The Chefs

We are a "foodie" family. We eat together often, we collect new recipes and cook them for each other, and we like to go out to eat at restaurants that we haven't tried. Wayne and I subscribed to the Food Network Magazine a few months ago and we have been having fun reading through the recipes and looking at the beautiful food photos. I am not a prolific cook even though I think I am a good one. It's just not something I like to do, so I try to find recipes that Wayne can work up for my benefit and I will gladly be his guinea pig for any new ones. He is a wonderful cook and in 40 years, I can count on my fingers the dishes that really just didn't work out.

In the September issue there was an article about the secrets of chefs. I thought there were some interesting and sometimes disturbing facts about the chefs that were surveyed.

Here are some of them.

1. Many chefs said they are rather picky eaters and they hate eggplant, liver, oysters and tofu.

2. However, chefs hate picky eaters, and when you ask for substitutions, they get annoyed. They don't believe people who say they are allergic to an item. Now this bothers me because I am allergic to celery and always have to ask if there is any celery in the items I order. I have been to the hospital a couple of times because I accidentally consumed some.

3. When chefs eat out at another restaurant, they avoid eating the pasta and chicken because they know how overpriced these things are. They like to order things they don't or can't make.

4. They like fast food and the majority cite Wendy's as their favorite fast food restaurant.

5. Only half the chefs interviewed graduated from cooking school. The other half worked their way up the cooking ladder.

6. 71 % of chefs give special treatment to food critics and 63% give special treatment to celebrities.

7. Three fourths of chefs say they have seen roaches in the kitchen, but most of them rate their kitchens as clean.

8. Some chefs admit that if you don't eat all your bread in the bread basket, you might find it in the next customer's basket.

9. Menu "specials" are often experimental dishes.

10. Only one chef said money bribes will get you a table when the restaurant is booked.

11. 90% of chefs said it is fair to penalize a waiter for bad service. (That is contrary to what all experts say, since they share tips with the bus boys.)

12. They say 20% is what they tip.

13. The saying that you shouldn't order fish on Sunday is probably wise since restaurants don't get fresh deliveries on that day.

14. They hate working on New Year's Eve more than any other holiday with Valentine's Day as number 2, but they like it when couples get engaged in their restaurants.

15. Nearly 60% said they would like their own cooking show on TV.

16. Only 13% have seen another chef do something unsavory to a meal.

17. Wine is marked up 2 1/2 times it's value.

18. Chefs cook even when they are sick or have cut themselves.

19. 25% of chefs say if they dropped food on the floor, they would pick it up and cook it anyway.

20. Most chefs will urge servers to influence your choice to specific dishes on the menu.

21. Most chefs have gotten inspiration from other restaurants...that is why most restaurants carry molten lava chocolate cakes. It's what the customer wants.

22. If you want to be a chef, be prepared to work hard. Most work from 60 to 80 hours a week, work holidays, and earn less than $75,000 a year as compared to waiters who make an average of $662.00 a week in tips and often don't pay taxes on it.

23. Beware if you are a vegetarian or a vegan because some dishes labeled as such may actually have animal blood poured into some sauces.

What are your favorite restaurants and why?