What Do Top Chefs Buy At The Grocery Store?
PHOTO: COURTESY OF ANN BURRELL
Learning about drug store products that make up artists swear by got us wondering about our favorite chefs — what are their grocery store hacks? Specifically, what pre-made items do they buy at the store, and how do they elevate them to taste like they came out of a Michelin-starred restaurant?
In search of answers, we decided to ask a few big-time chefs, from Marc Murphy to Anne Burrell, for some tips. Click through to learn tricks from the greats — including how to make your store-bought pesto pop, imaginative ways to reinvent packaged salsa and mac ‘n’ cheese, and much more.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF MICHAEL SYMON
Michael Symon
Symon is co-host of ABC’s The Chew and the chef-owner of Lola Bistro, Lolita, and The B Spot.
Favorite Store-Bought Items:
“I have towers of canned San Marzano tomatoes at home — whole, diced, and crushed — because they are always 'in season.’ Open up a can in January and they will taste exactly like the ones you opened in August: Sweet, juicy, and delicious. And, when it comes to cooking, consistency is the goal. Add onion, garlic, herbs, and dry white wine, and you’ve got Sunday gravy!
"Plain Greek yogurt is another staple in my kitchen, because it’s a blank canvas. It can be used in place of mayonnaise or sour cream in savory dishes, and transforms into a great tzatziki with some cucumber and mint. It’s a perfect breakfast (or even dessert) — just elevate it with some honey and fresh seasonal fruit.”
Follow Michael on Twitter and Instagram.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF GEOFFREY ZAKARIAN
Geoffrey Zakarian
Zakarian is co-host of Food Network’s The Kitchen and a winner of The Next Iron Chef. Heis also the culinary director for The Plaza Hotel and chairman of City Harvest, a food rescue organization in NYC.
Favorite Store-Bought Items:
“Butter. I add lots of chopped herbs and sea salt to it to make a wonderful herb butter. It has a similar shelf life, so you can whip out a pat to top your next fish dish, use it as a "dip” for radishes, or simply spread some on bread for a snack or at dinner.
“Another product you can’t go wrong with is pesto. It tastes phenomenal with some goat cheese added to it. I like dropping a few dollops into chicken or cheese quesadillas for a Mediterranean spin on a Mexican classic. My kids can’t get enough of it!
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"My last must-have is peanut butter. I add in honey to improve the texture. You can use the mixture wherever you’d normally use peanut butter: As a snack on sliced apples or celery, in an old-fashioned PB&J, or just straight out of the jar!”
Follow Geoffrey on Twitter and Instagram.
PHOTO: JAMIE BISSONNETTE
Jamie Bissonnette
Bissonnette is the chef and owner of Coppa in Boston and Toro in Boston and NYC. He is also the author of The New Charcuterie Cookbook.
Favorite Store-Bought Items:
“I like blending up store-bought salsa with seasoning packets and smothering chicken breasts with the mixture. I chop up or shred the baked pieces — they’re wicked good taco or quesadilla fillings.
"Another thing I love is canned seafood — just the good stuff from Spain. I can’t get enough of canned clams with seasoning packets from ramen. The combo makes a really great rice dish with a ton of flavor.
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"My latest obsession is mac 'n’ cheese from the box. I add some jarred marinara to it to create a cheesy tomato sauce. It tastes amazing when baked with bread crumb topping.
"The last thing I always have from the [grocery store] is a the parbaked frozen pizza crust. You can build a pizza with whatever you have and throw it in the oven at 400°F — no tray necessary. It thaws and crisps up all at once.”
Follow Jamie on Twitter and Instagram.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF MARC MURPHY
Marc Murphy
Murphy is the owner and executive chef of the Landmarc restaurants. He is the author of Season with Authority: Confident Home Cooking and regularly appears on Chopped as a guest judge.
Favorite Store-Bought Items:
“My favorite pre-made ingredient is canned chickpeas and beans. They’re great for adding texture and protein to homemade salads, chilis or soups. They’re great for making a variety of hummus dips, too.
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"Another secret item I love is frozen puff pastry for my tarte tatin. It’s such an easy recipe for the home cook, but sounds mighty impressive!”
Follow Marc on Twitter and Instagram.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF ANNE BURRELL
Anne Burrell
Burrell is the host of Food Network’s Worst Cooks In America. The author of several best-selling cookbooks, she has competed as a sous chef alongside Mario Batali on Iron Chef America.
Favorite Store-Bought Items:
“San Marzano tomatoes are my go-tos for all of my canned tomato needs. You can use these to make any type of tomato base sauce. Their sweetness and low acidity make them sodelicious. I use them in sauces, soups, stews — anytime a recipe calls for tomatoes.
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"Another essential staple in my kitchen are canned Cannellini beans. Even a bean lover like myself can’t always use dried ones, and these white kidney beans do the trick every time. They make wonderful dips and are essential for pasta fagioli!”
Follow Anne on Twitter and Instagram.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF JEFF MAURO
Jeff Mauro
Mauro is the host of Food Network’s Sandwich King and a co-host on talk show The Kitchen.
Favorite Store-Bought Items:
“I love taking store-bought pesto and combining it with plain cream cheese, thus elevating these two ingredients. It’s perfect for smearing on a sandwich, cracker, or a bagel.
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"One of my favorite grocery product hacks is taking jarred, whole Peppadew or cherry peppers and stuffing them with funky blue cheese and crunchy smoked almonds. It’s a perfect one-bite appetizer that hits all the notes: Spicy, sweet, crunchy, and funky.”
Follow Jeff on Twitter and Instagram.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF DENA MARINO
Dena Marino
Marino is a chef and partner at MC Kitchen.
Favorite Store-Bought Items:
“Mascarpone cheese is one of my favorites! It can be used in so many ways. I love whipping it on top of berries and grilled peaches with a little bit of vanilla or adding it into mashed potatoes for amazing flavor. A dollop of this stuff is just what you need to finish up a pasta or risotto dish. The creamy texture also lends itself perfectly to cheesecake recipes.
"The second item is the 'no bake’ lasagna sheets from Barilla. You can make the best lasagna without having to make fresh pasta sheets! They also can be used for fun pasta cups: Make your sauce and add ricotta cheese, vegetables, or meat into these sheets and bake in a muffin pan. That’s your mini version of lasagna, ready in minutes!”
Follow Dena on Twitter and Instagram.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF DANIEL KRIEGER
Jose Garces
Garces is the owner and operator of more than a dozen restaurants and a winner of The Next Iron Chef. He’s the author of The Latin Road Home.
Favorite Store-Bought Items:
“I love store-bought pocketless pita bread. One of my favorite combinations — which happens to be very similar to one of our classic cocas at [my restaurant] Amada — stacks butterflied shrimp, thinly sliced cured chorizo, and Manchego cheese over a layer of high-quality store-bought hummus. Assemble it like a pizza, hummus first and cheese last, and then bake in a 500°F oven for 4 minutes, until the shrimp are cooked and the cheese is melted.
"My other obsession is jarred tomato sauce. It’s so customizable: You can heat it up on the stove over medium temperature with lemon zest. This trick lends an unexpected brightness that’s really lovely paired with stuffed pastas like ravioli, tortellini, or stuffed shells.”
Follow Jose on Twitter and Instagram.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF ERIN MCKENNA
Erin McKenna
McKenna is the author of the recently released book Bread & Butter, and founder of BabyCakes NYC and Erin McKenna’s Bakery.
Favorite Store-Bought Items:
“I love the versatility of Bob’s Red Mill All Purpose Baking Flour, and the fact that it’s made with garbanzo-fava bean flour. It doesn’t contain any gums so you can control the elasticity of your product.
"I love me some high quality agave. Some brands dilute their nectars, but Organic Nectars is committed to the real thing. Agave is sweeter than sugar, so you can use less of it.
"Unscented coconut oil is magical. It’s an excellent replacement for butter or shortening as it becomes solid below room temperature. I use it to bake with and to grease the pan.”
Lourdes Castro
Castro is the former director of Biltmore Culinary Academy and an adjunct professor at NYU’s department of Nutrition, Food Studies & Public Health. She also has a food blog,SliceThin.com.
Favorite Store-Bought Item:
“Mayonnaise. I like to add a can of chipotle chile to a cup of mayo and purée in a blender until smooth. The possibilities for this spread are endless: You can dip veggies in it, spread on toast for a sandwich, [use it] dolloped over summer tomatoes, or serve with rotisserie chicken.”
Follow Lourdes on Twitter and Instagram.
Jonathan Waxman
Waxman is the chef and owner of Barbuto in New York’s meatpacking district and of the newly revived Jams restaurant set to open in the coming months. He was known as the “Obi-Wan Kenobi” on Bravo’s Top Chef: Masters.
Favorite Store-Bought Item:
“I love 4Js scallion mustard. Sauté a pork chop, add the mustard with the addition of scallions & sherry vinegar, a little water, and you have a sauce made for a prince.”
Follow Jonathan on Twitter and Instagram.
By Elettra Wiedemann
