Chef and World Traveler
Fort Saskatchewan - Alberta
Chef and World Traveler, lovin' life as it just keeps getting better. :-)
42 articles
What is " Nirvana "? "A state of blissful peace without desire, fear or suffering" "A perfect moment "Freedom from suffering", but what is suffering? Without ego, intellect/reason there is no sufferin...
Note; This article originally published here on Jan. 15, 2021 This post has taken longer for me to write and publish than anything else I have ever written. I attribute this to 2 factors; 1 – The expl...
Note; This article originally posted here on Nov. 13, 2020 This article is not intended to provide all the answers; all I’m doing is asking questions in the hope that it will spark the questions in yo...
Note; This article originally published here on Dec. 5, 2020 Well it has been a furious journey of studying, researching, and “cramming”, (more than I’ve ever done for any final exam while I was still...
Note; This article originally published here on Oct. 7, 2020. It somehow got lost with the change of platform but it is just as poignant and applicable, if not more so, than it was back then. There a...
I want to assure you here, at the outset that I’m not being flippant, funny, nor disrespectful. I’m hard pressed to remember the last time that I was this serious, or passionate about a topic but I tr...
( Here's an email that I just sent to a friend of mine, I hope that you enjoy it.) Hello Graham, I hope that you're well. I'm at the place where I need to "lay all of my cards on the table." This will...
I would like to introduce Mr. Albert Bourla, CEO of Pfizer, the pharmaceutical company that announced last Monday, Nov. 9 that it has the vaccine for COVID-19. It was also the same day that Mr. Bourla...
This is the title, (Picture from same article), of an article that I read and used as a source for my last article. it has resurfaced a couple of times and I believe that it warrants more in depth rea...
Yes, we are in crazy times. "Perspective" is a topic I'm always discussing... There are those of you out there that are "rolling with the punches", (and yes you know who you are). Just another "adjust...
(Old English/Scottish proverb) Credit to Thomas Deloney, 1545 I heard this proverb recently and I must admit that the impact of it made me stop and think, it resonated profoundly with me. Regardless o...
It was a few weeks ago when I was sitting at home relaxing on a leave of absence and my partner called me from work to give me some good news. Apparently she had bought a raffle ticket for a Father's...
Suggested reading; "Tales from Paradise" (The Poem) Chapter 1 https://www.bebee.com/producer/@randall-burns/tales-from-paradise-the-poem Well it’s been almost a year Since I last brought you cheer Thi...
“The E-Sensual Cook” Chapter 2 This post is in response to a recent article I published, “Love Mussel”, https://www.bebee.com/producer/@randall-burns/love-mussel And the concept that quickly followed,...
I get this question a LOT. Like there’s a problem with it. (?) Yes I’m generally a happy person, very happy as a matter of fact so I do get this question daily. I have numerous pat answers, all true,...
Why I Write I have been pondering this query/statement lately and truth be told I have to admit; I am NOT a writer! Having said that however I have to say that I’m NOT a lot of things; - I’m not a Sai...
My hand plunges into the frigid ice water causing goosebumps to erupt over my arm; I grasp a handful of the precious mollusks and place them into the large bowl next to me. The glistening shells are d...
This article is revamped from the original that I posted on LinkedIn, March, 2014. I've quoted this kitchen term, "Mise en Place", in many of my posts and someone asked me the other day what the actua...
It was pointed out to me the other day by a friend that all, (and really ALL), of my articles/posts/buzzes, regardless of topic, content or theme, have one common thread; they all mention beer, in one...
(Kitchen @ "Viaduct Central", Auckland, New Zealand, 1999) The “philosophy” of Mentoring can be applied to any profession, and to life in general; we all have Mentors and by the same token we are all...
I’ve been growing my own hot peppers for a few years now and usually yield enough that once dried last me through the winter until the following year’s crop. I always grow Habaneros, Scotch Bonnets, G...
"Siddhartha" Although "Sid" has been gone for a couple of years now I have to look back and say that he was absolutely one of my favorites. We had him for 12 years, adopted stray when he was a pup on...
Oh what a life, to live free of strife Running the gamut, around the planet Great wonders I've seen, I may need a vaccine You think this sounds nice? I call it Paradise! Tall mountains I've climbed St...
Halloween Sky Taken Oct.30, 2011 Photo Credit - Randall Burns Northern Alberta Nikon D300s Sigma 10mm ISO 800 f5.6, 30 sec exposure (foreground "painted" with hand held strobe) Northern Alberta really...
This article is in response to Deb🐝 Lange, Brand Ambassador @beBee brilliant and thought provoking article titled, "Complexity, Stress, Patterns, and Multi-Sensory Awareness", "Do we have as many sen...
Here's a tiny piece of paradise shot in Northern Alberta, June 24, 2011. Nikon D300s Nikon 105 mm ISO 400 f8, 1/400 sec, (with TTL ring flash) "
I would like to announce a new Hive, "Tales from Paradise", and I want to acknowledge Javier 🐝 beBee for his help and support, (actually it was totally Javier's idea and initiative so any "complaints...
"Paradise is a state of mind..." Alright, admittedly this is a “fluff” piece, a descriptive narration indulging in my reminiscing; but it’s also a reminder that we need to stop and “smell the roses” o...
As I’ve mentioned before this culinary life was not the planned path that was set out for me so many years ago. When I left university in 1978 to pursue cooking it was a surprise and possibly somewhat...
This article has been prompted by a new Hive concept; “Toxicity at Work”, by @David Navarro López and @Ali Anani , https://www.bebee.com/producer/@david-navarro-lopez/new-hive-toxicity-at-work "Toxici...
There are a few “life changing” episodes or incidents that we all experience, unfortunately rarely, throughout our lives; Incidents that cause us to grow, to change, to alter our perceptions, to switc...
Another Installment of "Tales from Paradise", Pt.-3 "Paradise is a state of mind..." I've enjoyed competing in Culinary competitions for years so I was excited and preparing for the up and coming Caym...
(written for my wife, Cindy) As I was having my early morning coffee the Moon whispered to me that she was waiting to set until you woke up as your smile brightens the whole world and she didn't want...
It’s 1985; I’m living in Toronto, a culinary and cosmopolitan metropolis. I’m a cook, (Chef de Partie position), at a fine dining French restaurant and I’m enjoying it, Cooking great food and constant...
I leave “the line”, and although the peak of service is over, "The Crunch", it will still continue at a fast pace for a couple of more hours. The adrenaline is still coursing through my veins, heighte...
“The Wolf”, “Cook’s Crack”, “Chef’s Cheeks” is an affliction that cooks get from time to time due to the long hours of standing on their feet, running around, the heat and sweat. As the heat and sweat...
“Paradise is a state of mind…” It was an idyllic Caribbean morning, clear sky, bright tropical sun, a light sea breeze rustling through the coconut palms outside the bedroom window. The house sat in B...
Once upon a time, a long long time ago, in a galaxy far far away… 1976, Regina, Saskatchewan; what a year! Joe Walsh joins The Eagles and they release their epic “Hotel California” album, other notabl...
A timeless quote by Confucius, and so true. Just to clarify, I don’t mind “work”, I really enjoy “working”, actually I Love my “work”. It comes down to interpretation, (and I view "work" more positive...
("Tales from Paradise" pt. 1) Has anyone read that excellent novel by Robert Heinlein, “Stranger in a Strange Land”? I talk a lot about learning and Mentoring; it is very important in our business as...
“…Fear is the mind killer…” (Frank Herbert, “Dune”, excerpt from the “Litany against Fear”) “The Dream” “The sweat is pouring off of me, stinging my eyes, trickling down my back, the soaked polyester...
There's been many discussions lately regarding the "shortcomings" of our industry, the flaws in our educational systems, the general downward spiral of the caliber of "Cooks" and cooking techniques, o...
