HELLO. I’m Chef Norbert
Food stylist & photographer. I love nature and real food that is full of flavor.
I created this site to share recipes and show that healthier, balanced eating is not always boring. Sometimes it can get confusing – what to eat and what not to eat. I believe in wellness-driven cooking, that is balanced, nutrient-dense, and focuses on the goodness of the ingredients.
My Story
So who the heck am I?
I’m the Chef behind Norbert’s Kitchen website.
With my blog, I hope to inspire you to try mindful recipes you can cook at home.
Recipes that are prepared with flavor and simplicity, yet impressive enough to serve to a King.
I’m a strong believer in seasonality; it connects the dots of engagement, sustainability, and great food.
I have a very simple food philosophy: use fresh wholesome seasonal ingredients and thoughtfully prepared foods that reduce the intake of excessive fat, calories, and sodium; while still delivering high-quality meals with satisfying flavor and solid nutritional values.
I focus on balance and preparing food that just happens to be healthy and not too complicated. For me, it’s important to create real food that is full of flavor, not too much, not too little; that is what I call perfection!
I’ve never claimed that I started cooking while spending time in the kitchen with my mom or grandma and pulling on their aprons at a young age. I didn’t start as a dishwasher in a kitchen and worked my way up through the ranks. A story like that is more for the movies and definitely sounds more romantic. The truth is, I graduated from culinary school in Hamburg, Germany with one thing in mind, and that was traveling, experiencing different cultures, and working with some of the greatest chefs to learn the business.
Frequently Asked Questions
Photographic equipment that I usually use:
- Camera: Nikon D300 & Nikon D200
- Lens: Nikon 50mm f / 1.4 – Nikon 105mm f/2.8 – Nikon 70 – 200mm f / 2.8
- Post-production: Affinity Photo
- Photo lighting set up: Fiilex P360 Pro
Experience
My culinary education is rooted in German food, with strong influences from classical French cuisine and Nouvelle Cuisine. I have more than 30 years of experience in hotels, catering, fine dining, and corporate services. Previously, I worked as the Corporate Executive R&D chef for Morrison Healthcare and was responsible for developing wellness and culinary programs that supported more than 900 plus corporate service accounts nationally.
For ten years, I was the leading culinary force at the prestigious Fairmont Hotel in Chicago and the DIRONA award-winning restaurant Entre Nous, one of the top three rated restaurants in Chicago 1996.
Prior to joining Fairmont Hotels, I carved out an international career as a Chef de Cuisine and Executive Chef with Hilton International. This propelled me into a kaleidoscope of posts in four continents: Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Americas.
Accomplishments
When it comes to the meat on plates, less is indeed more – I demonstrated this with the Almost Authentic Red Dahl recipe, which emerged as the winner of the 2018 Healthcare Culinary Contest. The red Dahl recipe embodied the “less meat, better meat” philosophy highlighting culinary creativity and sustainable food sourcing, and exemplifying how hospital food can be healthy for people and the planet.
The Chefs Roll Impossible Meat contest recognized my Asian-inspired Wellington, as the winner. Taking the Impossible Meat plant-based entree to a completely different level. The impossible burger is a meatless burger, created with heme, wheat protein, potato protein, soy protein, and coconut oil.
Sounds like something the characters from the “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” would have stacked in their pantry on their way to visit the legendary planet Magrath.
During my time at the Fairmont Hotel Chicago, the Entre Nous Restaurant often hosted the Confrérie de la Chaîne des Rôtisseurs, the oldest and largest food society in the world. I was awarded “best Chaine dinner in Chicago for the year 2001
As the Co-Chairman, I was involved with the first-ever Cystic Fibrosis Grand Chefs Gala at the Fairmont Hotel Chicago. Working with Chefs like Jean Joho of Everest, John Hogan of Park Avenue Café, Mary Ellen Diaz of Printers Row, Katsuo Sugiura of the Fairmont Hotel San Francisco, and Chef Daniel Maurice, we created a memorable meal.
As a member of the 1984 National Caribbean Culinary Team, I captured gold at the International Culinary Olympics. Overall, the team won five gold medals and one silver at the competition.
Thank you for reading
Do you have questions? Wanna work together? Feel free to contact me for all inquiries!