I asked (star) chefs what they don’t like to eat
Ever since I could talk, I’ve been asking questions. Good questions, stupid questions (because yes, they definitely do exist), strange questions and useful questions. I do that in this series too. Ask questions. To (star) chefs. A different one every week. Not a different chef, but a different question. This week: what don’t you like to eat? And do you work with it anyway?
Jacob Jan Boerma (formerly De Leest***): “Brussels sprouts. I don’t know why, but I’ve disliked them since I was a child. That’s probably why I don’t work with them either.”
Pascal Jalhay: “I like everything! I taste everything and keep tasting some things until I’m gagging. Only then have I convinced myself that I really don’t like it that much after all. Because of this conviction, I’ve often kept tasting burnt dishes for too long as well. In a restaurant, I wouldn’t order insects; eating out is romance, and insects aren’t sexy.”
Soenil Bahadoer (De Lindehof **): “Liver. I do like poultry liver, but not pork liver; it’s simply not my thing, so I hardly ever cook with it either. That slightly bitter, tear-inducing taste and that strange, soft mouthfeel. No.”
Joris Bijdendijk (RIJKS*, Wils*): “Andouillette, simply because I don’t like the way it smells. It’s the only thing I don’t like to eat.”
Edwin Vinke (De Kromme Watergang**): “Red cabbage, ever since I was a child. It doesn’t go with fish, so I don’t cook with it either. I also see sugar as poison; in our restaurant, we replace it with honey from our own bees.”
Schilo van Coevorden (Conservatorium Hotel): “Tomatoes and Dutch cheese. A bite of a raw tomato? No, I can’t do that. Brr, just thinking about it. Really disgusting. But I do eat them prepared differently, incorporated into dishes. I don’t like bell peppers either. I’m still burping them up two days later. Very occasionally I use them for gazpacho, because then they’re puréed.”
Jonnie Boer (De Librije***): “I eat everything except horse meat. It just doesn’t feel right or something. So we don’t work with it at De Librije either.”
Freek van Noortwijk (including Breda, Guts, Maris Piper): “Cheap young goat cheese, the supermarket kind. So I don’t cook with that either. I do like aged goat cheese, but that young, bland, white stuff… no, I’m not a fan.”
Sergio Herman: “Brussels sprouts. I don’t like them. The smell alone makes me nauseous, which is why I don’t work with them either. Horrible.”
Arjan Speelman (Ciel Bleu**): “Sea urchin! I’m not a fan of the texture or the taste. This is mainly because sea urchin is often not prepared fresh. I never cook with products I don’t stand behind.”
