Will new dietary guidelines shake up chefs?
Decrease your sodium intake. Cut back on processed foods. Ramp up the servings of fruits and vegetables going into your body. That's all good advice contained in the new dietary guidelines released by the USDA this week.
Along with those recommendations and others to keep portion sizes in check is a suggestion to ask that salt not be added to food at restaurants.
A chef, not use salt?! That's like asking a fish not to swim.
If you've ever watched a TV cooking show you've seen a chef pinch coarse crystals between their fingers and sprinkle them into a pot of stew, over a glistening fillet or onto sauteed green beans, and then pinch some more.
“For most chefs, their three seasonings are: salt, pepper and garlic,” said Gary Chang, sous chef at Glen Prairie in Glen Ellyn.
Chefs at independent and high-end restaurant back healthy eating initiatives, but take exception to being lumped with commercial food manufacturers who have been asked to voluntarily reduce the amount of sodium in processed foods from soups and sauces to meats and muffins before the government makes them.
I talked with a handful of suburban chefs about dining out in the wake of the new USDA guidelines. Here's what they said.
James Papadopolous, Sam & Harry's Steakhouse, Schaumburg: “When you go out to eat, you're going out to enjoy yourself; to get something you can't get at home. ... You see the craft, that artistry that goes into the food.
“At Sam & Harry's we have an 8-ounce steak, but we also have a 24-ounce Porterhouse. A steakhouse mantra is ‘bigger is better.' People have the option; it's their choice. We pair that with squash, beans, pears that are still in season; maybe a beet salad with shaved apples. Everything in moderation.
“Diners should be conscious about what they're eating.”
Francois Sanchez, Q Center, St. Charles: “Growing up in the south of France, that's the way I've been eating since I was a little kid. I've been in the States 32 years and I've seen some big changes (in eating habits) since when I came. We're moving in the right direction, but it's still going to take some time.
“I hope people will embrace this type of eating and that restaurants put more vegetables on the plate. In some restaurants, the vegetable is more like a garnish, not a complement to the meat.
“When people are at restaurants, they think getting a huge portion is a better deal. I don't think restaurants are going to offer smaller portions. If there's not a huge portion for dinner, diners will think the value is not there.”
Michael Maddox, Le Titi de Paris, Arlington Heights: “I use salt as a flavor enhancer, and lemon juice; you have to season to bring out good flavor. I tend to under-salt; people can add it at the table, but I see some customers salt and pepper their food before they even taste it.
“People should read labels and eat less processed food. My grandparents didn't eat any processed foods and they lived into their 90s. We buy a minimal amount of pre-made products for the restaurant.
“You don't need a 4-pound plate of pasta to enjoy a meal. Owners and operators would see more savings giving customers an 8-ounce steak rather than a 12-ounce steak. It would be cost effective and healthier.”
Gary Chang, Glen Prairie, Glen Ellyn: “We serve risotto and you have to salt it while you're cooking or else it tastes like mush. At Glen Prairie if you request no salt, we won't use it, but most chefs aren't going to change.
“I've been cooking for 26 years and I'm a big fan of eating out. When I go out to get a steak or some chicken, I want the biggest bang for my buck.
“An educated consumer is a healthy consumer. I was overweight at one time. I know that if I paid $10 for Country Buffet, I was going to stuff my face to make sure I get my $10 worth.”