What drives me crazy being a professional chef and also being a home-cook (for fitness goals)
I don't know where this post will lead to but my main goal is to share what I notice seeing both sides of cooking as a professional chef and as a home-cook (mainly for fitness goals) - hoping to gain some insight as well from fellow chefs and home-cooks (who prioritize fitness) alike. Lets go!
In professional kitchens: Looks, perfection (or at least striving for it), and obviously great flavor is the goal when cooking at establishments where people pay for a culinary experience.
Instagram worthy looking dishes, creative plating, all the high-standards when it comes to cooking a meal that people are willing to pay for.
Now for home-cooking - particularly for fitness I find that perfection and cooking everyday to a point of restaurant standards is unsustainable especially for someone like me who is a busy professional:
Single, a part-time CDP (3 days a week), a freelance videographer, balancing social/family life and having a consistent workout routine, and prioritize eating healthy and getting 8 hours of sleep.
I find that success in achieving your fitness goals relies on sustainability and consistency in your diet.
In my experience it's hard to remain consistent and sustain a certain way of eating for fitness if you're always trying to make every meal look "pretty" when the point is to get something nourishing in to continue on with your day and be productive.
This is why meal prepping works, because it gives consistency and less decision fatigue.
I have an observation.
There seems to be this issue with new home-cooks that I feel like the culinary industry has been responsible for:
Home cooks (the beginners) feel like their meals are wrong, or they feel they didn't do it right if it doesn't look pretty or it does not look like a dish off a recipe book or it doesn't follow a certain flavor pairing standard when the point of home-cooking is to cook for yourself. It can lead to discouragement, now what happened to "wanting to cook more, so I can eat healthy?"
They often compare what they've seen in restaurants not being aware that restaurants have the equipment to execute on those dishes fast and efficient. A home-cook? No.
AND cooking for fitness most days - it just has to taste good, looks good enough for your standards and most of all nourishing.
But the culinary industry has made cooking such an elitist "art form" that what a famous celebrity chef says on TV is law or this chef from this michelin-star restaurant said is held to the utmost standard lol
Do home-cooks really have to give a fork if the point is to just nourish our bodies with something that is GOOD FOR OUR OWN STANDARDS and fitness goals?
Who cares if I put beef and chicken together in my stew, bro? It's what I want.
Will I suggest that at my work place? Possibly not.
An industry professional might say mixing chicken and beef in a stew is ridiculous - but I'm not cooking my food to impress.
I always try to encourage my friends (especially the ones who trying to improve their weight) to just go for it, prioritize learning the techniques, and not obsess too much on flavor pairings.
I think that's the beauty we lost in cooking - is to be creative in our own kitchen, and just cook for yourself and not worry about the opinions of anyone. But I feel like these "rules of cooking" are scaring them from even starting. I BLAME THE INDUSTRY