7 Things That Professional Chefs Refuse to Cook

You’d be forgiven for thinking that professional chefs make everything themselves. But just because chefs can make an ingredient doesn’t necessarily mean they choose to, especially when they’re cooking at home after a long day in the kitchen. Plus, some sauces and condiments simply can’t be replicated (looking at you, ketchup). Here are six cases where, in the words of Ina Garten, store-bought really is fine.

Pasta

“It’s funny to buy pasta when you are the chef and owner of a pasta restaurant, but most days it is just too much work when I’m trying to put dinner together for my family,” says 2008 F&W Best New Chef Gerard Craft, founder of Niche Restaurant Group. “Sometimes I grab some fresh pasta from my restaurant, Pastaria, where we sell fresh pasta by the pound, but I always keep a stock of dried pasta from Rustichella D’Abruzzo in my pantry.”

Lemongrass paste

Rather than going through the laborious process of pounding stalks of sturdy lemongrass and blending them until smooth, 2023 F&W Best New Chef Nando Chang buys lemongrass paste pre-made. “I add it to a lot of the comfort food I make at home,” he says. Whether you’re cooking a Thai-inspired soup or a Cambodian stir-fry, a spoonful of lemongrass paste will add floral, citrusy notes. 

Salsa

“We make a lot of nachos in my house,” says 2011 F&W Best New Chef Jamie Bissonnette. “On a very rare occasion, I’ll chop up some tomatoes and char some peppers for salsa, but it’s never what I want.” According to Bissonnette, the only way to achieve dive bar-style nachos is with store-bought salsa. “I get looks from some of my friends, but I stand by it.”

Ketchup

“At my restaurants, we take pride in making a lot of our products from scratch. However, I gave up on making ketchup,” says 2021 F&W Best New Chef Fermín Nuñez. “Heinz figured out a long time ago how to make a better product than whatever my fancy, chef-y, house-made ketchup could ever try to be.”

Bread

At home, Nuñez prefers to buy bread instead of baking it. “My kitchen home is not like the one we have at the restaurants,” he says. “Therefore, starting a project [like bread] takes too much time. Plus, when I’m hungry at home, I want to eat immediately — not to wait for a million minutes to enjoy my food.”

Peanut butter

Someone like 2019 F&W Best New Chef Mutsuko Soma could buy a gallon of peanuts, roast them, then purée them with oil until creamy and spreadable. Or, she could buy a jar of peanut butter and skip the hassle. The best jars of peanut butter will not only last longer than homemade, but will likely taste just as good as what you could make yourself. 

Mayonnaise

2016 F&W Best New Chef Michael Gulotta’s children love mayonnaise, so he always needs to buy it in bulk. “My kids like to make different kinds of spicy and seasoned mayo for their sandwiches,” says the New Orleans-based chef. “They also put it in their red beans, which I have to admit, is kind of a delicious hack.”