Food Network celebrity chef Michael Symon, served up some advice for cooks while visiting Detroit to prepare a gala dinner for Greening of Detroit at his Roast restaurant.
The Detroit Press reported the TV chef took some time before his event to do an octopus cooking demonstration for reporters. Symon offered some entertaining thoughts on cooking and food such as learning when enough is enough.
"Less is more," he told his audience as he pan-grilled an octopus at the Greening of Detroit's farm market gardens near Eastern Market, the Detroit Press reported. "Don't outsmart the food. Some chefs put 472 products in (a dish) and we forget what we're eating,"
Symon, who stars on ABC-TV's "The Chew" daily, said the greatest lesson any cook at home or restaurant can learn is restraint.
"The ones that are best are now confident enough in themselves to say, 'That's perfect. I don't need to put anything else on there just to prove a point,'" he said. "Once that confidence happens to a chef or a cook and that light bulb goes off, that's when they become really special."
Symon's dinner at Roast marked the third year the chef has prepared and hosted the fund-raising gala for Greening of Detroit, which works to promote reforestation of the city and to encourage urban agriculture.
As a chef Symon said he prefers to keep it clean and simple.
"I like flavors on that are on the aggressive side," Symon said.
According to the Detroit Press, it 2.5-acre farm garden provides training for high schools students and others in urban farming, produces products for sale at Eastern Market and donates food to needy residents.
Symon also stars on "Iron Chef: America" on the Food Network.
