stlbites.com - st. louis food blog of bill burge

Chefs Are People Too

Oct 25, 2007 general food

I’ll definitely admit it was a jaw dropping shock when I awoke this morning to see that Michael Chiarello commented on my budino post, and while Mike thinks it’s hilarious, his comment is a great segue into a point I’ve been meaning to make.

Chefs, even those with multiple daytime Emmy’s like Michael Chiarello, love food just like you and I. They just happen to cook it better because they have a job that offers more time for preparation, the ability to practice often, and more importantly dishwashers!

When I worked at the Racquet Club we were trying to make these dried banana rings from the Charlie Trotter’s Desserts cookbook. If you’ve ever tried to cook from one of those high end cookbooks, a lot of times, the recipes are not as exacting as you might like them to be. I guess the assumption is that few will do more than browse through the lovely pictures. We, however, were determined to make those banana rings for a Christmas dinner dessert, and try as we might, they would not crisp up.

So I decided, if we couldn’t figure it out, I’d contact the source of the recipe: Charlie Trotter’s pastry chef and co-author Michelle Gayer.

While I’d love to say this story ended in my getting some advice from her as it would be so much cooler, I instead have to tell you that she wasn’t in. But that’s the point. When I called, they transferred me to the kitchen fully intending to let me speak with her. They explained they were renovating at the time, and that I could leave a message.

So don’t be afraid to contact a restaurant for a recipe, a tip, or a suggestion on sourcing a hard to find ingredient. At best you’ll have your answer and a great story. At worst you’ll have exactly what you had before — chewy banana rings.