What do chefs cook at home? Beans on toast? Not this lot. Denis Cotter, Paul Flynn, Angela Hartnett, Thomas Keller and Rick Stein share their domestic recipes.
ANGELA HARTNETT, HEAD CHEF, THE CONNAUGHT HOTEL, LONDON
Coming from an Italian-Irish background, Angela has always had a love of food. After completing a History degree, she worked in Cambridge for a couple of years, with a brief stint in Barbados. From there she went to work for Gordon Ramsay, starting as a chef de partie at his first restaurant, Aubergine. There followed 10 years working with him in various restaurants, including a stint as executive chef at his restaurant in Dubai. Back in London, she was appointed head chef at the Connaught, where she won her first Michelin star, becoming one of a handful of women in the UK to have this honour.
What are your favourite foods, tastes and flavours? Italian food, then Japanese. What are your favourite utensils? A metal spoon I have had for years, since the days of working for Gordon . My grandmother's coffee machine - an original you have to turn upside down to work. What is your most useful piece of kitchen equipment? An ice-cream machine. I just love the idea of all those frozen flavours. Italians make the best ice cream. What is your favourite season? Summer for all the soft fruits, autumn for the white truffles from Italy, plus you can start to make lovely hot soups. What is your favourite mealtime? Breakfast. How do you decide what to cook? I talk to my head chef, see what's in season and what's available and just go for it. What inspires you? I love to eat. I'm also inspired by places, going abroad, and eating out in different restaurants. What is your favourite drink? Black coffee first thing in the morning, or pink champagne. What are your likes and dislikes? I dislike coriander and coconut. I love everything else. How can you inspire others to enjoy great food and cooking? By showing them, letting them enjoy the flavours, and making them understand it is not so difficult. How did you become a chef? I always wanted to run a restaurant and was lucky to work with chefs who were prepared to let me learn. What are your top 10 ingredients? Olive oil, basil, tomatoes, fresh pasta, flat-leaf parsley, garlic, rosemary, vanilla, white truffles, pumpkin. What are your kitchen secrets? No secrets; just buy the best ingredients you can afford. Do you have any favourite junk food? Kentucky Fried Chicken. How do you feel about cooking for children? I love to cook for children, especially my nephews, Finn and Billy. Can you give one piece of advice for the domestic cook? Keep your knives sharp.
PAUL FLYNN, CHEF AND PROPRIETOR, THE TANNERY, DUNGARVAN, CO WATERFORD
In 1997, Paul Flynn and his wife Máire opened The Tannery Restaurant in his home town of Dungarvan. Since its opening, The Tannery has received critical acclaim and many accolades. It is regarded as one of Ireland's leading restaurants, serving cutting edge modern cooking in a stylish and contemporary setting. Last summer Paul and Máire opened The Tannery Townhouse, a luxury seven-bedroom guesthouse to complement the restaurant. In recent years he has published two cookbooks, An Irish Adventure with Food and Second Helpings. Paul lives outside Dungarvan with his wife Máire and baby Ruth.
What are your favourite foods, tastes and flavours? It's hard for me to choose any one favourite because I pretty much like everything, but the flavours that I constantly refer back to are north African/south of Spain - the whole Moro restaurant vibe. Cumin, saffron, dates, oranges. What is your favourite utensil? The phone. What is the most useful piece of kitchen equipment and design? Good tongs are essential, and I couldn't survive without a hand blender. What is your favourite season? I think winter because I love slow cooking and hearty rustic dishes, but then spring comes along and suddenly I give root vegetables the heave-ho and look forward to cooking lighter, more delicate dishes. What is your favourite meal? For someone like me who loves food so much, that is an impossible question. However, it's all got to do with the time, the place and who you are with. I will never forget eating a Caesar chicken wrap with my wife, overlooking Sydney Opera House and the Harbour Bridge, watching an outdoor movie while drinking copious amounts of Sauvignon Blanc. How do you decide what to cook? I see what ingredients are available to me and plan my dishes around this. What inspires you? Good meals and other restaurants always make me reflect. What are your likes and dislikes? Likes: Colemans English mustard and our local apple juice. Dislikes: salad as a plate filler, overcooked meat and vegans. What is your favourite drink? Red wine, white wine, dessert wine, port, beer - not necessarily in that order. How can you inspire others to enjoy great food and cooking? I think by demonstrating that cooking is a joy and food is one of life's great pleasures. How did you become a chef? I got a job in a local kitchen after my Leaving Cert and was instantly smitten. What are your top 10 ingredients? English mustard, Maldon sea salt, apple juice, lemons, chocolate, rosemary, pulses, cumin, yoghurt, onions. What are your kitchen secrets? Taste is everything. As obvious as it seems, to learn more about taste, you have to enjoy eating. Take your time when cooking. Flavours will come together when you apply care and understanding. What are your top tips? If you are intimidated by cooking, there are lots of simple dishes to try your hand at that don't involve complicated preparation. If you get stressed out, the pleasure is taken from you, and you are unlikely to cook as often as you might. What is your favourite junk food? Battered sausage and coleslaw. How do you feel about cooking for children? I think parents have a huge obligation to educate their children about food. I sometimes despair of the whole chicken nugget and chips culture. Not only is it bad for them, but we are fostering a whole new generation of fussy eaters. I love cooking for children who are willing to try out new things and experiment with food. Can you give one piece of advice for the domestic cook? Leave your meat rest after cooking. It relaxes and tenderises the meat. How does having a baby in the house affect the domestic menu? At the moment Ruth is still relying on her Mummy, so we are still cooking for just the two of us. However, we have learned that avoiding spicy food is a good idea when it comes to her nappies. When she starts eating solids, what will they be? Organic stewed fruits and pureed vegetables - that's what the baby book says anyway. And when you can't face cooking, where do you go to eat? We are lucky to have an abundance of great restaurants around us in west Waterford.
RICK STEIN, CHEF, RESTAURANT OWNER, BROADCASTER, UK
Somewhat misleadingly labelled a "celebrity chef", Rick Stein runs four restaurants, a delicatessen, a patisserie, a seafood cookery school and a hotel in the small fishing port of Padstow, Cornwall. He has developed these over the past 30 years into a destination attraction, which means that the seafood restaurant is booked for many months in advance. He has attributed his success to a simple observation: "Nothing is more exhilarating than fresh fish simply cooked". Rick still lives in Padstow for part of the year, though he now has a house in Sydney, too.
What are your favourite foods, tastes and flavours? Fish and shellfish and Asian flavours. What are your favourite utensils? A good set of knives. What is your most useful piece of kitchen design and equipment? A good worktop with plenty of space, and a mortar and pestle. What is your favourite season? Summer. What is your favourite meal? Breakfast: wok-fried duck eggs with spring onions, chilli, coriander and oyster sauce. Lunch: hake with butterbeans and sauce verte. Tea: Darjeeling tea and cucumber sandwiches. Dinner: grilled Dover sole and minted new potatoes. What is your favourite drink? White Burgundy. How do you decide what to cook? I go to the fish market. What inspires you? The sight of very fresh fish. What are your likes and dislikes? Likes - Australia. Dislikes - questionnaires. How can you inspire others to enjoy great food and cooking? By having a tremendous enthusiasm for and love of cooking myself. How did you become a chef? I wanted a night club and it went wrong, so I ended up cooking by default. What are your top 10 ingredients? Fish, shellfish, chilli, tarragon, fish sauce, coriander, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, olive oil. What are your kitchen secrets? Give yourself plenty of time. What are your top tips? Relax - cooking shouldn't be difficult, and you should enjoy it. Keep it simple. Do you have any favourite junk food? Australian meat pies with Roselle's tomato ketchup. How do you feel about cooking for children? Love it! They're so enthusiastic. Can you give one piece of advice for the domestic cook? Mistrust all recipes written by chefs.
DENIS COTTER, CHEF, PROPRIETOR CAFÉ PARADISO, 16 LANCASTER QUAY, CORK
Denis Cotter started cooking at 25, having left a career in banking. After spells in London and New Zealand, as well as a stint in a vegetarian restaurant in Cork, he opened Café Paradiso with his wife, Bridget, in 1993. Café Paradiso is widely acclaimed for its innovative vegetarian cooking and has won many awards. Denis has also published two books, The Café Paradiso Cookbook in June 1999; and Paradiso Seasons in June 2003, which was voted best vegetarian cookbook in the world at the Gourmand World Cookbook awards, and was shortlisted for the James Beard awards in New York. A third book is planned for release in 2007. While he enjoys writing and teaching, Denis Cotter's focus and energy remains on cooking in the Café Paradiso kitchen, and on developing relationships with vegetable and cheese producers.
What are your favourite foods, tastes and flavours? Italian, Moroccan, Thai. Sweet and hot combinations such as fennel and chilli. What is your favourite utensil? A wooden tongs from New Zealand made from kauri. What is the most useful piece of kitchen equipment and design? A sharp knife and heavy wooden chopping board. What is your favourite season? Late summer - it's the best time to be a vegetarian cook. What is your favourite meal? Lemon risotto with a few side dishes such as braised fennel, marinated aubergines, some greens with tomato and chilli. How do you decide what to cook? My wife, Bridget, leaves clues in the kitchen, a few ingredients lying around near the stove. What inspires you? Vegetables and the people who grow them. What are your likes and dislikes? I can't do smelly mushrooms and strong seaweeds. I love to work with, and to eat, pumpkin. What is your favourite drink? Beamish Stout and Tullamore Dew whiskey. How can you inspire others to enjoy great food and cooking? By helping them to appreciate the produce that makes great food. How did you become a chef? I left a banking job at 25 and went to work in a restaurant. The aim was always to have my own place. What are your top 10 ingredients? Olive oil, chillies, cumin, thyme, lemon, pumpkin, kales, asparagus, artichokes, Irish cheeses. What are your kitchen secrets? More olive oil than you would believe! What are your top tips? Buy good ingredients from people you know, and cook to give pleasure. What is your favourite junk food? Tayto cheese & onion. How do you feel about cooking for children? Depends on the children. If they are incredibly picky, it's no fun really, but a child with a fairly open mind is great to feed. Can you give one piece of advice for the domestic cook? Cook more greens. Do you ever cook meat dishes, for carnivorous guests? Humans aren't carnivorous, we're omnivorous. A meal without flesh isn't such a hardship, not in my house anyway. Is organic essential to get good results with vegetables? No, but fresh is. And when you can't face cooking, where do you go to eat? Cafe Paradiso. Sorry, but it's true. Or to one of the pizza or Thai places in town, because I really go out to drink rather than to eat.
THOMAS KELLER CHEF, PROPRIETOR THE FRENCH LAUNDRY/PER SE/BOUCHON, USA
Widely regarded as one of America's finest chefs, Thomas Keller worked in 10 Michelin-starred restaurants in France before returning to the US in 1984. He gained national recognition at La Reserve, Restaurant Raphael and his own Rakel, all in New York City, before becoming chef-proprietor of the world-renowned French Laundry restaurant in Napa Valley, California. His third restaurant, Per Se, opened in New York's Time Warner Center in early 2004 and received a coveted four-star rating from the New York Times. Keller is the author of the acclaimed The French Laundry Cookbook and Bouchon.
What are your favourite foods, tastes and flavours? Sushi, salty, fat. What is your favourite utensil? A palette knife. What is the most useful piece of kitchen equipment and design? No one piece is more important than another. All are important, and what is essential is the integration of all the elements you need. What is your favourite season? Autumn. What is your favourite meal? Oatmeal for breakfast. What are your likes and dislikes? I have no tolerance for bad food, unsanitary conditions, chaos and confusion. I like consistency, quality, standards and searching for new standards. What is your favourite drink? Red wine. How can you inspire others to enjoy great food and cooking? By giving them an example of the difference between great food and cooking and mediocre food and cooking. Being exposed to this difference first hand is paramount in understanding great cooking. How did you become a chef? Purely by accident; my Mom hired me because she felt sorry for me. What are your top 10 ingredients? Top ingredients cannot be limited to 10. Everything that is available has the potential to be revered. It is important to avoid isolating ingredients, because seasons change and quality varies. If your focus is quality, your top ingredients are the best ingredients available to you at a given moment. What are your kitchen secrets? To have no secret. What are your top tips? Cooking is about being aware. Ultimate awareness creates more opportunity for inspiration. Inspiration leads to interpretation, which in turn leads to evolution. What is your favourite junk food? In-N-Out burger is my favourite fast food. Reese's or Snickers are favourite junk foods. How do you feel about cooking for children? I love it. Children are easy and predictable - once you know what they want, you can please them. Can you give one piece of advice for the domestic cook? Create relationships with your local food suppliers. This will ensure the continued availability of increasingly better products.