I love being a chef.
Food is a universal language that touches the lives of almost everyone. No matter what road of life one travels, chances are they have an appreciation for a good meal.
If you know me and my wife Katherine, you will know of our love for not only food, but also for music.
Recently, we had the pleasure of meeting Canadian country rock group The Road Hammers, composed of band members Jason McCoy, Clayton Bellamy, and Chris Byrne. They are currently touring to promote their latest album, The Squeeze, which was released May 12.
We have always been a fan of their music, so it was interesting to chat with them, not only about music, but their eating habits, too.
Therefore, I am happy to share parts of our conversation with you for a glimpse of what the culinary lives of these musicians are like.
The first question I had for them: what do you tend to eat while on the road touring?
Jason: “We’re pretty good at trying to avoid junk because we’ve all toured so many years. When you’re younger, you can eat anything you want. I like steak, potatoes, that kind of thing. For some reason, a steak makes me feel good. My subconscious reminds me that I want protein … it’s also a comfort food kind of thing. Butter chicken is my other thing; awesome because it seems like the curry kind of smartens everything up in your world.”
Clayton: “Indian food and sushi. I like to venture outside the box.”
Chris: “I think it’s interesting to find great little holes-in-the-wall kind of restaurants that are not standard box store restaurants.”
Question: You’ve been on the road for a while, if someone could welcome you home with a meal, what would you choose?
Jason: “Anything my wife makes. She’s got the gift. Her spaghetti is stellar. Her hamburgers are magic.”
Clayton: “My mom’s zucchini casserole. That is the ticket. It’s carrots, zucchini, and cheese, lots of cheese. And she puts croutons in there, as well.”
Chris: “Chic peas and Spolumbo’s sausage, roasted with fresh rosemary and little baby tomatoes. Spolumbo’s is a company in Calgary. It’s a spicy Italian sausage, like a chorizo almost.”
Question: What are your favorite dishes from your childhood?
Jason: “My mother’s salmon casserole. Rice and it’s got cheese all through the rice and a layer of salmon, and then it’s got cheese with green olive in it. Then a bit of cheese crusted on top. It’s incredible.”
Clayton: “My grandmother’s perogies when I was a kid. She’s right from the old country. Something about the dough and the way it was prepared.”
Chris: “Mom’s homemade bread. Growing up in Newfoundland, we didn’t buy store bread. Fresh out of the oven with a little bit of jam on it.”
Question: When you get a chance to cook, what is your signature dish that you like to make?
Jason: “I’m not much of a cook. I’m more of a campfire cooker kind of guy. My kids would starve if it was up to me. My wife’s the Gretzky of cooking, so it’s like how do I get in there and say, ‘Oh, I’ll make dinner tonight?’ I’m best at making chocolate milk.”
Clayton: “I do have a go-to I like – this bow-tie pasta I like to make with capers, fresh basil, baby tomatoes, and mix it all up with some olive oil and sea salt. My kids love that and I’ll make a huge pot of it and it’ll last all week.”
Chris: “It’s a pasta, as well. It’s a couple of onions, capers, Kalamata olives, a lot of olive oil, cherry tomatoes or some sundried tomatoes if you got them kicking around.”
I hope you enjoyed this exclusive culinary peek at the lives of these talented guys.
Until next time, happy cooking.
Chef Dez is a chef, writer and host. Visit him at chefdez.com.