I wasn’t sure whether or not I wanted to address the pandemic happening right now, as it seems like this is all we ever hear about in the news or online now. But seeing as I currently work in the restaurant industry in one of the states with the highest amount of cases in theContinue reading “How COVID-19 has Affected the Chicago Restaurant Industry”
Tag Archives: culture
Regional Foods: Texas Chili
Chili is one of my favorite comfort foods. It conjures up memories of cold winter nights, where the only remedy was a hot bowl of chili to warm us up. The chili my mom made for us wasn’t too spicy, mostly comprising of cumin and other more mild spices. However the chili recipe I cameContinue reading “Regional Foods: Texas Chili”
Meaningful Foods: Ghee
When I was first starting out in culinary school, one of the first things we were taught was how to make clarified butter. While the process was being explained to us, one of the other students spoke up, saying “Oh! This is kind of like ghee!” With my very limited knowledge of food at theContinue reading “Meaningful Foods: Ghee”
Regional Foods: Fish Boil
What do you think of when someone wants “American” food? Some of the first things that come to mind are hotdogs and hamburgers. In fact, most people don’t associate America with really having a food culture, at least not in the same way that France or Italy does. Most people, both in and outside theContinue reading “Regional Foods: Fish Boil”
Fueled by Nature: Dining on Wild Game
To most of us, getting food to eat requires a short car ride to the grocery store and some money. Prepackaged and convenient, obtaining our food is now the easiest part of the process. That is unless you prescribe to the practice of only eating the meat of what you hunt. This lifestyle is madeContinue reading “Fueled by Nature: Dining on Wild Game”
Meaningful Foods: Chinese Dumplings
Food can be more than just the nutrients you need to sustain life. Food can have many different meanings and uses for different people and cultures. Whether it be for ceremonies, religion, tradition or society; we all eat different foods at different occasions many times for reasons we are not aware of. This will beContinue reading “Meaningful Foods: Chinese Dumplings”
Sustainability in the Restaurant Industry
One thing that I am torn about is whether or not having restaurants is a good or a bad thing. On one hand they are a great way to bring people together allowing them to be social. They can also help express different cultures and provide immigrant communities with a “taste of home”, or somethingContinue reading “Sustainability in the Restaurant Industry”
Food Nostalgia
What food brings back memories of your childhood? Or just makes you feel contented inside after eating it? Comfort food is something that everyone has, something that has a certain nostalgic value to us that makes us love eating it. The funny part is that to get these feelings, the food itself doesn’t necessarily haveContinue reading “Food Nostalgia”
Introduction
Hello everyone and welcome to The Cultural Chef. To get started, I thought I would introduce myself. My name is Matt and I am from Chicago, I was born in Wisconsin but have since moved. I have a BS in Anthropology from Loyola University of Chicago and an Associates of Applied Science in Culinary ArtsContinue reading “Introduction”
The Cultural Chef 