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We can cook
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Celebrity chef Jun Tanaka sets about discovering the hidden cordon bleu in each of us in the new series Cooking It
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Stir it up Jun Tanaka is all about making haute cuisine accessible to you and me
Jun Tanaka seems to be on mission impossible. For the new series “Cooking It”, the celebrity chef is going to take “eight people, who are no hopers in the kitchen, teach them the basics of cooking and train them up for a three-hour
cook off at the end of three weeks.”
Jun elaborates in a telephone interview: “The contestants would have to make two dishes which would be judged by experts.”
Talking about the selection process, Jun said: “The participants have to have a desire to learn to cook, have to be totally clueless about cooking and considering it is a television show, each of the contestants have to have a distinct personality.”
Jun is practical about the dramatic necessities in a visual medium. “You obviously cannot show someone peeling garlic for ten hours! Some movies get it right and some don’t. I absolutely loved this movie called ‘Frankie & Johnny’ about a chef and waitress.”
Jun, currently the Executive Head Chef of the Pearl Restaurant and Bar, London, insists it is “incredibly satisfying to share knowledge. It would be selfish and stupid to be secretive about a recipe. It is by sharing that you can be creative and innovative.”
A great believer in innovation, Jun says: “All you need is confidence. There is a master chef in each of us. You don’t have to be intimidated by cooking. Make small changes to start with and as long as you don’t do anything drastic, you cannot go wrong. And even if you do go wrong, you should be able to learn from mistakes. Even the greatest chefs make mistakes. Fear of failure should not keep you from being adventurous in the kitchen.”
While presentation is important, Jun insists “it always comes second to flavour. If you concentrate on how a dish looks instead of how it tastes, it would be a culinary disaster.”
Jun describes his cuisine foundations as “classic French, which is all about regional cooking while I add modern innovations.” Jun is Japanese British and believes there are no “masters in cuisine. Every country, every region has its own specialities.
There is no cuisine I dislike – that is part of the reason I chose this career. I love Indian cuisine and love the way masalas work with each other.”
And to all of you who think you could whip up a storm in the kitchen if only you had the right equipment, Jun, who is all about demystifying haute cuisine has some sad news. “Top-of-the-line tools makes life easier but does not make one a better chef.”
Jun, who is all for using produce of the season, talks of how passion makes the perfect seasoning for a dish. “When I see a beautiful, perfect artichoke, I treat it with the respect it deserves. And that contributes to the flavour of the dish.”
Jun’s advice to all wannabe cooks is “be passionate, relaxed, confident and don’t be afraid to make mistakes.”
“Cooking It” will air every Monday at 8 pm, on Discovery Travel & Living
MINI ANTHIKAD-CHHIBBER
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Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Coimbatore
Delhi
Hyderabad
Kochi
Madurai
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Visakhapatnam
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