It’s Nice To Meet You
Hi, I’m Patrick Devaney and I’m the Editor-in-Chief here at Helpful Chef. I’ve been a passionate amateur chef for over 20 years now and I simply love being in the kitchen. I love all things food because it brings me comfort in so many ways. I love to eat but I often take so much more from cooking than I do from eating. Ever since I cooked my first ever dish back when I was an early teenager, I’ve always gained more than the meal I was cooking whenever I’ve found myself in the kitchen.
It was Carbonara by the way. The first meal I ever cooked was Carbonara. I scrambled the eggs, but it still tasted great, although I wasn’t so thrilled about the cleaning up I had to do after we’d eaten.
Cooking is such a rich and wonderful hobby that offers us limitless possibilities to explore whenever we’re in the kitchen. We can travel the world in the dishes that we eat and prepare and there is a lifetime of learning that goes into every dish we eat, cook, or share with others. This is another key feature of cooking and food in general. It is a social experience that offers us so much more when we share it with others. Sure, it’s more cost-effective to buy your ingredients in bulk and cook larger dishes over small but love is always a key ingredient in the best dishes.
Helpful Chef has been born out of this kind of love and out of a desire to share that love with passionate amateur and professional chefs all over the world.
As an amateur chef, I’ve always been extremely lucky to have expert chefs of distinction to hand, always willing to help me out whenever I’ve been unsure about something in the kitchen. Whether it be about which spice will go well in this dish, what knife should I use for that task, or how long can I store this ingredient, I’ve always had a Helpful Chef nearby to help me out and steer me in the right direction.
The helpful Chef Team
Chef Tino
Chef Constantino Odysseus Ellinas is a Greek Cypriot Chef with almost three decades worth of experience working in fine dining restaurants all over the world. Currently, cheffing at the prestigious Cargo Seafood Restaurant in Liverpool, England, Chef Tino has never been one to shy away from adventure. His repertoire takes in local specialties from all over the world, which he has picked up throughout his many years traveling and cooking wherever he’s had the professional opportunity. Highlights for Chef Ellinas, or Chef Tino to friends, include cooking in the famous culinary city of Barcelona for many years after a stint as head chef at a prestigious restaurant in Brisbane, Australia. Chef Tino has always been a great friend of mine both inside and outside of the kitchen and I’m thrilled that he’s on board with Helpful Chef and happy to share his professional experience with our cooking community.
Eileen Devaney
Eileen studied for her degree as a mature student in the early 90s. To this day she still claims those days studying Food Science and Technology, and Consumer Psychology to be some of the most exciting and enlightening days she can remember. She still proudly applies all the skills she learned back then as well as all those she’s learned and developed since. Eileen’s mantra in the kitchen is:
“When you are or a cook or a chef you are a chemist, a scientist, and even a magician, but don’t forget that you’re an artist too.”
You might have noticed that Eileen and I share the same surname. In fact, she is my mum and I still remember those days when she was studying. Even more, however, I remember all the amazing things she’s taught me since, the sumptuous meals she’s cooked, and the times we’ve shared in the kitchen preparing food together.
As well as nutritional elements, Eileen can offer help on the reactions going on inside dishes, which create the magic that ends up on the plate. This goes beyond recipes and instead examines the chemical makeup of ingredients and the effects that different cooking processes can have. These elements are becoming increasingly important in modern cooking and Eileen is here to help you whenever you need her.
Ginger & Garlic
We’re very happy to introduce the latest additions to the Helpful Chef team, Ginger and Garlic. We love them dearly, but we also promise not to be another cat website.
A note on our content
As Editor-in-Chief it is my job to ensure that all Helpful Chef content is planned, researched, written, and edited to the highest possible standards. This means that although Chef Tino and Eileen Devaney will contribute content, as they’re not writers, the responsibility falls to me to ensure that they can relay their real-life experience as clearly as possible. Further to their contributions, we will sometimes use professional writers to help us produce our content.
Who is Helpful Chef for?
Cooking for fun is a fantastic hobby that stirs passion in many of us. It is also something that we have to do every day, often many times a day, which means cooking is also somewhat of a chore. Helpful Chef is here for all cooks and chefs. We’re here for the passionate chefs constantly looking to better themselves in the kitchen and we’re also here for anybody looking to knock up tasty, healthy meals any day of the week. This means you’ll feel at home on this website if:
You love cooking and want to learn how to improve your culinary skills.
You want to cook healthy, nutritious, and tasty meals.
You would like to learn about how to cook food while keeping costs down.
You want to learn how to cook simple yet tasty dishes that will be easy to prepare on a weeknight after a tough day at work.
You enjoy entertaining many guests and showing off your culinary skills and sharing food with friends and family.
If any of the above sounds like you, then Helpful Chef has something to offer. Get started on your next meal by clicking here.
Patrick Devaney
Editor-in-Chief, Helpful Chef
