Some people think that chefs love all food - I've actually met people who are shocked to see a skinny chef like me. I'm not exactly a picky eater, it's just that I don't over-indulge, I get regular exercise, and I like to keep my body strong to withstand work days that sometimes stretch as long as 18 solid hours of cooking and service.
Here's a short list of three ingredients that I just downright hate. I'll cook with them, if a client requests a recipe that requires them, but I'm probably not going to go anywhere near the finished product, except to taste-test and perfect the dish.
Capers
Capers are nasty little unripened flower buds that grow all over the place in the Mediterranean and therefore end up in a lot of different styles of cuisine. My problem with capers is that they over-flavor any dish you put them in (in my opinion), and most chefs tend to be way too heavy-handed with this particular ingredient.
Truffle Oil
A good truffle is a thing of beauty - an expensive indulgence that's generally out of the reach of most people's food budgets. I'm happy to use truffles in a dish if I can find a good one and come in under or at my budget. What I hate is the recent trend in drenching everything in truffle oil, which is nothing more than an oil (olive, peanut, etc.) flavored by truffles. If you're going to cook with truffles, go ahead and spend the dough and use the real deal. I hope the truffle oil phenomenon dies down, and fast.
Turkey Bacon
I understand the theory behind using turkey bacon in place of the real thing - it's healthier, less expensive, and it almost (kind of, sort of, maybe) tastes like real bacon. I won't go anywhere near the stuff - to me, it tastes like wet cardboard, and is a poor substitute for actual bacon.
