- Braising
- Roasting
- Sautéing
- Brining
- Pan searing
- Basics of egg preparation:
- Fried
- Poached
- Omelet
- Homemade mayonnaise
Tom and his family moved to Washington State drawn by the warm community, beautiful landscape and amazing selection of local food products. Tom Small is currently Executive Chef of Armondo's in Renton, Washington. Chef Small grew up in Southern California, where he received his inspiration for cooking from his mom. Originally, he pursued a piano performance degree and though he continues to play the piano and sing regularly, he was drawn into the restaurant business thru his love of food and a passion for entertaining.
Tom has a diverse culinary background including education, development and journalism in addition to his management in the kitchen. He teaches a number of cooking classes and writes frequent culinary articles. He has a passion for local and seasonal products as well as a firm foundation in technique and classical cuisine. He enjoys food that is based on essential principles of Italian cooking: Simple treatment of food, seasonal and local ingredients and presentation that is clean and natural to the eye.
Tom takes great pleasure in showing you not only how to prepare Seasonal Italian Cuisine, but also demonstrates proper knife handling techniques, how to select the best ingredients, and all the little tricks, tips and techniques he's learned working in restaurants.
