Chefs' Guilty Pleasures

Mario Batali, sans Doritos. Photo: Bauer-Griffin.

What do chefs eat when they need a palate cleanser after so much fancy restaurant fare? When they take off their aprons, they reach for the same indulgences we do -- perhaps just with an upgrade. Slashfood asked celebrity chefs to share their favorite cravings.

Mario Batali
When orange-clogged chef and television personality Mario Batali isn't reinventing Italian cuisine, he's still got it in the bag -- of Doritos, that is. "I love two things: good gelato and, strangely enough, Doritos and salsa. It has to be Doritos, though. I especially like the lime-flavored ones with chili."

Nigella Lawson
Which foods make domestic goddess Nigella Lawson feel sinful? None! Nigella, who is famous for her intimate, relaxed cooking style says, "I don't have any guilty food pleasures. The only thing one should ever feel guilty about is not taking pleasure."

See what snacks Bobby Flay, Tom Colicchio and other celebrity chefs sneak after the jump.

Daisy Martinez
Author and Food Network star Daisy Martinez, host of "Viva Daisy!," loves to give in to temptation. "I have a few guilty pleasures, not least of which is my mother's mofongo, a dish made of mashed plantains with garlic and pork crackling that I would consider selling one of my kids for! That being said, I have made my husband promise me that when I am on my deathbed, he will pry my mouth open right before I draw my last breath, and push in a sliver of pan-seared foie gras -- with maybe a bit of grilled mango for acidity -- into my mouth because I am sure that is what paradise tastes like."

Tom Colicchio
"Top Chef" host and chef/owner of the Craft empire, Tom Colicchio clearly spends a lot of time around extravagant foods. While the rest of us might be hankering for a burger, Tom says, "I have a weakness for Wagyu beef. It's definitely a luxury, but it's just so tender and flavorful."

Daniel Boulud
Restaurant impresario and ambassador of French cuisine, Daniel Boulud says his favorite guilty pleasure "is actually a very simple one. While I grew up surrounded by incredible produce from my parents' farm, one thing we certainly did not grow was avocados, and I didn't have my first one until I was a teenager. They have been a favorite indulgence ever since. I just split the avocado and sprinkle it with salt and pepper and a bit of very extra virgin olive oil, such as Manni. The oil really brings out the fruitiness of the avocado."

Wolfgang Puck
Award-winning chef and celebrity restaurateur Wolfgang Puck has a French sweet tooth. He craves delicate cookies from one of Paris' best bakeries: "My guilty pleasure is macaroons from Ladurée in Paris. Pistachio ones!" The sweets might not be too pricey, but the airfare is definitely an indulgence.

Bobby Flay
What food can't Bobby Flay resist? The Foot Network superstar and best-selling author confesses: "My guilty indulgence is pistachio gelato. I think I might love ice cream more than just about anything else. I like it served alongside cakes and pies, in banana splits, in sundaes, straight out of the carton. My first job was at Baskin Robbins."

Eric Ripert
Eric Ripert, whose elegant restaurants and cookbooks have won dozens of prestigious awards, shares Nigella's philosophy and doesn't beat himself up about anything he treats himself to. He says, "I have no guilt, I always indulge -- in small quantities!"

And as for our author Katie Workman, "I go for the salt. I could never go to the movies without succumbing to one of those mega-troughs of popcorn. I know it's terrible for you, but I can make it through any kids' movie sitting between my two boys, with one of those gallon buckets on my lap. Some movie theaters even give free refills. As far as I'm concerned, that's class."

Katie Workman is Editor-in-Chief of Cookstr.com

Our Senior Editor Kat could down an ocean of Diet Coke. Editor Sara is a slave to Taco Bell's 7-Layer Burrito and Assistant Editor (and Hungry Bride) Sarah could eat her body weight in caviar. Spill your snacking secrets in the comments below.

This just in -- Lemondrop editor Laura Gilbert tells Slashfood of a guilty please she just can't get enough of. Says she, "There's someone even bolder than me -- Russ Brunelli, aka the Pimp of Pizza at Hell's Kitchen Pizza, the rock-appointed restaurant I happened to wander into that night. On the menu? Macaroni and cheese pizza, a pile of chewy elbow pasta on a white pie with orangey cheese. Two birds, one stone, full stomach.

While delicious, the spot's specialty is actually the Hellfire, a pie with hot Italian sausage, cherry peppers and pepperoni. It sounds regular, but it's got a serious spicy kick that induces sweating so quickly, it's practically exercise. Eating a slice as a chaser is the perfect way to burn off the mac and cheese carb implosion you just consumed."