How chefs deal with ingredients they won’t eat
January 16, 2019 by DarcieWe all have a few foods that we just do not care to eat, and chefs are no exception. Unlike the rest of us, however, they often have no choice but to use ingredients they find distasteful. Some chefs find alternatives to the despised items, while others search for ways to make the off-putting flavors more palatable. Elisa Ludwig of the Philadelphia Inquirer asked several chefs how they cope with ingredients they do not like, and the answers are enlightening.
I was surprised by some of the foods that the interviewed chefs disliked. Mark Tropea of Philly restaurant Stir hates raw tomatoes. “I’ll be honest. Even the ripest, most unusual heirloom doesn’t do it for me,” he says. He finds ways to work them, however, along with anchovies, another ingredient he finds distasteful. He uses anchovies in salad dressings, tapenade, or bagna cauda, where its flavor can be subdued with a heavy dose of garlic.
Co-op chef Paul Silva similar find anchovies off-putting and he’s no fan of blue cheese, either. He’s learned to tame the cheese’s strong flavor by adding items like creme fraiche and fresh herbs to the dip his restaurant serves along side wings. “Sweetness helps, too. We put honey and corn syrup in the [chicken] wings, so that kind of cuts down on the pungency,” he says.
Eric Hall of La Scala has two foods that are a no-go personally, goat cheese and olives. However, he doesn’t let that stop him from using the ingredients in his restaurant. “I realize most people like goat cheese, so I don’t discriminate against it on our menus due to my own tastes,” he says. “And since I know its flavor profile, I understand what will balance it.”
Categories
- All Posts (6619)
- Antipasto (1988)
- Author Articles (241)
- Book News (918)
- Cookbook Giveaways (944)
- Cookbook Lovers (247)
- Cooking Tips (97)
- Culinary News (298)
- Food Biz People (538)
- Food Online (758)
- Holidays & Celebrations (257)
- New Cookbooks (140)
- Recipes (1442)
- Shelf Life With Susie (231)
- What's New on EYB (129)
Archives
Latest Comments
- Blue___Nile on Every Last Bite Cookbook Giveaway
- Blue___Nile on Sugarcane – Cookbook Giveaway
- Blue___Nile on Second Helpings – Cookbook Giveaway
- GreenhouseCheryl on My Life in Recipes – Joan Nathan Cookbook Giveaway
- GreenhouseCheryl on Flavorama Cookbook Giveaway
- GreenhouseCheryl on Hot Sheet – Cookbook Giveaway
- GreenhouseCheryl on Every Last Bite Cookbook Giveaway
- GreenhouseCheryl on Anything’s Pastable and Pasta Giveaway
- GreenhouseCheryl on Second Helpings – Cookbook Giveaway
- threefourpfeif on Food Gifts Cookbook and Gift Box Giveaway