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Tim Pappas co-owner Anassa Tavern	Grilling fish for optimum flavor At Anassa, we prepare fish in a very simple way which we feel brings out the greatest flavors by grilling it. We place the fish in metal clasps over the grill, but not directly laying on the grill. Instead, it's slightly bent so that the fish can cook evenly. After the fish has cooked through. we like to drizzle the surface with extra virgin olive oil, fresh lemon, capers and oregano. When you're dealing with only the freshest imported fish like Lavraki (which others call Loup de Mer or Branzino), there is no need to cover the fish with sauces as some do. Sometimes it's harder to achieve simplicity, but here at Anassa that is the philosophy we like to stand by: A clean approach where we can let the flavors of the fish shine through, not mask them.
Sezar Yavuz Chef Cafe de Boston	Cut meat into smaller pieces for brining In the kitchen, brining is my favorite technique to tenderize and moisturize different varieties of meat and chicken before cooking. When I brine larger cuts, like beef brisket, I cut the meat into smaller pieces to reduce the brining time. After brining, I braise the brisket pieces for about 2 1/2 hours. Then I cool the brisket down and slice it thin like roast beef for sandwiches.
Tony Abou-Ganim Mixologist The Modern Mixologist	Squeeze limes at the last minute for cocktails I’ll be doing mixology demonstrations at the International Wine, Spirits and Beer Event during the 2013 NRA Show in Chicago in May, and if there’s one thing I always tell people, and I mean always, it’s to squeeze your lime juice fresh just before mixing your cocktails! Fresh lime juice is the most fragile of all the citrus juices; it will begin to oxidize 20 minutes after you squeeze it. I always recommend the use of a hand lime squeezer and squeezing your limes a la minute.
Andrey Korobyak Executive chef Courgette Restaurant	Combining classical French technique with traditional Northern European flavors I often combine classical French techniques with more traditional, old-fashioned recipes and ingredients from my country, Estonia. To create our Salmon 132°F dish, for instance, I use Norwegian salmon, soak it in very salty water and cook it in a dry oven at 58 degrees celsius (it's important, though, that the internal temperature of the salmon only reaches 42 degrees celsius). This part of the process, particularly salting the fish, is conventional practice in Estonia. To plate it, however, we use a French presentation technique known as a Ballotine to form the salmon into a cylindrical shape. We create another preparation of salmon for this dish with mustard and dill sauce, as well—the flavor complements the smoked salmon, but the texture contrasts. We finish the dish with apple cider jelly, Granny Smith apple and a horseradish mousse. The end result—tangy, sweet and smoky—is like walking into a garden and experiencing all the complementary scents and flavors at once. The presentation is visually consistent with French technique, but the flavors are reminiscent of Northern Europe.
Doug Frost Co-founder and Master Sommelier Beverage Alcohol Resource (BAR)	Pay attention to wine-food interactions One of the most important skills for any beverage director to have is an understanding of how wines interact with food. There are simple guidelines to consider when pairing that can make a surprising difference. For instance, ingredients such as vinegar or salt can have a profound impact upon the character of wine. Salt acts as a buffer to bitterness so a very young, tannic red wine will actually seem a bit rounder and tamer with a salty dish. Conversely, an older, more nuanced wine can have some of the stuffing knocked out of it by the addition of too much salt to the dish the wine is accompanying. I'll be demonstrating these pairing tips and more at an education session devoted entirely to the topic at the International Wine, Spirits, and Beer Event on Monday, May 20 during the 2013 NRA Show in Chicago.
Joseph Rose Executive chef Lockwood Restaurant & Bar at the Palmer House	Curing raw fish to improve its texture Right now, I'm sourcing Tasmanian ocean trout for a crudo on my appetizer menu. But I don't like the texture of this fish when it's raw, so I cure it with salt, sugar, mirin and fresh ginger for about 45 minutes. This tightens the flesh and improves the texture. Before slicing, I rinse the cured fish and pat it dry, then serve it with smoked golden trout roe, salted cucumbers, lemon creme fraiche and fresh herbs.
Jet Tila The Charleston	Substitute coconut cream for oil When a Thai curry or other Asian recipe calls for coconut milk, never shake the can. Instead, open it carefully and skim the cream off the top. Use the cream instead of oil to saute onions, shallots and garlic. It builds flavor through caramelization and cuts down on the oil needed in the recipe.
Jim Little Culinary Director Burger Lounge	Posting training videos on YouTube We set very high standards for our hand-crafted burgers.To make sure the quality and execution is consistent at all our 8 locations, we created step-by-step videos of the precise preparation and cooking process.We post these on a private YouTube channel for our employees to view. It's proven to be an effective way to train new staff and maintain our high standards.