[Nfbwv-talk] Master Chef

Thu Oct 18 19:06:34 UTC 2012

Yes, he sure is.  He can also peel a mean potato, (smile.)
Karen

 ----- Original Message -----
From: "Smyth, Charlene R" <Charlene.R.Smyth at wv.gov
To: NFB of West Virginia Discussion List <nfbwv-talk at nfbnet.org
Date sent: Thu, 18 Oct 2012 13:51:13 -0500
Subject: Re: [Nfbwv-talk] Master Chef

Karen, we will have to have our own little parties to help Ed 
celebrate.
Smile  I will have to definitely remember that he is good at 
chopping
onions.  Laugh

Charlene

-----Original Message-----
From: Nfbwv-talk [mailto:nfbwv-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf 
Of
Karen McDonald
Sent: Thursday, October 18, 2012 2:43 PM
To: NFB of West Virginia Discussion List
Subject: Re: [Nfbwv-talk] Master Chef

Ed's birthday is tomorrow and I'm baking him a black forest cake
for his birthday, and I will add that this will not be from a
cake mix of any kind.  The meal on Friday evening will be beef
stroganoff, which is a family favorite, and I'm thinking of
making either a green bean casserole or a colorful vegetable
casserole.  Ed and I are both efficient in the kitchen and we
often cook together but tomorrow it's my game plan except for a
couple of little jobs I might ask the "birthday boy" to do, like
chopping an onion or two, (smile.)
Karen

 ----- Original Message -----
From: "Smyth, Charlene R" <Charlene.R.Smyth at wv.gov
To: NFB of West Virginia Discussion List <nfbwv-talk at nfbnet.org
Date sent: Thu, 18 Oct 2012 12:53:52 -0500
Subject: Re: [Nfbwv-talk] Master Chef

Hi Jack,

There are many of us on this  list who are totally blind who are
pretty
good cooks from simple things to making complete meals from
scratch.  If
we can be of assistance, just let us know and we will be glad to
talk
with you and any of the trainers at the Seeing Hand Association.

Charlene

-----Original Message-----
From: Nfbwv-talk [mailto:nfbwv-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of
Jack Yahnke
Sent: Thursday, October 18, 2012 1:43 PM
To: NFB of West Virginia Discussion List
Subject: Re: [Nfbwv-talk] Master Chef

Thanks Charlene.  You have no idea how timely and fortuitous this
article is
here at work.  We are just now beginning some cooking classes for
our
blind
employees here at the Seeing Hand.  We are going to start with
grilled
sandwiches and paninis on a George Foreman grill and then some
soups.
I'll
keep you posted if you like.

Jack

----- Original Message -----
From: "Smyth, Charlene R" <Charlene.R.Smyth at wv.gov
To: "NFB of West Virginia Discussion List" <nfbwv-talk at nfbnet.org
Sent: Wednesday, October 17, 2012 1:23 PM
Subject: [Nfbwv-talk] Master Chef

 Feature Writer Alena Roberts - Interview with the Winner of
Master
Chef,

 Christine Ha

 I recently had the privilege of interviewing Christine Ha, the
visually

 impaired winner of this year's Master Chef contest.  She was a
pleasure
 to

 speak with and I hope that my questions shed a little more light
on
who

 Christine is and how we can learn from her example.  My
questions below
 will

 start with the letter "A" and her answers will start with the
letter
 "C."

 A: I know our readers would really appreciate some tips.  I
myself am
not
 a

 good cook, but I know a lot of us are.  Do you have some simple
things
I
 could

 write up on how we can feel safer in the kitchen and how we
might be
 able to

 expand on our potentially simple dishes?

 C: Sure, there are some things I can come up with off the top of
my
 head, and

 this is not just for visually impaired cooks.  I think it's
really
 important to

 have sharp knives.  Spend some money on a good sharpening block.
Often
 times

 our knife sets come with that tool, it's actually a honing tool,
that
 people

 think is a knife sharpener.  That tool is actually for honing
after you
 sharpen

 the knife to get metal bits off.  The reason why it's so
important to
 have a

 sharp knife is so you don't have to use as much pressure.  It's
much
 easier to

 cut things and the slice is cleaner.  When you're slicing and
using
less

 pressure, there is less danger of the knife sliding out of your
hand
and

 causing injury.  So, contrary to what you might think, a dull
knife is
 more

 likely to injure you then a sharp knife.

 Organization, I think, is also key.  I think that most vision
impaired
 people

 know the importance of organization since that's one of the ways
you
 gain

 independence.  So in the kitchen, being organized is also part
of
gaining

 independence.  Hopefully the people you live with will be
respectful of
 your

 need for organization and put knives back where they found them,
spices
 back

 where they found them, and other gadgets back where they found
them.  I
 think

 that this is key to being a successful cook when you're a
visually
 impaired

 person.

 For those who want to start expanding on their cooking it's
important
to
 note

 that I am pretty much self taught.  I started cooking from
cookbooks.  I
 would

 read recipes straight through and follow them to the T.  So once
you
 learn how

 to follow a recipe and understand certain techniques and how
things
will
 turn

 out, then you kind of start understanding the science behind it.
I
think
 you

 should then start venturing out.  For example you can take a
recipe and
 start

 adding different spices and playing with the ingredients and
being
more

 experimental.  Once you're confident in turning a recipe that's
already

 established into something that's more like your own, then you
could
 step up

 to doing something like we did on the show with mystery boxes
where
you
 just

 mix up things that are in season or gather what looks good at
the
 grocery

 store and then just come up with something.  That is something
that
 definitely

 takes time and the desire to learn such a skill, but I think if
you
 learn

 flavor profiles, what goes well with what, I think that helps
with
 cooking.

 Sooner or later you got to let go of that cookbook.  There's
going to
be
 a lot

 of trial and error, a lot of bad food, but you've got to spread
your
 wings and

 let go.

 A: I know that a lot of visually impaired cooks are fearful of
 under-cooking

 meat.  I myself have turned to using the crock pot as a way of
ensuring
 that

 the meat is done, but there are only so many things you can cook
in
your
 crock

 pot.  I also don't want to overcook my meat.  Some might say
that you
just
 cook

 it long enough to make sure it doesn't hurt you, but then it
might not
 taste

 good because it's overcooked.  So what do you do to ensure that
you're
 meat is

 cooked properly?

 C: I myself have no problem with tasting my food as I cook it.
If it's
 raw

 then I'll spit it out and continue cooking.  It's important to
use

 thermometers, especially when cooking meat.  I myself use
talking
 thermometers

 in my kitchen.  When you're cooking steak, a rack of lamb, or
other
 meats, it

 comes down to the temperature when you're determining if it's
rare,
 medium

 rare, or well done.

 A: Are there things you avoid when cooking, or is everything
fair
game?

 C: There are definitely things I tend to avoid cooking at home
just
 because

 it's messy or requires a lot of precision.  For instance, I'm
not a big
 fan of

 seafood.  I will scale a fish if I have to, but I would prefer
not to.
 When I

 was on Master Chef, though, I was open to everything.

 A: What was the overall reaction from your fellow contestants
when
they

 learned you were visually impaired? I know that I saw a number
of
 episodes

 where there was a lot of negativity and bitterness.  I realize
that
this
 is

 reality television and that there's an editing process, but I'm
curious,
 was

 there any point where you said to yourself that you weren't sure
you
 could

 deal with the attitudes?

 C: I wasn't taken seriously at the beginning when there were
still 100
 of us.

 I was come up to and asked things like, "Do you use a knife?" A
lot of
 people

 thought I was going to stand on the sidelines and tell a sighted
person
 how to

 make the food.  As the competition continued it got better,
though.  I
was
 often

 picked last for the challenges, which makes sense from the other
 contestants'

 point of view.  When this happened, though, I did my best to
prove to
 myself

 and the other contestants that I wasn't a disadvantage to their
team--I
 just

 had to do things a little differently.  I felt like I had to
give my
200

 percent in comparison to the other contestants, but all in all
I'm
good

 friends with many of the contestants on the show and I have
never felt
 pure

 negativity directed at me personally.

 A: Now that you've won the competition do you have any plans for
your

 winnings?

 C: Since part of winning the competition is getting my own
cookbook,
I'm

 working on that.  As a writer I'm excited about the writing
process and
 the

 narrative of the book.  I'm also gathering recipes that I want
to
 include.

 Outside of that, I'm trying to finish my masters program since
my
other
 love

 is literature.  I'm working on my memoir.  My memoir won't focus
on
 cooking, but

 rather dealing with my vision loss and my medical condition.
I'm also
 planning

 to write up a formal business plan to present to investors.  My
hope is
 to open

 a gastro pub and an ice-cream shop in Houston where I live.

 We wish Christine the best of luck as she moves forward with her
new

 endeavors.

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