Guardians of Nourishment
Several years ago, I was hired to consult to a world-renowned chef—three of his NYC restaurants were charged with making human and environmental health their number one priority so getting educated and reimagining cuisine was their mission. We began with sourcing—looking at every ingredient and determining how they could do better—then moved into discussion and instruction on how to cook through a health supportive lens. It was quite an endeavor because classically trained chefs are typically not educated in the nuances of navigating real nourishment—I mean, foods without chemical preservatives; artificial flavors and enhancers; artificial colors; artificial sweeteners; sugar and its many euphemisms; trans fats; pesticides; antibiotic residues; hormone residues; and GMOs (the Top Rated Terminators noted in What the Fork Are You Eating). That being said, this chef and his team were open—for the most part.
If you’ve been on the front lines or even read Kitchen Confidential, then you know that pivoting towards authentic health supportive cuisine in an industry that customarily puts flavor and consistency (as well as margins) above anything else is a tough sell.
While I consider myself a bit of an idealist, I am no Pollyanna. As a seasoned chef and nutritionist who aims to ensure that people have the knowledge and skills to navigate food choice, understanding obstacles must be central to my work. So, is it really possible for culinarians to subscribe to my ideal as noted below?
Choosing local organic ingredients if possible; if not, simply go local (best to support the local economy)
Opting into animal foods of the highest humane welfare (versus those products boasting antibiotic and hormone-free, even organic)
Sourcing fish using FishWatch as a guide (though knowing the name of their fisherman is ideal as in the Dock to Dish model)
Using fair Trade ingredients like herbs and spices, cocoa, sugar, tea and coffee
Buying non-irradiated dried herbs and spices
Saying no to GMO ingredients (mostly items made from corn, soy, cotton, canola, sugar from sugar beets, etc.)
Avoiding all ingredients that use chemicals from preservatives to flavors, colors and sweeteners
To gain some perspective, I caught up with friend and accomplished chef, Paul Gerard to better understand if I am totally off base. Paul's passion for truly good food, his interest in doing the right thing across the board and of course his incredible expertise as a chef/co-owner of multiple NYC eateries gives him the ability to know, first-hand, the many challenges chefs face today.
Stefanie: Are my ideas unrealistic?
Paul: Well, if by unrealistic you mean impractical, then yes. What is entirely realistic is that we must move towards everything on your list. I personally believe that we, as consumers, need to have these edible aspirations. But there are a few different factors to consider. Chefs are not necessarily tasked with "nourishing". Nor are we responsible for saving the planet. We are charged with making people’s eyes roll in their head when they eat something. That's the bare bones of it. The craft of cooking is to provide a flavor experience, not to save the world. Also, the task of being a chef, a professional chef, is not only about culinary artistry but also about being a boss, running a team, keeping costs in line, and maintaining a small army that can "win the war" of the restaurant business.
I'm not saying that we shouldn't strive towards providing true nourishment through sustainable practices, but I want the "food illuminati" to understand the realities chefs face. No matter how well intentioned we may be, your ideal is not always feasible. Although it’s something that I strive for daily, it is presently a luxury of the privileged. And there are few restaurant chefs that fall into that category, especially in NYC—margins are tighter than ever, overhead looms bigger than ever, and the clientele is more demanding than ever.
Stefanie: What do you believe are the biggest challenges chefs face in making healthier choices for themselves and their customers?
Paul: Know that every time you sit down in a pleasant atmosphere in a cool candlelit room to enjoy a perfectly executed meal (as 50 to 60 to 100 other diners amiably chat and sip wine around you) the reality is that there are a group of people in the back of the house making a series of unhealthy choices to execute your dining experience. Whether it's the hours they keep, the time with family they sacrifice, the lack of sleep, drinking, drugs, not eating properly (too much or too little), these are all realities of the restaurant business. Granted, the ethos of healthy work conditions in my business is far better than it was when I was coming up the ranks, and overall, chefs are taking better care of themselves. But just because some "generals" have changed doesn't mean the "war" has.
While your ideals are in alignment with where I think we all need to go, we have a long road ahead. When was the last time you read a restaurant review in the New York Times that focused on nutrition (like caloric content and sodium levels) and non-irradiated herbs? Now, I'm not saying these aren't important things, but the artful qualities of this craft are first and foremost in flavor. So ultimately, cost, time, public perception of what they consider to be value, consistency in product availability and uniformity are all things that make it difficult to provide what you see as the truly healthy choices.
I don't think there's a chef out there worth their weight that doesn't care about your ideal and wants the same things you do. But until we are educated on what the better choices are and how we, as chefs, can achieve all we need to achieve (meaning everyone wins) there are going to be struggles, and the bottom line will always win.
Stefanie: What do you think needs to happen for chefs to start to shift?
Paul: Apart from flavor, your wishes are our main concerns but just not achievable from a consistency and costing perspective at this time. Please don't get me wrong in all of this. I'm not a cynic by any means rather a realist. These are challenges that chefs don't discuss publicly, but we surely discuss it amongst ourselves—few will go on record regarding the struggles. Do you think an up and coming chef being interviewed by Food and Wine or Bon Appetit is going to gripe about inconsistencies or cost from the small farmer? Will he or she complain about the fact that the typical "Portlandia-esque" customer who wants to know the name of the chicken refuses to pay the $35 for the high humane welfare bird (because that's what we need to charge to make any money)? Customers want transparency and higher quality, but are they truly willing to pay the cost for it? Of course not, but that doesn't mean we haven't tried to align "perfect" product with great taste. It's just that there are a multitude of variables that aren't being discussed on a whole, from chefs to consumers. We all need to be educated on how we can achieve higher quality, consistent food and a cost that makes sense for everyone. Many of us do the very best we can, but the conversation about what shifting truly means and the realities that exist will help us all reach your ideal.
Perhaps this experience and my written words can prompt a long overdue dialogue among culinarians and consumers on how we can all join to realistically and practically support one another. All chefs should have the opportunity to be or become Guardians of Nourishment.