Chef of the Month - BusyWorkingMom

When deciding on our next Chef of the Month winner, I was excited to feature Cook Kosher member BusyWorkingMom. BusyWorkingMom's enthusiasm for cooking and experimenting in the kitchen came through strongly in our interview. She told us that she uses CookKosher as her virtual recipe box. That way, she explains, if someone requests a recipe she made, all she has to do is email them a link. It is an added benefit for herself, because she has all of the recipes she's posted, over 130 in total, available anywhere and anytime. In addition to her recipes, BusyWorkingMom has posted 56 beautiful photos of her recipes, and reviewed 24 recipes that other members posted.

Thank you BusyWorkingMom! It's active members like you who help Cook Kosher to constantly grow.

1. How would you describe your style of cooking?

My cooking style is pretty basic with a "heimishe" touch. My husband doesn't like cooked vegetables, so I usually start with a salad or a soup, or even a smoothie or fruit soup. Then my main course is a protein and a starch. 

 

2. Do you have a favorite restaurant? Do they serve an amazing dish you wish you could recreate?

My favorite restaurant is La Marais in New York City. The steak I had these was absolutely delicious and tender. I'd love to learn to make a stealth good steak like that in my own kitchen!

 

3. What’s one food you will never eat? And how about one you can’t live without?

I don't really have any foods that I hate, but I've never tasted Brussels sprouts!

There are two foods I can't live without: one is milk—for my coffee! And the other is shredded cheese—I love it in omelettes!

 

4. We all have failures in the kitchen. Tell us about your biggest kitchen flop! What did you learn from it?

A while ago, my husband I wanted to go out, so we needed a babysitter. My husband's friend agreed to babysit, in exchange for me baking him a treat. I'm much more of a cook than a baker, but I decided to bake a brownie cheesecake. I put the cheesecake in the oven, and was pretty pleased with myself. When I thought it was ready, I took the cake out of the oven. I was in a rush, so I immediately took it out of the pan. Big mistake! It wasn’t ready! The filling was still totally runny, and it spilled out all over the place. Needless to say, my husband's friend didn't get any homemade cheesecake that day!

 

5. What's a great kitchen tip you would like to share?

I've learned that when you're frying or grilling a piece of chicken or meat, you shouldn't flip it too often or the juices dry up. That really helps me make moist and delicious dishes.

 

6. When you're on a diet, which food are you most likely to cheat on?

Believe it or not, I'll always go for a really good piece of chicken or meat, not cake or cookies!

 

7. What’s your favorite kitchen tool or gadget?

I have a great chef's knife that I use all the time—I do so much with it! Also, I wouldn't be able to manage without my food processor and blender. I use both of them very frequently.

 

 

8. Describe the scene in the kitchen while you cook. 

It's very important to me to keep the kitchen clean as I go, so the counters are always clear and everything is neat. I'm often alone, but sometimes my two-year-old son helps. He loves to do jobs like putting things into the food processor.

 

9. Cuisine?

I am interested in learning more about Italian cuisine. A dream of mine is to learn to make my own pasta.

 

10. What are your favorite recipe sources?

The first place I always turn is Cookkosher.com. There are a TON of recipes, and I often find what I'm looking for. In terms of cookbooks, I love Fresh & Easy Kosher Cooking, the Bais Yaakov Cookbook, The Heimish Kitchen, The Balabusta's Choice (Pupa) Cookbook, and the Kosher By Design Series.