As a professional chef, I'm often expected to produce opulent dishes for clientele with discerning tastes. A lot of my time is spent searching for the best ingredients, creating new dishes and striving to improve the already superb. I practice fine art, chemistry and tangible marketing, and deal in creatures of the sea, pasture-fed land beasts and fine avians. Like many others in my profession, my skills have becomes instincts — the paying public expects it from a professional. But what do chefs like to eat when they are just feeding themselves? Could their off-duty choices change their reputations? Would they even want the public to know?
As a personal chef I have the opportunity to interact directly with my customers. I spend most of my time in their homes working in their kitchens. We have great conversations covering various subjects, but one of the most common questions people ask is, "What does the chef like to eat?" I pause when this question is posed, for a moment trying to guess what that person thinks the answer will be. Do they picture me drizzling truffle oil over a wild mushroom and Iberico ham omelet for breakfast, or making frisée lettuce salad with a tarragon and white wine vinaigrette to complement my lunch soufflé? Maybe. But I'm always honest.
It has been said that inside every chef beats the heart of every other chef, and I know that at the end of the day we all enjoy the simpler things. I enjoy it all, from a juicy, steaming street vendor hot dog to a perfectly braised veal shank with zesty gremolata.
My personal belief is that a food item must have some value if it's edible, and I can appreciate any food for what it is. I love tasting the honest simplicity and ocean aroma of a piece of sushi. I appreciate just the right amount of brandy and fresh cream in a crab bisque. I live for beef fat and protein when it's charred by open flames and accented with salt. I salivate over the thought of a fresh-caught rock lobster cooked over a rudimentary fire. I savour every last drop of demi-glace blanketing a perfectly crispy beef Wellington. I love bacon and eggs, oysters, chicken wings dipped in ranch dressing, ramen noodles, fresh gnocchi with garlic and Parmesan, (real) Chinese food, and even MacDonald's cheeseburgers. Sometimes I'm fancy, but most of the time I enjoy sharing a simple-but-decadent meal with my girls, within earshot of a television (in bare feet).
The recipe below is honest, shameless, humble and insanely delicious. It may seem a bit off-putting at first, but give it a try and you'll be hooked. (Hey, your kids might not even turn up their noses at it either.) You may just have to follow it up with truffle oil and quail eggs next weekend to balance out the universe.
Breakfast Spaghetti Recipe
Makes one large, satisfying portion
Ingredients:
4 slices uncured applewood smoked bacon
2 cups cooked spaghetti
1 tablespoon butter
1 pinch of salt
2 eggs
Grated Parmesan cheese, to taste
Instructions:
1. Cut the bacon into large segments and fry in a non-stick skillet until desired doneness is reached. (I prefer my bacon soft-cooked.)
2. Add the cooked spaghetti, the butter, and toss around with the bacon until it's nice and hot. Add a pinch of salt.
3. Add two eggs and stir them quickly into the pasta. Cook for about 45 seconds stirring them quickly. I don't let the eggs get fully cooked, as they will continue to cook while you're eating them. (I like this dish soggy.)
4. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese, and may your breakfasts never be the same again!
This article appears in Aug 18-24, 2011.