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What do chefs eat at home?

post #1 of 28
8/18/09 at 1:00pm
Thread Starter 
I ask because in my mind, becoming a chef is about mastering..perfecting..the art of making food taste exceptionally good. That's at work. But what do you guys make at home? for the regular chump like me, I'm always trying to make something gourmet, and of ourse,I'll never (or rarely) get the same result as a pro. But surely you guys like to leave work at work sometimes, and just keep it super simple with a couple microwaved hotdogs or bowl of campbells chunky soup, no?
I excel at sauteeing onions.
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post #2 of 28
8/18/09 at 1:01pm
Honestly? I eat fast food when I am at home. The last thing I want to do is cook...and have to clean ANOTHER kitchen.
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post #3 of 28
8/18/09 at 1:49pm
The chef I studied with--an amazing master pastry chef--used to eat Goldfish crackers with a couple of cigarettes for supper.

On special occasions he'd eat canned sardines in hot chili sauce or frozen pizza.

Crazy!
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post #4 of 28
8/18/09 at 2:04pm
Thread Starter 
now THAT'S the kind of stuff I was lookin for! :D
I excel at sauteeing onions.
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post #5 of 28
8/18/09 at 2:25pm
You're right about not wanting to cook after a 10-12 hour shift, most of the times. When I was single I used to eat a lot of late night frozen pizzas or burritos from the all night taquerias in Chicago. Of course many nights were nights out drinking also, and food to go along often. If we were out clubbing then any late night joint would do. Better yet, hang out at a friend's late night restaurant you more often than not you'd be well fed! Once married, my wife used to make big batches of homemade burritos that she'd freeze so that I could have something a little better when I got home.
From Man's sweat and God's love, beer came into the World-Saint Arnoldus
http://www.onceachef.com/
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post #6 of 28
8/18/09 at 3:16pm
honey bunches of oats man those things are good
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post #7 of 28
8/18/09 at 3:47pm

Doing What I Do

I try and expand my repetoire, reading food/cook books, watching shows. Since Sunday, I've smoked a pork roast, put together a new dry rub for it, same for a rack of baby backs, made red beans and rice, baked brownies with chocolate frosting for the kids, made croutons for salad with french loaf that was drying out, made chicken salad with leftover baked chicken from friday, made baked potato fans, tested the cloud pancakes from an American Test Kitchen cookbook, blanched sport peppers bought at farmers' market (fm)and made a sweet brine with vinegar, red pepper and brown sugar, used up the last of the cukes from fm in a sweet, sour vinaigrette, making another batch of brownies tonight because I only got a small piece.:beer:

Oh and made lemonade the Real way with simple syrup and fresh lemons.

But then again I'm a stay-at-home mom now and I miss the excitement. Even when I worked at the hotel and caterer before teaching I would cook. I might eat something like ramen noodles but I would cook for my husband, etc when the kids came along the same. I'd go in spurts of cooking everything from soup to nuts and then we'd do a week of takeout or frozen. I never really ate at work. Couldn't, it would make me sick. Just sampled. And sometimes with the students I did not want to do that. LOL
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post #8 of 28
8/18/09 at 3:50pm
Thread Starter 
i lived on hotdogs, ribs (courtesy of mom) and breakfast cereal when I was in grad school. Ya can't argue with the stuff!!
I excel at sauteeing onions.
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post #9 of 28
8/18/09 at 4:08pm
I have so much stuff in my cupboards, waiting for a chance to be used. So I'll defrost some prawns and use the old bay seasoning i bought the last time i was in America.

I make a lot of theraputic soup...If in doubt, make soup... And fabulous sandwiches to go with.

cook lots of noodles, and add meat and veg
"If we're not supposed to eat animals, why are they made of meat?" Jo Brand
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post #10 of 28
8/18/09 at 4:12pm
I would eat at the Restaurant and come home late. My wife would ask did you have dinner Honey. I would answer yes dear. She would ask what did you have sweetie, I would answer Prime Rib some shrimp scampi, some Lobster bisque and salad. She would say thats nice Honey, you could sleep on the couch, I only had peanutbutter toast. Night love you honey.......................Anyway ....................I would always crave home cooking when working fine dinning restaurants.....Meatloaf, Lasagna, Beef stew, swiss steak, Hot beef sandwiches and so on................Bill
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post #11 of 28
8/18/09 at 5:05pm
I was just about to ask about that, what you people eat when you are at work.

The Facebook conversation has had a bit of spice thrown in it . . . by the way, I'm Andy Gillespie :crazy:
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post #12 of 28
8/18/09 at 5:10pm
I usually eat a freshly baked roll with butter as soon as the rolls come out of the oven.

Then at some point in the day my wonderful husband comes along and drops me off a salad from Wendys or a veggie sub from Subway.

I sample my own food but rarely eat it because...hey--my food is money--and you don't eat money!

Every now and again I'll make a pot of soup for my sous and I. That's always a special treat for both of us...and we lap it up like we've been on Survivor for 38 days and it's our first REAL MEAL!
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post #13 of 28
8/18/09 at 5:37pm
I wish ChefBillyB would post that in facebook lol :lol:
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post #14 of 28
8/18/09 at 6:08pm
i cook all day so i rarely cook at home. i like day old pizza hut pizza. i like nuking it in the microwave for a few seconds, just to heat the toppings, then i put it in a pan with good extra virgin olive oil and cook it til the crust gets super crusty olive oily yummmmm. when at work i rarely eat a complete meal. it's my job to sample everything so i just kinda fill up that way
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post #15 of 28
8/18/09 at 7:17pm
So I thought this topic was pretty interesting and I posted it to our Facebook page only to end up with a slightly off topic fire storm. Check it out here:

ChefTalk.com | Facebook
Thanks,

Nicko 
ChefTalk.com Founder
All About Braising: The Art of Uncomplicated Cooking
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post #16 of 28
8/18/09 at 7:30pm
I deleted a couple posts since I contributed to the off-topic thing.

I didn't like that some person took a slap shot which was uncalled for. As a suggestion, maybe talk about the best way to make this or that rather than getting too personal? As much as I value the personal connection here, maybe keep it more technical in Facebook? Kind of disappointing to me that I make that suggestion since I value the personal advice I get here in ChefTalk.
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post #17 of 28
8/18/09 at 7:36pm
On Facebook? You didn't have to do that I thought it was a good run. Some good opinions. Hmm now I am wondering who you are on FB. :)
Thanks,

Nicko 
ChefTalk.com Founder
All About Braising: The Art of Uncomplicated Cooking
All About Braising: The Art of Uncomplicated Cooking
Bacon (I made)
(26 photos)
Places I Have Cooked
(8 items)
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post #18 of 28
8/18/09 at 7:43pm
I'm Andy Gillespie
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post #19 of 28
8/18/09 at 7:49pm
Thread Starter 
Andy why are you getting bent out of shape? Not something I did by starting the topic I hope.... :confused:
I excel at sauteeing onions.
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post #20 of 28
8/18/09 at 8:01pm
No, I just realized I was rambling on a heck of a lot there in facebook lol
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post #21 of 28
8/18/09 at 8:04pm
Thread Starter 
ok, got it. :chef:
I excel at sauteeing onions.
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post #22 of 28
8/18/09 at 8:09pm
See Von, it's all your doing. Now you're a star:D
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post #23 of 28
8/19/09 at 7:59am
I'm currently reading Marco Pierre White's autobiography and very good it is too. He said his breakfast has always consisted of the same three courses.

"A cough, a coffee and a cigarette"!:D
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post #24 of 28
8/19/09 at 8:08am
Thread Starter 
Buddy, I'm a genuine loser. :o
I excel at sauteeing onions.
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post #25 of 28
8/27/09 at 8:44pm
Home/ HOME? for a "chef" eating at home???

You ARE kidding, right?

Tonight it is Capallini Carbonara during a "slow time"...
Chef,
Specialties: MasterCook/RecipeFox; Culinary logistics; Personal Chef; Small restaurant owner; Caterer
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post #26 of 28
8/27/09 at 9:03pm
I go in phases. If I have a long/tough week at work I won't likely be cooking much at home, maybe a sandwich or [gasp!] a frozen pizza. When I have more time I like to cook at home. More often than not I'll cook a nice meal once or twice a week for a lady friend...not worth the effort just for myself.
"Excellence is an art won by training and habituation. We do not act rightly because we have virtue or excellence, but we rather have those because we have acted rightly. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit." - Aristotle
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post #27 of 28
8/27/09 at 9:16pm
Sounds to me as if the question could be: "DO chefs cook at home?"

What with tasting, smelling, seeing food in all its stages through the day and night....it'd be the last thing you want to do.

Like in my job - I'm on the phone all day...I hate getting the phone when it rings at home. There are certain words said to the phone when its ringing that would make you blush (well maybe not), but heck yeah, I don't want to repeat what I've been doing all day.
 Don't handicap your children by making their lives easy.
Robert A. Heinlein
 
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post #28 of 28
8/28/09 at 10:23am
I cook a fresh meal at home mostly every night. I made homemade pizza last night and tonight it's going to be chili. On the days that I work to closing I use my crockpot so I don't have to scramble to do dinner once I get home.
I bring my own food to work with me. I'll snack on watermelon and fruit slices but I usually bring my own lunch. I'm allergic to eggs and since our menu is breakfast, most of the dishes we serve I can't eat.
OK ... where am I going?.. and WHY am I in this handbasket??
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