Chefs Chill

Chefs Chill

by Karen Irvine

Chefs work long, hard hours. You would think that when their precious day off or two comes around that they would put their feet up and watch some TV. But that's not always so. Many chefs are activity addicts and they cannot sit still. They fill their time off with other activties requiring focus and sometimes patience.

Jack McCann, 32, Chef de Cuisine for Merri-Makers, caters high-pressure events of presidential stature like New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine’s Inaugural Ball for 3,000 guests and even President George W. Bush’s political fundraiser held at New Jersey Expo Center, Edison, in May 2007 for 700. No less stressful is preparing a bride’s dream wedding at Merri-Makers at Water's Edge, Sea Bright. The photo is of a beach wedding ceremony at Water's Edge.

McCann definitely can use time off to chill out and

offshore fishing helps Chef Jack get away from it all, whether it’s 25 miles out at the Mud Hole or sometimes even further to the Hudson Canyon, 90 miles off shore, where he fished recently.

“It was a particularly good day,” McCann said. “We caught Yellow Fin Tuna, Mahi Mahi and Mako Shark. Best of all there’s no cell service,” said McCann, who lives in Sea Bright, NJ and grew up on the Jersey Shore. McCann is blessed with youthful good looks and an athlete’s build, so naturally surfing is also one of his passions. “But surfing here is unpredictable. I take surfing vacations to Central America - Costa Rica, Panama,” he said. McCann owns his own sport fishing boat and says he loves the feeling of being on the open ocean where the waters are crystal blue and he and his buddies are surrounded by marine life. His family and friends benefit from his fishing sprees too. “I spread the wealth and just give the fish away,” he said. Here's a photo of Chef Jack with a great dish-to-be of tuna sashimi.

The executive chefs at popular Salt Creek Grille located in Rumson and Princeton clock up to 80 hours per week. They order food, oversee kitchen staff, make all dishes fresh and made to order, prep food, trouble shoot and serve up to 600 dinners a la carte on a Saturday night and another 150 guests in the private dining rooms.

On the one morning that he could sleep late, Jason Hensle, 32, executive chef for Salt Creek Grille, Princeton, is on his boat at 4:30 a.m. Happy as a clam he’s fishing the waters off the familiar coast of Atlantic Highlands where he and his two brothers grew up. They trailer their boat to various ports from Atlantic Highlands to Point Pleasant, following the Striped Bass, Fluke and Blue Fish runs.

“I love it out on the water. It’s quiet and I have to stay focused on the fishing. But our conversation ultimately turns to cooking,” said Hensle, who was Sous Chef at the Rumson location until opening the Princeton Salt Creek Grille in December 2006.

For Chef Rich Deutsch, who will be celebrating his tenth year along with Salt Creek Grille, Rumson in 2008, there is nothing better than jumping aboard his motorcycle cruiser for relaxation.

“I don’t think about anything else when I’m cruising. You have to concentrate and that allows me to get away from it all,” said Deutsch. Deutsch, 53, used to ride a motorcycle when younger but gave it up to raise his children. “In the restaurant business you’re away from your family a lot to begin with, I couldn’t take more time to ride my motorcycle too. But the kids are grown now, so I gave myself a motorcycle for my fiftieth birthday.”

When Chef Rich is at Salt Creek Grille he remains totally focussed on the preparation of the delicious American grill dishes grilled over authentic Mesquite wood grill. Check out the King Salmon Steak below. It's a Salt Creek Grille favorite stuffed with crab, shrimp and artichoke and topped off with a fresh herb butter sauce.