How do restaurants manage to pack in so many calories and so much sodium????
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I cook for a caterer.
We use SO MUCH butter and other full-fat dairy to make things yummy --especially breakfast items. IHOP egg dishes probably have cream whisked in and are then fried with a LOT of butter -- more butter than most people would even consider using at home. Eggs are sometimes even basted with butter as they fry. Toast slices could have 1/2 T butter on each slice.
The Chili's salad probably has lots of cheese, one or more high-fat meat, candied nuts (high in fat and sugar and usually in large amounts in a chain restaurant salad), and then of course the dressing.
The poppy seed dressing we make for our spinach salad at work has almost as much sugar as oil. A newby was making the poppy seed dressing once and thought the recipe must have a typo. Nope. Just lots of sugar. People love it.
We never, ever use anything but whole milk or cream. We never use low-fat cheese. We use a lot of coconut milk. Our chowders or bisques are delicious -- and at least 1/2 cream. Quiche? Almost entirely cream, egg, cheese, all atop the very rich and buttery crust.
Our braised meats are so yummy. But the braises often combine some kind of sugary liquid with lots of butter.
The goal at most restaurants is a delicious dish that most people will enjoy-- not a low-calorie dish.
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Actually, iHop's secret to their scrambled eggs is that they add pancake batter to the mix!0
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Alatariel75 wrote: »Actually, iHop's secret to their scrambled eggs is that they add pancake batter to the mix!
truth0 -
Alatariel75 wrote: »Actually, iHop's secret to their scrambled eggs is that they add pancake batter to the mix!
Really?0 -
arditarose wrote: »Alatariel75 wrote: »Actually, iHop's secret to their scrambled eggs is that they add pancake batter to the mix!
Really?
Yup! Thickens them up, makes them fluffier and creamy!0 -
Alatariel75 wrote: »Actually, iHop's secret to their scrambled eggs is that they add pancake batter to the mix!
I have cooked a lot of egg recipes and have never heard of such a thing. I'd be interested to hear more about that. We could try it at work!
Maybe it changes the structure so they look nicer (less runny?) on the plate?
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Alatariel75 wrote: »arditarose wrote: »Alatariel75 wrote: »Actually, iHop's secret to their scrambled eggs is that they add pancake batter to the mix!
Really?
Yup! Thickens them up, makes them fluffier and creamy!
Interesting...My mom used to add a little cream but I've never heard of adding pancake mix.0 -
Alatariel75 wrote: »Actually, iHop's secret to their scrambled eggs is that they add pancake batter to the mix!
Yes. Which totally and completely grosses me out for some reason.0 -
[quote="ndj1979;31741917Agreed. I've gone from dishwasher to "cook" as well, with no experience in the kitchen. [/quote]
OP - also most of the food at these places - Ihop, Applebee's, etc - is pretty much pre cooked in a bag which is why so much sodium because it needs a longer 'shelf life' [/quote]
I was grossed out by McDonald's Southwestern salad. I bought one the night before to take to a seminar where we had to bring our lunch the next day. I took it out of the refrigerator and it sloshed. Huh? I was thinking something else spilled from my refrigerator into it, but there was no sign. I picked up the bag with my salad in its foam container inside and dropped it into my sink. I opened it up and ewwwwww! It looked like bad spinach soup. I called the McDonald's and they said their salads only had a 10-12 hour shelf life and offered me another salad, but not my money back. Later I learned that even though when served the salad looked fresh, but was actually two or three weeks old and kept fresh-looking. I haven't eaten there since.0 -
Alatariel75 wrote: »Actually, iHop's secret to their scrambled eggs is that they add pancake batter to the mix!
I have cooked a lot of egg recipes and have never heard of such a thing. I'd be interested to hear more about that. We could try it at work!
Maybe it changes the structure so they look nicer (less runny?) on the plate?
I looked it up. The batter adds fluffiness. Makes sense -- there's got to be baking powder in there.
Of course, I can make a nice fluffy omelette without pancake batter, if I must say so myself.0 -
They use lots of butter and salt. I know a cook and was amazed at how good his hashbrowns were. He said he only uses butter. You can't get that crunch with olive oil. I have learned though, that I can get a golden crunchy crust on my hashbrowns and breaded pork chops (lean center cut) by adding a little coconut oil to olive oil. Still fats but, healthier fats.0
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Alatariel75 wrote: »Actually, iHop's secret to their scrambled eggs is that they add pancake batter to the mix!
I have cooked a lot of egg recipes and have never heard of such a thing. I'd be interested to hear more about that. We could try it at work!
Maybe it changes the structure so they look nicer (less runny?) on the plate?
I looked it up. The batter adds fluffiness. Makes sense -- there's got to be baking powder in there.
Of course, I can make a nice fluffy omelette without pancake batter, if I must say so myself.
Sign of a good chef vs. a line cook
Did you ever watch Jiro Dreams of Sushi? He doesn't let his sushi chefs make eggs until they've had years of experience with him. 0 -
arditarose wrote: »atypicalsmith wrote: »arditarose wrote: »atypicalsmith wrote: »Yet my homemade meals without all the sodium and calories taste better. How is that?
I don't know. You're a good cook? You prefer less grease?
I shouldn't be a better cook than a chef at a restaurant!
You mentioned Chili's and IHOP...
Ahhhahhahaa! Well done.
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Alatariel75 wrote: »Actually, iHop's secret to their scrambled eggs is that they add pancake batter to the mix!
I have cooked a lot of egg recipes and have never heard of such a thing. I'd be interested to hear more about that. We could try it at work!
Maybe it changes the structure so they look nicer (less runny?) on the plate?
I looked it up. The batter adds fluffiness. Makes sense -- there's got to be baking powder in there.
Of course, I can make a nice fluffy omelette without pancake batter, if I must say so myself.
So can I! All you have to do is beat the heck out of the eggs and cook it perfectly!0 -
arditarose wrote: »Alatariel75 wrote: »Actually, iHop's secret to their scrambled eggs is that they add pancake batter to the mix!
I have cooked a lot of egg recipes and have never heard of such a thing. I'd be interested to hear more about that. We could try it at work!
Maybe it changes the structure so they look nicer (less runny?) on the plate?
I looked it up. The batter adds fluffiness. Makes sense -- there's got to be baking powder in there.
Of course, I can make a nice fluffy omelette without pancake batter, if I must say so myself.
Sign of a good chef vs. a line cook Did you ever watch Jiro Dreams of Sushi? He doesn't let his sushi chefs make eggs until they've had years of experience with him.
It takes time and attention -- the two things line cooks at Ihop do not have.
I have not watched Jiro Dreams, but it sounds great. I love a good cooking show!0 -
arditarose wrote: »Alatariel75 wrote: »Actually, iHop's secret to their scrambled eggs is that they add pancake batter to the mix!
I have cooked a lot of egg recipes and have never heard of such a thing. I'd be interested to hear more about that. We could try it at work!
Maybe it changes the structure so they look nicer (less runny?) on the plate?
I looked it up. The batter adds fluffiness. Makes sense -- there's got to be baking powder in there.
Of course, I can make a nice fluffy omelette without pancake batter, if I must say so myself.
Sign of a good chef vs. a line cook Did you ever watch Jiro Dreams of Sushi? He doesn't let his sushi chefs make eggs until they've had years of experience with him.
It takes time and attention -- the two things line cooks at Ihop do not have.
I have not watched Jiro Dreams, but it sounds great. I love a good cooking show!
Oh, it is a documentary.0 -
RE: McDonald's
Having worked there, I can guarantee half the things you think are safe and okay to eat from there are definitely not. In my district at least, the lettuce and most vegetables were sprayed with a chemical compound to keep the composition of the vegetables. It's why our restaurant had a cancer warning near the entrance. The salads were usually made in the morning but the boxes would be shipped to us weeks prior. Joke's on America, I guess.0 -
arditarose wrote: »Alatariel75 wrote: »Actually, iHop's secret to their scrambled eggs is that they add pancake batter to the mix!
I have cooked a lot of egg recipes and have never heard of such a thing. I'd be interested to hear more about that. We could try it at work!
Maybe it changes the structure so they look nicer (less runny?) on the plate?
I looked it up. The batter adds fluffiness. Makes sense -- there's got to be baking powder in there.
Of course, I can make a nice fluffy omelette without pancake batter, if I must say so myself.
Sign of a good chef vs. a line cook Did you ever watch Jiro Dreams of Sushi? He doesn't let his sushi chefs make eggs until they've had years of experience with him.
It takes time and attention -- the two things line cooks at Ihop do not have.
I have not watched Jiro Dreams, but it sounds great. I love a good cooking show!
Sounds very interesting! I love cooking shows.0 -
emily_stew wrote: »arditarose wrote: »The same way I could manage to. Trust me, if I didn't have to think about calories/weight my meal would have had a lot more butter and salt in it tonight.
Aww yiss! Actually cooking like that is but one of the reasons I got so fat.
My mom likes to cook restaurant style. Butter and cream in everything. I grew up eating multiple servings per night. Delicious but dayum...I'm smaller now than I was in middle school.0 -
emily_stew wrote: »arditarose wrote: »The same way I could manage to. Trust me, if I didn't have to think about calories/weight my meal would have had a lot more butter and salt in it tonight.
Aww yiss! Actually cooking like that is but one of the reasons I got so fat.
I didn't get fat on take out or 'junk', I got fat from living with a chef and 2 food lovers and baking and cooking as a passtime! I could spend all day cooking and baking... and frequently did
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