Ómós Digest: #16 Food Alchemy
The mind of a chef at home.
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This newsletter is brought to you by Cúán Greene, Chef and Founder of Ómós.
Have you ever wondered what chefs eat at home? Can a chef ever turn it off and just have beans on toast? The answer is yes, canned Ambrosia rice pudding is actually one of my guilty pleasures (but that’s a story worthy of its own newsletter). When it comes to making dinner, however, my girlfriend almost accuses me of: how each meal I make seemingly turns into a pronounced dish, “Can you not...just once...make something that doesn't involve steps, chronicled processes, a plethora of ingredients, and multiple pots and pans?” In truth, she’s actually extremely appreciative of the meals we cook together.
Yesterday’s boiled rice, for example, with the help of a few cupboard essentials and the end of a scallion, transformed into the most umami-rich fried rice. Last week's leftover bag of chips (a rare occurrence) and a couple of onions were converted into a heart-warming Spanish omelette; the salted vinegar potatoes, perfectly contrasting with the sweet cooked-down onions and jiggly, irresistible tempered centre. A fortnight ago, some leftover clams were perfect pickled in an escabeche, using leftover baby courgettes which I salted, spiked with a little apple juice and fennel vinegar. Even as I write this paragraph, the chef in me is coming to the fore! In truth, my dad used to make us beans on toast, but always finished it with a teaspoon of curry powder.
What is it that makes a chef think this way? What differentiates someone whose profession is bringing ingredients together, from a non-professional who might feel fear when peering into the fridge, in search of inspiration. Although a can of sardines paired with smashed avocado and rice cake might not set the world alight, it certainly is sufficient in suppressing a lunchtime hunger. A chef will find a way of elevating it to a point that is not only nourishing but delicious and complete. Discarding the rice cake, a couple of tortillas could be located, a dash of lime juice, some Valentina hot sauce and a little spiced mayo using a lonely remaining egg. Oh and what about that chilli and Persian lime salt we made recently? Perfect sprinkled on top. Now what has been rustled up is a humble snack, worthy of a dish, rather than something that looks like an assortment of random perishables, harvested from depths of a compost bin (somebody stop me). On the rare occasion our household throws together a meal that seems disjointed (an Ottolenghi recipe gone wrong due to the dangerous combination of a lack of ingredients and energy), this we classify as a compost dinner.
I’m not talking about this subject because I think I am some sort of culinary magician, capable of whipping up masterpieces from the wilting produce that lies at the base of my fridge. What I have noticed over the past year or so is that my time working as a chef has provided me with an ability to identify ingredients in ways that non-professionals might not. What springs to mind is the math lady meme.
The reason why I am writing about this is that a couple of weeks ago I came across a short video that so accurately depicts the state of mind of a chef, or a very well learned home cook! So much so, that it could only have been written by a chef (and a very clever one at that). Without knowing what I had stumbled upon, and like many of us now equipped with an increasingly diminishing attention span, I somewhat surprisingly found myself engrossed within the first scene. If your kitchen is the place where you spend most of your time, this ones for you. Similarly, if you have an unhealthy appreciation for kitchen knives, Stanley Tucci, cookery books, SALT, and, like me, take your morning coffee ritual a little too seriously while listening to bangers such as Paris 1919 by John Cale, this one is also for you!
The thought of reviewing a video is enough to make me spew, so instead, I want this one to speak for itself. With Ómós it’s my intention to highlight the good work people do and share that information so others can appreciate it. For that reason, let me introduce you to Chef and Comedian, Cody Reiss’ short film ‘Breakfast for Liz.’ It’s the perfect portal into a chef's kitchen and mind.
Make yourself a coffee, sit back and enjoy this clever, heartwarming and wrenching short film that will make you giggle with joy.
As always, thank you for reading the Ómós Digest. This is newsletter #9, so if you missed our previous editions, you’ve got plenty to catch up on, including our Something Saucy offering. You can also check out omos.co if you’re curious about our story.
Brillant and so true 👏 love the video also.