Inside the fridge of chef Marc Thuet and restaurateur Biana Zorich
In our new series, Crisper Chronicles, we ask the city’s top food personalities to let us into their most intimate alimentary enclave: the home refrigerator. This week, chef Marc Thuet and his wife, front-of-house master Biana Zorich—both back in Toronto after shooting a new season of Conviction Kitchen in Vancouver—talk about the treasures (and trash) that lurk in their icebox.
What is the one thing that will always be in your fridge?
MT: Ketchup. No, no, don’t write that. B, what might it be?
BZ: A lot of people don’t know this, but he’s into sandwiches and really trashy food.
MT: Don’t say that. Fuck.
BZ: Sandwiches and ketchup. Loads of Reese’s peanut butter cups.
Do you keep those in the fridge?
BZ: No, they’re not allowed in the house because he eats them all.
What’s the most embarrassing thing in your fridge?
BZ: Cracker Barrel cheese.
Expiration dates: iron laws or just suggestions?
BZ: Suggestions. Our rule of thumb is, if it’s mouldy, then it’s gone.
MT: Well, no, not everything. Not cheese. We have unpasteurized cheese in the fridge, and you just scratch off the mould. Except Cracker Barrel, because there is no milk in that.
What do you do when good foods go bad?
BZ: We make tons of stews here.
MT: Biana is the king of stews. She has a Mexican pot.
BZ: I do. Sometimes vegetables are better when they’re a little bit old.
Tomatoes: to refrigerate or not to refrigerate?
MT: Tomatoes we do, because they get too ripe. Because you buy a ripe tomato.
 that lurk in their icebox.
What is the one thing that will always be in your fridge?
MT: Ketchup. No, no, don’t write that. B, what might it be?
BZ: A lot of people don’t know this, but he’s into sandwiches and really trashy food.
MT: Don’t say that. Fuck.
BZ: Sandwiches and ketchup. Loads of Reese’s peanut butter cups.
Do you keep those in the fridge?
BZ: No, they’re not allowed in the house because he eats them all.
What’s the most embarrassing thing in your fridge?
BZ: Cracker Barrel cheese.
Expiration dates: iron laws or just suggestions?
BZ: Suggestions. Our rule of thumb is, if it’s mouldy, then it’s gone.
MT: Well, no, not everything. Not cheese. We have unpasteurized cheese in the fridge, and you just scratch off the mould. Except Cracker Barrel, because there is no milk in that.
What do you do when good foods go bad?
BZ: We make tons of stews here.
MT: Biana is the king of stews. She has a Mexican pot.
BZ: I do. Sometimes vegetables are better when they’re a little bit old.
Tomatoes: to refrigerate or not to refrigerate?
MT: Tomatoes we do, because they get too ripe. Because you buy a ripe tomato.){kind=link}
Tomatoes in the fridge! Shame!! You’ve lost most of the taste & they get mushy. Ripe tomatoes from my garden keep at least a week on the counter. Don’t buy so much at a time. They can certainly last 4 to 5 days.
So funny! Thuet is a man after my own heart. I too have equal affection for foi gras and trash (ie peanut butter cups and yogurt products – especially frozen yogurt). Love this idea!
Loving the Crisper Confidential idea. What’s inside someone’s fridge can say a lot about who they are, their lifestyle, etc. Look at Marc and Biana; a perfect blend of glamour and trash.
Wow, I feel so much better about myself now! Even gourmet chefs have ketchup in their fridge! I sure wish I had some of that homemade pate in mine though :)