisine with his use of new techniques and what's often called "˜molecular gastronomy', combined with culinary flair and an infectious enthusiasm and passion for cooking. Described as "the Heston Blumenthal of the vegetarian world", Eddie produces innovative dishes that demonstrate just how brilliant, cleverly conceived, meat-free cuisine can be. As well as being a professional chef in a busy restaurant Eddie finds time to write for food magazines, perform regular cookery demonstrations and make occasional TV and Radio appearances. All this alongside constantly developing his own food and recipes as well as working closely with "˜molecular gastronomy' specialists and suppliers. On this blog you can keep up with his inventive culinary exploits, follow the development of new dishes and learn more about the modern techniques he uses in his cooking. Here you get to see a new breed of chef at work and share in his creative process and discoveries as he takes modern vegetarian food to new heights with his imaginative creations and intelligent approach. Some of the greatest restaurants in the world are now doing full vegetarian tasting menus, and the innovative and prominent use of vegetables is tipped to be one of the next big culinary trends. So now is the ideal time to explore what's possible with clever use of modern technique, a few humble but delicious ingredients and a bit of imagination. On his website and blog Eddie shares his unique recipes and insight into the world of modern (or "˜molecular') cooking with absolute openness. Instead of closely guarding the secrets to how he achieves the, sometimes spectacular, effects in his dishes Eddie enthusiastically shares his knowledge and methods in an easy to follow way in an effort to de-mystify this exciting style of cooking. And be assured, as avant-garde as some of his plates may appear, Eddies central focus is always on making delicious food with fantastic flavours and this is the driving force behind all his work. Anyone with an interest in vegetarian food or cutting edge modern cuisine is bound to find themselves returning to this blog over and over again for ideas, insights and inspiration. With recipes sure to appeal to chefs and enthusiastic amateur cooks alike the website explains exactly how to make a variety of Eddie's unique dishes. For example - An Amuse Bouche of "˜Spheres of yoghurt, honey, poppy seeds and black pepper topped with walnut. With a popping strawberry dry shot' Followed by an Umami rich creation like his Shitake Mushroom, Butterbean and Pea Korokke. With - Pickled Ginger. Shaved Cucumber. Apple, Beetroot and Wasabi Gellee and Crispy fried Kombu.' Right through to an enchanting "˜Chocolate Sorbet served with and flavoured by an Orange and Cardamom Dry Ice Mist' As well as recipes the website features a new swiftly expanding "˜Molecular Basics' section which provides an introduction to various modern ingredients and techniques. So if you've ever wanted to have a go at, or just learn a little more about, this fantastic style of cooking you can see what all the fuss is about here. Whether it be "˜Reverse Spherification', Agar Agar, or Miracle Fruit "˜Flavour Tripping', to name but a few, these subjects and more are introduced in a fun and easy to follow way. This offers a great starting point for those new to these thrilling culinary possibilities with straightforward information and simple recipes to start you off on the right foot. With its simple short posts this section makes many of these seemingly complex techniques and lesser-known ingredients much more approachable for those interested in exploring this new culinary landscape. Through the blog you can also find out when are where Eddies next cooking demonstrations will be happening, as well as view pictures and videos from some of his previous demos, appearances, features and events. So it's easy to keep up with this young exiting chef that you're sure to being seeing more of in the future. Finally if you have any queries, requests or just want to touch base you can contact Eddie directly via the website or follow what he's up to through twitter and facebook links. Be sure to check out this unique chef and blog. http://www.veggiechef.co.uk/
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The Staff Canteen

The Staff Canteen

Editor 10th January 2011

Veggie Chef