Ingredients:

• 250g sweet potato starch

• 50g refined sugar

• 120g water

Preparation:

1. For the boba, mix the sugar, water, and 30 grams of sweet tapioca starch, then heat on induction.

2. Cook until the entire mixture reaches 75°C and takes on a translucent, pearlescent appearance.

3. Remove from heat and rest the dough over a portion of the sweet tapioca starch spread on the counter.

4. Dust sweet tapioca starch on the table and work the dough until smooth.

5. Add the remaining tapioca starch bit by bit while working the now-cool dough until reaching the right consistency.

6. Pass the dough through the boba machine. As soon as finished, freeze the small spheres in a hotel pan (GN) so they do not squish together.

7. Portion into 500ml containers and keep in the freezer.

Happy cookin!

Ingredients (yields ~100 dumplings, 8-10 servings)

• 2 packs of dumpling wrapper

• 1.5 lb ground pork

• 0.75 lb shrimp

• 9 dried shiitake mushrooms, rehydrated

• 3 cups napa cabbage, salted to remove excess water

• 4 tbsp scallions, sliced

• 1.5 tbsp soy sauce

• 1.5 tbsp shaoxing wine

• 1.5 tsp sesame oil

• 2.5 tsp kosher salt

• 1.5 tsp white pepper

• 1.5 tsp sugar

• 1.5 tnsp ginger, grated

• 4 garlic cloves. minced

• 2 tbsp neutral oil

pro tip: stir in the shiitake liquid from the rehydration process at the end to incorporate its umami flavor and create a juicier filling

Directions

• Mix filling in one direction until uniform

• Fill, pleat, seal tight

• Freeze for later (optional)

• Boil until dumplings float to the top, orrr pan-fry with oil + cornstarch slurry, cover 5-7 min, then leave uncovered until crispy

I like to individually freeze the dumplings then add them to a bag to eat whenever I need a quick meal. Here’s a bonus sauce recipe too:

Dumpling sauce

• 3 tbsp soy sauce (reduced sodium)

• 1.5 tbsp chinese black vinegar

• 1.5 tbsp chili oil

• 1 tsp sesame oil

• 1 tsp sugar

• 1 garlic clove, minced

• 1 tsp ginger, grated

• 1 tbsp hot water

• 1 tbsp chopped scallions

• 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds

Ingredients:

• 600ml rice wine vin

• 500ml fish sauce

• 1.5c calamansi

• 1 tbsp honey

• 2 tbsp garlic

• 1 tbsp lemongrass

• 1 quart grapeseed oil

• 2 tbsp thai chilies

• 30g black pepper

• 2c sugar

if no calamansi juice, you can sub with 1 cup lemon juice, 1 cup lime juice and 2 cups orange juice. Happy cookin!

Hojicha milk tea 20oz iced (loose leaf such as hojicha karigane):

• 13-14 grams of hojicha tea

• 410 grams of hot water

• —> brew at 195 F. Prewarm brewer if needed (especially for small scale tea brewers)

• Brew for 6-10 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes. 6 minutes = lighter, 10 minutes = darker and smokier.

• Cool to room temperature, then cool in fridge. Optionally: ice bath until chilled completely (<40F).

100g of milk of choice

45 grams rich simple syrup (2:1 ratio)

Ice as needed, about 80 grams

Hojicha latte 20oz iced (powder):

• 4-4.5 grams of hojicha powder

• 150 grams of hot water (divided into ~50g + ~100g during whisking process)

• 200 grams milk of choice

• 45 grams rich simple syrup (2:1 ratio)

• +Ice as needed, about 150 grams

1. Weigh and sift out hojicha powder in pre-warmed bowl

2. Gently mix with ~50g hot (190-195F water) with whisk to create a paste and no clumps

3. Add 100g more hot water and whisk until suspended

4. Add simple syrup, ice, and milk to a cup

5. Pour hojicha tea over the top (ice will melt)

Happy cookin!

• 11 tablespoons (1 3/8 sticks; 154 grams) unsalted butter

• 2/3 cup (134 grams) granulated sugar

• 2/3 cup (150 grams) packed light brown sugar

• 2 eggs

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 1/4 cup (175 grams) all-purpose flour

• 2/3 cup (70 grams) old-fashioned rolled oats

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

• 9 ounces (250 grams) bittersweet chocolate, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces

• 1 1/4 cup (125 grams) pecan halves, toasted and chopped

• 1 cup (100 grams) sweetened shredded coconut

If you’re baking the cookies on the same day you prepare the batter, heat the oven to 350 degrees and position a rack in the center of the oven. Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or mixing by hand with a wooden spoon or an electric hand mixer), beat the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar on medium speed until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Stop the mixer and use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and the paddle itself a few times; the sugar and butter love to collect here and stay unmixed. Beat in the eggs and vanilla extract on medium speed until thoroughly combined, 2 to 3 minutes. Again scrape the bowl and the paddle to make sure the eggs are thoroughly incorporated.

Mix together the flour, oats, baking soda, salt, chocolate, pecans, and coconut and toss to combine. Turn the mixer to low speed (or continue to use a wooden spoon if mixing by hand) and slowly add the flour mixture into the butter-sugar mixture. Mix until the dough is completely mixed. For best results, scrape dough into an airtight container and let it rest in the refrigerator overnight (or at least 3 to 4 hours) before baking. The next day, heat the oven to 350 degrees and position a rack in the center of the oven.

Drop the dough in 1/4-cup balls onto a baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Press the dough balls down slightly with the palm of your hand. Bake until the cookies are golden brown on the edges and slightly soft in the center, 20 to 22 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 15 to 20 minutes, until they are cool enough to remove with a spatula. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely, or enjoy them when they are warm!

The cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 2 days. The unbaked dough can be stored for up to 1 week in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Happy cookin!

The recipe:

• 60g cilantro

• 40g parsley

• 70g jalapeño - seeded

• 70g Serrano - seeded

• 2g black pepper

• 10g garlic

• 40g salt

• 70g evoo

• 7g msg

• 220g lemon juice

• 1g xantham

Definitely scale this down to your needs. You can give the veggies a rough chop, blend everything together, then strain it for a smoother finish. I had these with raw scallops at one of Chef Aidan’s pop ups and it was ridiculously good. Happy cookin!

The secret to a flavorful ama ebi is in the marinade, and I adapted a Korean soy sauce-based brine, to bring out the delicate sweetness of the ama ebi.

Read more

• 740 g Powdered Sugar

• 740 g Almond Flour

• 260 g Egg whites

• 740 g Sugar

• 300 g Egg whites

• 15 g flavoring

• 10 drops yellow food coloring

• 2 tsp purple food coloring

1. Sift dry ingredients twice to ensure large chunks of almond flour get sifted out.

2. In a saucepan add the sugar with enough water to get a “wet sand” texture. Heat up to 140 degrees.

3. While that is working, whip the 300 grams of egg whites in the stand mixer. Once the sugar is at 140 slowly add it to the egg whites and whip until the meringue is shiny and stiff.

4. While the meringue is whipping, add the dry ingredients and create a paste.

5. Take the meringue and add into the paste in increments until fully incorporated. Be careful not to over mix. You want the batter stiff but loose enough to leave “ribbons”.

6. With a round tip, pipe out 1.5 inch rounds, about 2 tbsp of batter. Once piping has been completed, bake on the meringue setting in the rationale.

I’ve never seen a fry batter made with masa today, so it was really cool to see a Mexican take on a traditional tempura. There are several components to this dish, so I’ll break it down one-by-one. Makes 12 blossoms!

Charred Eggplant Emulsion

• 1 eggplant

• 1 cup evoo (divided)

• 1/2 cup rice vinegar

• salt and pepper, to taste

Charred Eggplant Emulsion Instructions

1. Preheat a grill over high heat. Add eggplant and grill for 15min until charred on all sides.

2. Set aside to cool and then roughly chop.

3. In a blender, combine eggplant, 1/2 cup oil and vinegar and blend.

4. With the blender running, slowly pour in the remaining 1/2 cup of oil, until creamy and glossy. If needed, thin out with a little water. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Keep warm.

Herb Vinaigrette

• 2 cloves garlic confit (or 2 tbsp garlic puree)

• 1 bunch parsely, chopped

• 1/4 bunch mint, chopped

• 1/4 bunch basil, chopped

• 1/4 bunch chives, chopped

• 2 cups evoo

• 1 cup lemon juice

• salt and pepper, to taste

Herb Vinaigrette Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients in a food processor.

2. Blend until emulsified. Season to taste and set aside.

Tempura Squash Blossom

• 2 qts vegetable oil, for frying

• 1 cup heirloom corn masa

• 1 organic egg

• pinch of oregano

• salt and pepper, to taste

• 12 squash blossoms with baby zucchini attached (female plant)

Tempura Squash Blossom Instructions

1. Heat oil in a deep saucepan to a temp of 350F.

2. In a blender, combine masa, egg, oregano, salt and pepper. Add 6 tbsp of water and blend until it has the consistency of a light cream.

3. Using clean tweezers, remove stamens from squash blossoms and discard.

4. Gently wipe the flowers clean.

5. Dip blossoms in the batter horizontally to coat.

6. Carefully lower blossoms into oil and deep fry for 3-4min, rotating until evenly fried.

7. Transfer to a paper-towel lined plate to drain.

8. Season with salt and pepper.

Garnish

• pea tendrils

• sorrel

• olive oil

• smoked aged sheep’s milk cheese (preferably idiazabal)

• lime wedges, to serve

Assembly:

1. Spread eggplant emulsion on plate.

2. Arrange squash blossom on top and drizzle with vinaigrette.

3. In a small bowl, toss pea tendrils in a drizzle of oil.

4. Garnish the plates with the pea tendrils, fresh squash blossom leaves, sorrel, and finely grated cheese.

5. Serve with lime wedges.

Happy cooking!

Kenny Wu

Shoots is a neighborhood gem. Local fish, daily changing menu, and complete comfort food. They shared not one, but two recipes with y’all today, and I’m so excited to try these myself.

Sword Mayo

• 1 cup lemon juice

• 4 cups mayo

• 1 cup mirin

• 1 tbsp paprika

• 1 tbsp black pepper

• 1 cup fresh garlic

Blend in blender

Shootz Batter:

• 4 cups flour

• 2 cups cornstarch

• 1.5 tsp baking soda

• 2 cans lager

• 1 soda water

Whisk until smooth like an in n out milkshake

Happy cooking!

Kenny Wu

I don’t know a lot of cuban dishes, but this one made me want to try more. This is a beef chuck roast braised in a rioja sauce, a savory tomato-based sauce with peppers, onions, garlic, and spices.

Beef Rioja (25-30 servings)

• 15lb chuck flap

• 1 can (10oz) crushed san marzano tomatoes

• 4 onions, thinly sliced

• 4 carriots, julienned

• 15 garlic cloves

• 1/2 cup tomato paste

• 3L red wine, alcohol burned off

Preparation Instructions

1. Season chuck flap with salt, pepper and your choice of spices.

2. Sweat onions and garlic.

3. Add tomato paste.

4. Sear seasoned chuck flap.

5. Add everything to a 600 hotel pan and braise until tender. I recommend 300F for 4-5.5 hours.

Happy cooking!

Kenny Wu

Tart dough recipe

• 80g all purpose flour

• 30g water

• 10g olive oil

• 10g egg yolk

• 5g sugar

• 1.5g salt

• 2g flavor profile for the application use nutmeg or cinnamon

Combine tart ingredients and refrigerate the dough until it is firm to touch. Roll out on a pasta machine from 9 setting to 3, going down each number twice. Shape your tart, then add weight on top to maintain the shape. Chef K used beans wrapped in plastic wrap to weigh them down here. Set this in the fridge again to firm up the dough.

Pie filling recipe

• 120g of chopped pecan (candied in simple syrup)

• 150g brown sugar

• 150g corn syrup or glucose syrup

• 60g coconut oil (or sub for melted butter)

• 2 eggs

• 1.5g salt

• 0.5g vanilla extract

• 5g reduced bourbon (start with 20g and reduce down)

• 3g white miso

Combine all ingredients and cool. Add them into your cold tarts. I didn’t get the instructions for baking, but I will assume 350°F (175°C) for 20-30 minutes depending on the size.

Happy cooking!

Kenny Wu

Calabrian Chimichurri (yield 3-4 cups)

• 110g red wine vinegar

• 50g garlic

• 1.25 tsp paprika

• 3.5 tsp salt

• 90g calabrian chilies

• 2.5c olive oil

• 3 bunches parsley, chopped

• 1/4 cup oregano, chopped

Preparation Instructions

1. Combine red wine vinegar, garlic, paprika, salt, calabrian chilies and olive oil. This can be prepared ahead of time

2. Right before serving, mix in the parsley and oregano. The herbs will begin to lose their color and freshness over time, so it’s best to mix right before service.

Happy cooking!

Kenny Wu

10% Success Rate: DM a Chef or Sous Chef

This is the most common approach I have used to land a stage. While it has a lower probability of success, it’s the most convenient way to reach a lot of chefs, especially if they aren’t nearby for you to stop by. You can typically find their handles tagged on their restaurant page, but it’s important that you reach out to the chef and not the actual restaurant instagram. Here’s my template that actually worked:

“Hi Chef X!

I saw your food on ___ and I really loved your style. I’m an aspiring chef in the ___ area, and I’m on a journey to improve my cooking without culinary school. I was wondering if you’d be open to having me stage for a day or two?

Looking forward to hearing back.”

20% Success Rate: Send an Email to the Chef or HR

Instagram DMs can be hidden in the request folder, so if you can find the email, it’s more professional and allows them to respond when they are actively looking for messages like this. You can send a longer message here which allows you to provide more context for what you are looking for, and even attach resumes and recommendations if you want a longer-term stage. Here’s my template that actually worked:

“Dear Chef X,

My name is Kenny, and I’m a 23 year old aspiring cook in the San Diego area. I have been following your team’s work and I really admire your innovative and community-based approach to recipe development. I know this is early to ask, but I am very interested in staging with your team from ___ to ___.

I’ve attached a copy of my resume and a recommendation letter for your review. I would appreciate the opportunity to chat over the phone at ____ or answer any questions by email. I thank you for your consideration and I look forward to speaking with you!

Best regards,

______

30% Success Rate: Visit the Restaurant

This is how you get an immediate response. The biggest mistake I see is people asking to speak with the chef during service. Service is when chefs are the most occupied and have a million things going on in their head. If you want their full attention, visit two hours before service. That means if they open at 5PM, visit the restaurant at 3PM. I can assure you that the head chef or sous chef will be there prepping, and they’ll be able to give you their full attention. Just smile, be yourself, and show why you want to work there specifically. I’ve heard of 3-star Michelin chefs taking folks with no experience just because they liked their attitude and the timing was right. No chefs want to scroll through indeed looking for the right candidate.

Bonus Tips

Here are a few tips from my friends who have worked at Michelin restaurants:

• Bring some pastries or snacks for the restaurant crew when you come in. It will leave a good first impression. Cooks are always hungry lol.

• Find a mutual. Sometimes I’ll look for a cook at the restaurant who I can chat with and have them introduce me to the chef. A mutual connection builds trust and that can go a long way.

• Show the core qualities they are searching for. Believe it or not, it’s hard to find:

  • Passion

  • Humbleness

  • Adaptable

  • Coachable

  • Hard working

It can feel daunting talking to chefs, but I can assure you it gets easier over time. I remember talking to a 3 Michelin star chef and I was so nervous that I forgot what I wanted to say. I’ve also been rejected over 100 times, and I’ve learned that it’s not personal. It takes time to train someone, and Chefs are busy people with a lot on their minds. Like recruiting for any role, it’s a balance of timing and first impression. Don’t give up, I know you’ll get there :)

Best of luck,

Kenny

This is one of the most addicting sauces I’ve ever had. Chef Brian served this with fava beans, morels and artichokes, and he recommends to whisk the butter a little at a time to get the desired consistency at the end.

Cantonese Butter Sauce Recipe (yields 3 cups)

• 225g + 185g unsalted butter

• 5 garlic cloves, minced

• 10 grams grated ginger

• 100 grams vegetable stock or water

• 75g shaoxing wine

• 30g oyster sauce

• 30g soy sauce

Preparation Instructions

1. Melt the butter in a sauce pan over medium-low heat.

2. Add minced garlic and grated ginger. Cook until fragrant.

3. Add stock or water, shaoxing, oyster sauce and soy sauce.

4. Whisk and slowly add remaining butter. Whisk until all butter is emulsified.

5. This wasn’t in the recipe but I added a touch of lemon juice for acid at the end.

I recreated this for one of my clients, and I paired it with black cod, oyster mushrooms, asparagus and black eyed beans. This sauce truly goes with so many dishes, and the secret is in the butter!

Happy cooking!

Kenny Wu

This was my first time working at a vegan restaurant, and it was incredible to see how simple ingredients can transform into such flavorful dishes. They had me work on the mint chutney during prep, and Chef Davin was kind enough to share :)

The Plot’s Mint Chutney recipe (1 quart):

• 2 bunches cilantro

• 1.5 cup mint

• 1 cup African blue basil (normal basil works too!)

• 1 red onion

• 1 tbsp ginger

• 1 tbsp garlic

• 1 green Thai chili

• 2 tbsp shredded coconut

• ¼ cup red wine vinegar

• 1 cup water

• ½ cup sushi vinegar

• 1 tsp white pepper

• 1 tsp salt

Preparation Instructions

1. This one is easy! Lightly chop ingredients to help the blades, then add everything to a blender and pulse until smooth.

2. Taste and adjust as needed. I had to add a few more pinches of salt to nail the consistency.

The restaurant served the chutney with delicata squash, butternut squash, vegan feta, olive oil, and herbs.

Happy cooking!

Kenny Wu

I’m not usually a fan of blue cheese, but the balance here was perfect. The Chef didn’t share the instructions to prepare this, so I’m going to make my best guess.

Here’s the Chef’s recipe for about 35-40 pizzas (12-inch) worth of sauce:

• 1 gallon of milk

• 2 qt blue cheese

• 20 cloves of garlic (~180g)

• 2 onion (yellow or white)

• 1 cup of flour

• 1/2 lb of butter

• 6 tbsp salt

I reckon most of y’all just need enough for ~8 portions so I’d recommend this ratio:

• 2 and 2/3 cups milk

• 1 and 1/3 cup blue cheese

• 4 cloves garlic

• 1/3 onion (yellow or white)

• 2.5 tbsp flour

• 2.5 tbsp butter

• 1 tbsp salt

Preparation Instructions

1. Prep the Aromatics. Finely dice the onions and mince the garlic cloves (a food processor will save you a lot of time if you have one).

2. Build the Roux. Melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté until translucent (about 5–7 minutes). Add the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes until fragrant but not browned.

3. Whisk in the flour. Cook this “roux” for about 3–4 minutes, stirring constantly. You want it to smell slightly nutty, but keep it pale.

4. Temper the Milk. Slowly pour in the milk, whisking vigorously to ensure no flour lumps remain.

5. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer. Do not let it reach a rolling boil, or you risk curdling the dairy.

6. Once the sauce has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon, lower the heat to “low.”

7. Fold in the blue cheese gradually. Whisk until mostly smooth (some small blue cheese crumbles are fine for texture).

8. Add the salt.

Tips:

• Blue cheese is naturally very salty. I strongly recommend adding half the salt first, tasting it, and then adding more as needed.

• This sauce will thicken significantly as it cools. If you find it’s too thick to spread on a pizza dough the next day, whisk in a splash of warm milk or water to loosen it up.

Happy cooking!

Kenny Wu