This week, in honor of Labor Day, we kick off an occasional series of photo essays called "Tools of the Trade" that presents a behind-the-scenes look at the different tools, equipment and materials that local craftsman use in their profession. In this first essay, we take a look at chef Alain Bouzoubaa, founder and head chef of the award-winning Seven Gables Restaurant in Conyers. What are the tools of his trade?
The Knife: Chef Alain sharpens his large chef's knife in preparation to cut a piece of beef. Chef Alain butchers his own steaks from a side of beef. There are many popular brands of cutlery out there and when asked what he uses, Chef Alain simply replied, "Henckels." J.A. Henckels, from Germany, is one of the oldest manufacturers of kitchen knives.
The Mixer: Placed right on top of the large wooden work surface, the aged-white KitchenAid mixer is used to prepare a wide variety of foods, including the crispy and thin, multi-layered puff pastry dough.
The Stove: A working-man’s stove. Similar to your favorite pair of broken-in sneakers, the stove here displays its years of loyal service. The tried-and-true gas stove at Seven Gables, similar to the other equipment in the kitchen, calls to mind the old phrase: "if it ain’t broke, don't fix it."
Pasta Dough: Chef Alain loads a batch of pasta dough into the Acme Rol-Sheeter, a large, old dough roller. This large, beloved machine is used to make everything from pasta noodles, bread and pastry dough.
Pasta Maker: The kitchen at his Seven Gable Restaurant is not filled with the latest and fanciest of kitchen technology. The Acme Rol-Sheeter pictured here has served Chef Alain well for many years. "I tried to replace it with something newer," said Bouzoubaa. "But I didn’t like it."
