I'm a former fine dining chef, ask me anything!

[Nanners]

I left cooking a little over a year ago after more than 20 years of service due to burn-out, and now I'm off my new work for quite a while recovering from a bike accident so... I'm very bored haha. Drop your cooking questions here and I'll answer. Please be patient with reply times, since typing takes some time for me right now.

Edit: In our restaurant I ran a fermentation and cheesemaking program as well, so I can answer those questions, too!

 

[Mandy Onderwater]

I'm honestly trying to learn how to cook with more than just salt&pepper. I'm clueless towards herbs and spices, though I've got many in the house nowadays. I'm always experimenting and trying to figure out what tastes nice.
@Grandmother Goose has started a thread regarding herbs and spices, which I regularly visit. But I'm always looking for more.

Fruit & Vegetables  Article 'How to use Herbs, Spices, and Seasonings in Cooking.'

“I taste fantastic!” one reader jestingly says. “With my tongue!” says another. “I don't anymore” sadly says the reader that survived a terrible bite from a red-bellied black snake a couple of years ago. Yes, you read that right. Red-belly black snake venom can, in some people, have the strange...

• Grandmother Goose
• May 30, 2022
• Updated May 31, 2023
• 19 min read
• Reaction score: 2
• Category: Recipies, Cooking & Preserving Food

I'm also a carer for an elderly person, who has (due to health reasons) been stuck on a soup diet for many months. I'm trying to re-introduce soft foods, so any suggestions would be lovely. This person has a small mouth due to cancer, and fits a teaspoon. He has no teeth, and is egg+lactose intolerant.
I'm looking for dishes we all like. I've even gone back to my roots as The Netherlands has many dishes that basically only use salt for seasonings. Hutspot has become a fan-favourite for him, and he enjoys my spinach pasta.

Uncategorisable  Article 'Creamy spinach pasta'

This is a fan-favourite recipe of mine. It's simple, has few ingredients, and it doesn't matter if you have more or less than what's stated here. It's just to give people an idea of where to start. I would add a photo, but I accidentally burned the bacon and it stuck to the bottom of the pan...

• Mandy Onderwater
• Sep 30, 2025
• 1 min read
• Comments: 1
• Category: Recipies, Cooking & Preserving Food
• eat pasta soft spinach

Actually, in saying all this. Feel free to post any recipes you have in the articles area as I imagine many people could enjoy recipes you may have.

 

[Nanners]

Thank you for introducing me to the articles section, I hadn't seen it yet. I have a plethora of recipes I can share there.

Thank you for caring for your elderly relative or friend. I've done it before, and it can be a hard road, and you deserve serious kudos. You’re doing something really brave and kind.

Our house basically runs on lentils, so you might be able to consider a soft lentil stew.

• Sauté some shredded carrots
• Then lentils cooked down to a puree-like texture. (edit: It's cheaper to cook lentils from scratch but I honestly always just use the canned ones.)
• Flavour with cumin (just a pinch), smoked paprika, bay leaf (remove before serving or puréeing)
• Finish with a drizzle of olive oil.

You can always go real easy on any seasoning, just add a 1/4 tsp at a time until it's right. You can always add but not take away.

Compotes are nice, too. Apples, pears, plums cooked down until mushy. I like that for breakfast sometimes. My brother and I were latchkey kids and he'd make it and call it 'lazy applesauce'.

 

[Mandy Onderwater]

I've never actually eaten lentils. Someone I know always told me they taste very grainy and offputting, so I never tried my hand at it. I might try it though. Do you serve anything else with the lentil stew, or is it a full meal?
Do lentils cause a lot of gas? The person I care for has a colostomy bag.

 

[Nanners]

Red/orange lentils are the softest. They disintegrate into a purée when cooked, and don’t stay grainy like green or brown lentils. They're very mild and mostly take on the taste of any seasonings you add. They can cause gas, but red lentils usually cause the least. To help, rinse them very well before cooking, cook thoroughly until mushy, and start with a small portion to see how they react. I serve it over mashed potato (or other veg mash) or with crusty bread.

Other ideas might be:
soft braised chicken in mild broth
polenta
ratatouille, cooked well until soft
soft flaky white fish

 

[Nanners]

Oh, another idea I just had when we were discussing wild meat in the other thread might be pate or rillette. Great on crackers or just eaten on its own, or as a 'protein dip' with soft steamed vegetables, or with mash, even.

For pate:

• 500g chicken livers
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped (or 1/2 tsp garlic powder for extra mildness)
• 2 or 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp thyme or rosemary
• Salt & pepper to taste

1. Heat olive oil in a pan. Add onion + garlic, cook until soft.
2. Add chicken livers + thyme, cook 5-7 min until no pink remains.
3. Blend until smooth.
4. Adjust seasoning. Chill in a jar, cover with a thin layer of olive oil.

Very smooth and spoonable, like baby food but savoury.

For chicken rillette:

• 2 chicken thighs (bone-in, skin on for flavour. You’ll discard bones/skin later)
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 clove garlic (whole, optional)
• 1 small onion, halved
• 2 cups water or low-salt broth
• 3 or 4 tbsp olive oil

1. Simmer chicken with bay leaf, onion, garlic in water/broth until very soft (about 45 min).
2. Remove bones & skin. Shred meat with a fork. It should fall apart easily.
3. Mix shredded chicken with 3 or 4 tbsp olive oil to form a moist paste.

This can be adjusted from soft shreds to spreadable paste, depending on your texture needs. You can mash more with a fork or briefly pulse in a blender for a softer version.

For pork rillette:

• 500g pork shoulder (or any fatty pork cut)
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 tsp thyme
• 1 cup water or broth
• 3 tbsp olive oil

1. Put pork, onion, bay leaf, thyme in a pot with water.
2. Cover and simmer on very low heat 2.5 hours, until pork falls apart.
3. Shred with forks, mix with cooking juices + olive oil until moist.
4. Blend slightly if needed for softer texture.

Lentil pate:

• 1 cup red lentils
• 2 cups water
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 2 tbsp olive oil

1. Simmer lentils in water until mushy. Drain any excess liquid.
2. Sauté onion + garlic in olive oil, add paprika.
3. Blend all together until smooth. Adjust seasoning. It's almost like hummus!

 

[KIGardening]

Edit: In our restaurant I ran a fermentation and cheesemaking program as well, so I can answer those questions, too!

Now this is a chef I would like to chat too..... as on my skills to learn list is cheese making. I might think to start that next year. I'm currently getting some bits and pieces organised in my house for starting to make my own wine. There is nothing better than proper fermented grape juice without all the crappy preservatives

 

[Mandy Onderwater]

Do these meals freeze and re-heat well? One common issue is that I often end up making too much, and sir may refuse to eat the same meal two days in a row
Personally I LOVE pate and chicken livers, but I find it to be very strong, and can't stand it multiple days in a row either. But if I could freeze it... that may be a game-changer.

 

[Nanners]

Now this is a chef I would like to chat too..... as on my skills to learn list is cheese making. I might think to start that next year. I'm currently getting some bits and pieces organised in my house for starting to make my own wine. There is nothing better than proper fermented grape juice without all the crappy preservatives

Cheesemaking is actually remarkably easy, it just takes a lot of time. Making a batch will take me the better part of the day. My favourites I've made are feta and peppercorn brie. When I started I used recipes and equipment from New England Cheesemaking at cheesemaking.com it's a fabulous resource. As far as wine questions, I can forward those on to my partner, as he's a professional brewmaster haha. It's not wine, but it's similar enough.

I will say making your own cheese really doesn't save any money compared to buying it, at least where I am. But it would be worth it if you have your own source of dairy. But, it's very satisfying and fun to do. It might be profitable if laws in your area allow you to sell it for a premium price to others. Or you could just do it under the table

 

[Nanners]

Do these meals freeze and re-heat well? One common issue is that I often end up making too much, and sir may refuse to eat the same meal two days in a row
Personally I LOVE pate and chicken livers, but I find it to be very strong, and can't stand it multiple days in a row either. But if I could freeze it... that may be a game-changer.

yes they can all be frozen. polenta will thicken so just add liquid when you reheat, and put a fat cap on your pate and rillettes before freezing to keep the 'freezer flavour' off them. Just melt some fat/butter/lard and pour it over the top to seal it. The pate might thaw a bit grainier but not always, and it's still super yum.

 

[KIGardening]

I will say making your own cheese really doesn't save any money compared to buying it, at least where I am. But it would be worth it if you have your own source of dairy. But, it's very satisfying and fun to do. It might be profitable if laws in your area allow you to sell it for a premium price to others. Or you could just do it under the table

At some stage I do want to have my own source of dairy and seen the cheese prices lately where I am, I would definitely safe a few $$. I currently following a permaculture course where all different systems can be utilised into the environment you want to design for yourself.

 

[Mandy Onderwater]

yes they can all be frozen. polenta will thicken so just add liquid when you reheat, and put a fat cap on your pate and rillettes before freezing to keep the 'freezer flavour' off them. Just melt some fat/butter/lard and pour it over the top to seal it. The pate might thaw a bit grainier but not always, and it's still super yum.

I didn't think about freezing them with a fat cap, good one
Espeically as I'm the only one who seems to enjoy chicken livers here.

Back home we'd fry the chicken lviers up in a good amount of butter, but I'm trying to eat healthier nowadays. And chicken livers always sell relatively cheap, but only in large-ish amounts. We'd enjoy them on buttered bread

 

[Berkeloid]

Back home we'd fry the chicken lviers up in a good amount of butter, but I'm trying to eat healthier nowadays. And chicken livers always sell relatively cheap, but only in large-ish amounts. We'd enjoy them on buttered bread

A while back I discovered a dish where you basically dip each liver/piece in raw scrambled egg then roll it in a flour/salt/pepper mix, then fry it (you could use butter but I used a little olive oil in a pan) and serve them with capers. I'm sure the chefs here can tell you what the dish is called and how to make it properly, but it's pretty quick to make and surprisingly delicious. It is tasty enough that I convinced two people try it who both hated chicken livers and they actually enjoyed eating it and one has even started making it sometimes too.

Where I am you can find chicken livers at a good price in 250g containers in Coles and Woollies in the meat section, although they are well hidden and aren't there every day. From memory Woollies sells them quite a bit cheaper than Coles.

 

[Nanners]

A while back I discovered a dish where you basically dip each liver/piece in raw scrambled egg then roll it in a flour/salt/pepper mix, then fry it (you could use butter but I used a little olive oil in a pan) and serve them with capers. I'm sure the chefs here can tell you what the dish is called and how to make it properly, but it's pretty quick to make and surprisingly delicious. It is tasty enough that I convinced two people try it who both hated chicken livers and they actually enjoyed eating it and one has even started making it sometimes too.

Where I am you can find chicken livers at a good price in 250g containers in Coles and Woollies in the meat section, although they are well hidden and aren't there every day. From memory Woollies sells them quite a bit cheaper than Coles.

Oh, that sounds super yum. Where I live we use them as pate or in tourtiere, which is a regional version of meat pie. Tourtiere uses livers, hearts, whatever. It's a good use for all the off-cuts. Even though I too, am trying to live healthier, I'll try them fried, cuz why not? We only live once haha. I really enjoy finding ways to use the 'less desirable' parts of the animal. It's cheap, and it has to go somewhere.

 

[Mandy Onderwater]

There was an incident outside of our local Woolies, and I completely forgot to buy (many) items including my livers and lentils
Did buy me incredients to attempt to make a lactose-free macaroni and cheese. I've never made it (or had it, really), so that's going to be interesting.

 

[Berkeloid]

Haha funny how when stuff like that happens it throws off your plans. I recently visited my family overseas and they made a lactose-free creme brulee using lactose-free cream and milk, and it was amazing. Apparently "lactose free" dairy hasn't had the lactose removed, they've just added the enzyme to it that some people produce naturally that converts the lactose into other sugars the body can more easily digest, so I guess that's why it tastes much the same as normal dairy.

 

[Mandy Onderwater]

One day I'll learn how to make Creme Brulee ; it may be my favourite dessert in the world!

Sadly choices for lactose-free cheeses are slim, so I've opted for vegan mozzarella. We'll see how that goes.

 

[Berkeloid]

Apparently it's a super easy dessert to make, I'll definitely be giving it a go if I can find somewhere that sells lactose-free cream!

Vegan cheese was a good idea. Apparently cheese is fairly low in lactose anyway although I don't know the exact amounts and I imagine it depends on how soft or hard the cheese is.

 

[Mandy Onderwater]

Soft cheese is higher in lactose than hard/aged cheeses. Parmesan is virtually lactose free naturally.

I buy lactose free cream from Woolworths. They sell both whipping, cooking and sour cream lactose free.