The Downside to Knowing or Being a Great Chef

Too Much of a Good Thing?

Once you have an appetite for excellence, very little else satisfies. Even if it’s something as simple as tater tots, you expect them to be crispy and browned to perfection. Sauces must be silky, meats sensationally seared, poultry and fish, super moist with excellent mouth feel, salads lightly dressed, fresh and crunchy. If it’s deep-fried, never battered too heavily or greasy. Pasta al dente. Always fresh herbs and spices...Does this make me a picky eater?

I ate out three times this week and on one occasion the med-rare was seriously burned to black char on the edges and it was a very tough rib-eye. Not wanting to send it back and wait for a new meal, I endured it.

If you live with a chef, or are a chef yourself, it’s even harder to appreciate a meal out. You know a great meal because you have made so many yourself and you have high expectations going in. Great Chef's always grace your plate with amazing. Once, I even cried tasting the nuance of every ingredient in some Osso Buco—my whole body relaxed into the sensation of delicious. It melted in my mouth and was an epiphany of flavor like I had never tasted. It was an awe inspiring event.

Almost every restaurant has a Chef’s Special, but it’s not often that you hear about Special Chef’s that cook to perfection both at work and at home. After long days and nights at a restaurant, they still come home and cook beautiful meals. They shop for the best in-season ingredients, and make eating a soulful blessing.

I admit, sometimes you can have too much of a good thing…making a meal out a disappointment.  Even the best restaurants can have off days—not the norm, but it does happen. When I cook at home, I have about a 95% success rate at making it great, and when I do fail—I know why…I stepped away for a minute too long, lost my focus, or experimented with an ingredient that was not to my liking.

My exposure to wonderful food and Chef's has shaped my worldview, and there's no going back...I do try to be forgiving when a meal goes wrong, but please, if you don’t know how to grill a steak…get out of the kitchen.

To all of you Chef’s out there who make special one of your ingredients…thank you.

TIP: Kiss the Chef at home and if possible, talk to your restaurant Chef and tell them how much you appreciate all they do.