When it comes to throwing down in the kitchen, Chef Jay does not disappoint! 

After a health scare, Chef Jay had to learn to walk and talk all over again. It also put things into perspective for him, causing him to reignite his passion for culinary and hop back into the work he loves to do.

As the Executive Chef at Humble Baron Bar, the co-founder and chef at Cigars, Cuisine, and Cocktails, as well as the host of aspireTV’s “Twisted Dish,” Chef Jay is living a dream.

“It’s always been a dream of mine, but never something that I thought I took a deep dive into,” he previously told aspireTV. “It was just one of those thoughts of, ‘I would love to be on TV,’ type of things. When the opportunity presented itself, I was elated and ultra-excited. I love the experience. I love the people at aspireTV because they’ve made me feel so comfortable and at ease knowing that this was my first time doing this… they allowed me to be in my comfort zone and to be myself.”

Beyond bringing flavor through his culinary expertise, Chef Jay has graced us with 8 tips in the kitchen that he lives by.

Organization

“Organization is ultimately important for me. ‘Mise en place’ is a French word meaning putting in place. It makes prepping and cooking so much easier and definitely less stressful.”

Music

“It’s something about having the perfect song that gets you in the mood to get down in the kitchen.”

Content Creation

“Camera of some sort to capture the moments. It helps with progress and creates memories of where you were compared to where you are going.”

Know Your Temp

“Understand cooking temperature. Everything doesn’t need to be cooked on high.”

Developing A Method To The Madness

“Understanding cooking methods. There is nothing wrong with starting a piece of fish on the stove to develop a pretty color for presentation, then finishing in the oven for that perfect doneness. I do it all the time.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Jay Craddick (@chefjaycraddick)

Be Prepared For Constructive Criticism

“Have tough skin when it comes to asking people or them telling you how your food tastes. It happens to all of us. You can’t please everyone but if you want to become better you have to take the good with the bad with an open mind and positive attitude.”

Cleanliness

“Being clean is important. Avoid cross-contamination and wash your hands regularly. Do not use a board to cut raw chicken then wipe it off and cut fresh veggies. Absolute No-No.”

Be A Risk-Taker

“Don’t be afraid to take risks. Traditional matching flavor profile cooking is ok but it’s something about always taking it to another level trying something new and it tastes amazing is what will really set you apart. Basically TWISTING it up lol.”