Ming Tsai

This East-West star tells you the secrets to fusion cooking.

His brand of fusion “I like calling it East-West cuisine. It’s a blend of Eastern and Western techniques and ingredients. Just like any chef, you cook where you’re born, what you grew up eating, and where you live. I’m Chinese by birth (my parents are from Beijing), I ate Chinese food growing up, and  I trained in Paris for  2 1/2 years, then in Osaka. I just cook from my experience.”

Valuable advice for home cooks “I think home cooks and chefs alike should always keep their eyes open. Don’t say, “Oh, I can’t do that!” If you do, it’s not going to be good. Have an open mind. Try as much food as you can, whether it’s at people’s homes or at restaurants. Read great magazines and books. You have to call it your own by experiencing it—and you can do that through your palate. The only way you can get a trained palate is by eating, eating, and eating.

“And I think the most important thing for a home cook is to taste everything. In my restaurant, we taste the sauce, the vegetables; then we plate it out and give it to you. But home cooks, they put it all together, bring it to the table, and put salt and pepper on the side. And you’re not supposed to put salt and pepper on the table. Put them in while you’re cooking.”

Seasoning secret “There’s no such thing as bad food; there’s just under-seasoned food. I think people are scared to use salt. But don’t over-season either. I don’t like salty food, but you need that salt to bring out the flavor of the meat or the veggies. As kids, I remember we used to put salt on watermelons to make them sweeter.”

Best kitchen tool “I honestly love my Kyocera knives. You can’t cook without a knife. And if you have a knife, make sure to have a sharp one. I love them because they’re light, sharp, and beautiful. And they’re actually “East-West” too. The knives are Kyoto ceramics, designed in the East, made after a French chef—a perfect match!”

Favorite spice “Ginger—which I grew up eating. You drink ginger tea for your throat when you’re sick. If you’re pregnant, you drink it for nausea. You make ginger syrup or ginger ale. You cook it in all types of savory dishes. You cook it in all types of sweet desserts. You can use it in practically everything. And it’s cheap. It’s used in street foods and royal banquets, so there’s no class segregation with ginger. Everyone can use ginger.”

Tough transition “While in college in Yale, I used to go to Paris every summer. I started learning French. Then I went to Le Cordon Bleu, the chef school. And after that, I’m like, “Damn, the French can cook too!” And then I started mixing Chinese-French cuisines and I just loved doing it. I think the most important thing for any job is that you have to love what you’re doing. If you don’t love your profession, you’re not going to be great at it. I love cooking. For those who want to change careers, again you have to follow your heart. It’s tough but you have to enjoy the ride—be happy along the way. Follow your passion. And at the end of the day, if you can’t be a chef, at least you know how to cook.”

• gene Apr 11 2010 @ 10:52am Report Abuse

     

  i agree with him in the use of ginger. great ingredient. great flavor. i enjoy watching him on tv.
• Mavs Apr 02 2010 @ 03:54pm Report Abuse

     

  I think he's not afraid to experiment a lot. But that's good because you can create a lot of dishes if you are willing to try something new.
• joan Apr 01 2010 @ 10:16am Report Abuse

     

  i think his recipes are great considering a combination of east and west. a great chef are never afraid to venture on other culture's dish.
• Vanette Colmenares Feb 16 2010 @ 08:18am Report Abuse

     

  I just made my valentine dinner that was a Ming Tsai inspired recipe. It came out really great...Check on my site and the recipe is there...One of the best I have made so far...don't forget the ginger, the five-spice, the hot pepper and the chocolate....great combination