What Do Chefs Eat at Home
What do I eat at home on a typical day ?
This is one of my most frequently asked questions (after my phone number!) There are many who believe that being a chef means a diet of prawns, steak and ‘fancy puddings’, well no. I no more want to cook a three-course meal for myself than a painter and decorator wants to paper his living room.
Chefs are bloody awful at cooking for themselves, five or six days of the week our meals are eaten at work and any other is usually a ‘stomach liner’ before the pub beckons. We are the world’s fastest eaters, for me it began aged five or six at school meals with the devil himself, a certain Mr.Walker. The most annoying, masochistic, dwarf sized P.E. teacher shouting at us to stop talking and timing us with his stopwatch. I used to crawl out of the dining room bent double and cross-eyed with indigestion wishing I was twenty-five and six foot three.
My first job was washing up in a hospital kitchen, I was skinny as a butcher’s pencil and the cooks used to pile my plate choc full of anything and everything and back then I had an hour to digest it. Thinking back that was the only positive I took from working in Industrial catering. Fast forward to a hotel kitchen and twenty odd years later I still haven’t had a decent meal! If there is one dead cert in this game it is that whenever you attempt to eat anything you will hear the dulcet tones of a spotty waiter saying ‘check on’.
Here’s my usual meal plan:
- 7.00 am Muesli, Banana, Mixed Nuts, Green Tea
11.00 am Protein Drink
12.00 pm Turkey Salad Sandwich on Wholemeal, Pint of Water
2.00 pm Protein Drink
6.00 pm Chicken, Broccoli, Cous Cous, More Water
Boring I know, but ten years ago the protein drink, green tea and water was eight pints of the local Cumberland ale and a meat pie!
Tonight I broke away from my usual diet feeling the need for a hit of Sechuan pepper and chilli. See below
“What Do Chefs Eat at Home”.
I can rememember asking you this question about ten years ago !.
August 16, 2007 @ 1:00 pm
SC,
Yes and I can remember asking you what discount you’d give me on an Isaac Azimov and I’m still waiting-bloody book dealers!!!
miles
August 16, 2007 @ 10:47 pm
I would recommend everyone turn to the gourmet pages and study Miles’ description of spice mixes and his article about his pastry chef. The photography is stylish too.
I have found spinning sugar at home a crowd pleaser but as yet haven’t tried fruit dipped in this way, which looks stunning Miles.
Sublime stuff.
Cid
August 18, 2007 @ 11:38 pm
Cid,
Thankyou for your kind comments, once you have mastered making caramel it allows you to make some very simple but attractive garnishes for desserts. Practice lattice squares and circles or long shards then place them on a tray lined with greaseproof and store them in the freezer and take out as required. Caramel can be flavoured with spice such as black pepper or the moroccan ras en hanout to great effect. Pour the caramel onto greaseproof paper then dust with your chosen spice and leave to set. Then snap random pieces off for an interesting garnish for ice creams and puddings.
Miles
August 19, 2007 @ 1:37 pm