thekitchenman history

thekitchenman Chef Wayne Conrad Serbu!

Over the five decades I was part of several hospitality kitchen teams. Working as an Executive Chef I produced several original recipes for franchises and publications. Today I still keep a keen edge learning about the latest food trends and styles while visiting the kitchens with some of the best chefs of today across Canada. I feel especially humbled to be an inspiration tutor to a young Emilio Finatti Sicilian Pizzeria Chef Aaron Gehrman. It’s his passion to succeed by taking total control with his world award winning pizzas and franchises that today have won many awards and accolades. My dad Chef Con was my inspiration to make cooking my life and so was Aaron’s dad to him. After the past 50 years of cooking at many 5-star resorts and restaurants, catering and instruction I have accumulated a contingency of applicable knowledge and connections with passionate food suppliers across Canada and the U S. I now personally pay frequent visits to a well-known farm source for provisions of fruits, vegetables, herbs and protein edibles. I’m surrounded by some of the best area cheese makers, summer sausage experts confectioners and canners using farm to table heirloom vegetables, flours and grains. All my Charcuterie and Seachuterie items are from well know sources that have proven to be consistent for quality and service with up-to-date documents. In season, I forage the local areas for seasonal fresh most flavour herbs, edible plants, fungi, flowers, micro greens, sprouts produced and needed in everyday menu recipes. A rule of thumb I use is organic whenever possible no spray, garden items, humane practices for slaughter. I procure farm fresh proteins, eggs, butter and cheeses from federally inspected sources. These days I’m back here in Woodstock Ontario the Dairy Capitol of Canada visiting both old and new farm sources to keep discriminating chef pantries stocked with menu items. These thekitchenman offer my unique out door discriminating professional alfresco feasts roasting whole or parts of free-range animals. My cooking methods are experienced and well-rehearsed events prepared in the ground or on the spit.  Open flame shovel cooking and remote shore lunch services is one of my specialties. Here I am with some of the well known chefs and getting my hands into trying some new recipe techniques.

Life is too short eat mediocre food.