# your addiction?



## timo roivainen (Mar 11, 2013)

Alcohol? drugs? gambling? etc.. what is it....


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## mcsnuggles (Jan 28, 2014)

coke and sex. aren't we all?


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## lagom (Sep 5, 2012)

Money, good food, did I mention money,? Ciggerettes, coffee, sex, money, a good nights sleep, really fast cars, driving the autoban, oh and money if I didnt mention it. You can keep the coke, too expensive.


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## foodpump (Oct 10, 2005)

Naw.. not much  drugs--at least not for the past 25 years years, pretty much I outgrew that.  Gambling?  Figured out pretty fast that the odds of me walking out of a casino with the same amount of money I walked in were 500:1, odds of me walking out with more than I started were 2000:1.

I dunno.. why is it assumed that all cooks have addictions?


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## absolutecook (Jan 16, 2014)

Cigarettes. I don't smoke regularly, but I bum cigarettes a few times a week... Sometimes I jones really hard for one and I ask. Now I'm taking a Sous Chef position, and I can't ask employees for cigarettes, that looks retarded. So now I really have to bite the bullet and stop for good. I just don't want to get irritable in my first week on the job! Probably getting an e-cig or something.


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## pollopicu (Jan 24, 2013)

Ambien CR, but only at night.

Pot, when I can get it.

Oh, and coffee.


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## absolutecook (Jan 16, 2014)

I think it's assumed that restaurant employees have addictions because most of us just don't care what happens off-the-clock. The service industry is so labor oriented that we don't have the time to be intolerant of people's lifestyles. If someone shows up too stoned to be 100% or drunk or strung out, that's a problem. I can get along w/ anyone, unless they're slacking. I don't mind people that use drugs casually. I used to, I don't, and I don't judge.


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## soesje (Dec 6, 2012)

addiction?? me????


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## kaiquekuisine (Apr 11, 2013)

Hmmm....

Money, Sex, White Wine, Food, $$$$....

Gambling: I play the lottery every now and then but i use the same numbers always.... that or the occasional bingo, at some random event.

Drugs: Don´t smoke, unless i need a smoke break /img/vbsmilies/smilies/rolleyes.gif.

Pot, tried it a lot 4 years ago when i got curious.

Biggest addiction though is coffee , been drinking it since i was 5 years old..... that was 14 years ago <_<


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## chefbuba (Feb 17, 2010)

I don't have a problem with cocaine, I just like the smell of it.

Seriously, Coffee & Marlboro's


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## cheflayne (Aug 21, 2004)

Used to be skiing, now it is riding my motorcycle.


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## jdndaddy (Jan 25, 2014)

Hookah, coffee, and magic the gathering. I'm hardcore.


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## petemccracken (Sep 18, 2008)

Dancing, C/W & Ballroom


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## kaiquekuisine (Apr 11, 2013)

Oh, im also an extreme videogame addict <_<

Spent one year of my life playing videogames from 11-6am everyday going to sleep at 6 to wake up at 1pm then go to work... sad but oh so fun XD


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## soesje (Dec 6, 2012)

ok I admit.

since entering the hospitality service, I started smoking again since 27 years of no smoking.

and I drink a lot more coffee.

but the real kick is the adrenalin.

funny no one admitted the latter…….


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## cheflayne (Aug 21, 2004)

Soesje said:


> but the real kick is the adrenalin.
> 
> funny no one admitted the latter…….


Yeah, without a doubt, I am an adrenaline junkie. I love speed and pushing my limits, which is probably one of the reasons that I thrive on the line.


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## thecytochromec (Jan 16, 2013)

Guns and reloading supplies, that's pretty much it.


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## youngchefkarl (Dec 12, 2013)

Golf. and sex as well


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## thumper1279 (Jan 24, 2013)

I like to eat and drink my money away but lately have he to change to gambling it away because after this last surgery eating and drinking would kill me lol


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## workaholic (Dec 17, 2013)

PRAISE. and coffee.


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## laurenlulu (Sep 9, 2012)

Handguns, motorcycle riding, coffee and Marlboros


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## foodpump (Oct 10, 2005)

absolutecook said:


> I think it's assumed that restaurant employees have addictions because most of us just don't care what happens off-the-clock. The service industry is so labor oriented that we don't have the time to be intolerant of people's lifestyles. If someone shows up too stoned to be 100% or drunk or strung out, that's a problem. I can get along w/ anyone, unless they're slacking. I don't mind people that use drugs casually. I used to, I don't, and I don't judge.


Yeah, I can relate to this. Worked with a lot of pot heads and beer farts, even hired a few too. One thing I noticed about people with addictions is that their lives are in neutral-- they don't go backwards, but they don't go forwards either.

But judging?

Funny thing happened the other week. Co-worker and I were talking about a waitress:

"-Which one are you talking about, Betty or Wilma?"

"Wilma. You know, the one with dyed hair"

"Dyed hair! Are you serious?! You're so judgmental"

"No... stating that I'm judgmental is judgmental, but Wilma had strawberry-blond hair last week, and this week she's a brunette with red highlights"....

But I do judge, not only do I admit to it, but I am proud of it.

-I judge if it's time to change my toothbrush.

-I judge if it's safe to cross the street--even if I have the walk-light or right of way, if I can't make eye contact with the eejit in the Explorer who's yapping on his phone or texting, I won't cross.

-I judge not to hire the 23 yr old waitress who brings her mom with her to the interview..

-I judge not to hire the cook who has his skateboard clamped between his knees at the interview table, and who ogles my female employees or trash-talks his previous employer.

-I judge not to let an employee who's drunk or stoned work his/her shift. My judgement, don't need a court-order or a urine sample. If the guy/gal injures himself or injures others, I--the employer--will have to bear responsibility for some one else's actions.

-I judge if guests are too drunk to serve alcohol to. See the above for reasons why.

So I judge. Maybe it's something for others to think about, or maybe I'm full of beans and just messing with your head.

You judge....


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## jimmy lauria26 (Aug 24, 2013)

used to be cocaine and alcohol but been clean for 3 years now its pretty much cigarettes, coffee and an occasional joint.


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## phaedrus (Dec 23, 2004)

I'm not sure how close they are to "addictions" but I have a few:

1.  Guns- A pretty good percentage of my money goes to guns, especially handguns.  Shooting and reloading are major hobbies for me.

2.  Knives- I'm pretty much a blade addict.  Doesn't matter, kitchen knives or sporting knives, I have a ton of them.

3.  Sharpening- I have a few thousand bucks wrapped up in natural and synthetic stones, plus my machines (3 grinders).

4.  Audio- Right now I have maybe $12-13,000 sunk into my audio rig.  And about 1,000 discs (classical, some indie rock & old metal from my younger days- also a lot of jazz).

5.  Cooking- Despite cooking for a living I'm always futzing around with something at home.  I have a Blendtech blender, a Traeger, an electric smoker, a commercial chamber vac machine, two water ovens and a L'equip dehydrator.  I'm always working up something that might see the plate at work down the road.

6.  Reading- I'm a big reader, too.  I don't have a lot of time right at the moment but I'm a big book lover.  Philosophy is my big thing, and oddly also HP Lovecraft.


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## laurenlulu (Sep 9, 2012)

Phaedrus said:


> I'm not sure how close they are to "addictions" but I have a few:
> 
> 1. Guns- A pretty good percentage of my money goes to guns, especially handguns. Shooting and reloading are major hobbies for me.
> 
> ...


*swoon*


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## lagom (Sep 5, 2012)

Phaedrus said:


> I'm not sure how close they are to "addictions" but I have a few:
> 
> 1. Guns- A pretty good percentage of my money goes to guns, especially handguns. Shooting and reloading are major hobbies for me.
> 2. Knives- I'm pretty much a blade addict. Doesn't matter, kitchen knives or sporting knives, I have a ton of them.
> ...


Im serving braised cthulhu for a lunch special tomorrow.


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## gsuchef (Sep 30, 2012)

Bass Guitar- I will play and practice for at least an hour a day even if I have worked 18+hours. I've been playing since I was 12, so 21 years. I sometimes regret not going attending Berkeley School of Music in favor of Culinary School.

Diet Coke- There is never a minute that passes that I don't have one near by. 

Reading- I'm a big reader, but I'm a picky reader. I will not read "trash novels" Once I year I read my two favorite books. "The Fountainhead" and "Atlas Shrugged" by Ayn Rand. Yes I know I am a nerd and I am proud of it!!


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## jdndaddy (Jan 25, 2014)

GSUchef said:


> Bass Guitar- I will play and practice for at least an hour a day even if I have worked 18+hours. I've been playing since I was 12, so 21 years. I sometimes regret not going attending Berkeley School of Music in favor of Culinary School.


Forgot about about my guitar addiction, haha. I play bass or guitar almost everyday and have a decent amount of gear. It's seems to me a lot of people in culinary play music.


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## gsuchef (Sep 30, 2012)

jdndaddy said:


> Forgot about about my guitar addiction, haha. I play bass or guitar almost everyday and have a decent amount of gear. It's seems to me a lot of people in culinary play music.


IMO, Music and Culinary require the same skill set. One must be very precise in the execution of the art and at the same time you must be very creative. My Chef de Cuisine is a guitarist and one of my sous chefs is a drummer. When ever we get down time, which is very seldom, we get together and jam. But yes there are a lot of chefs that gravitate towards music.


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## kaiquekuisine (Apr 11, 2013)

I love listening to music.

I actually did a course on being a conductor but my music career didnt take off. 

6 years of clarinet playing at a moderate level and 1 year of violin but eventually stopped practicing all together. 

I forgot to mention my reading addiction xD


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## ilprochef (Dec 9, 2013)

Eating seems to be the only addiction I have.


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## meezenplaz (Jan 31, 2012)

Danger.

Adventure.

Girls gone wild!

Plus I LOVE the smell of Napalm in the morning.

Well, maybe robust coffee.

Cooking of course.

Trap shooting, (no skeet yet) rifles, handgun shooting, and reload ammo also.

Don't hunt anymore, just shoot.

Flying, when $$$$$$ and time permits.

Same with Boating, 4x4ing, when I can.

Weird stuff...hypnosis I guess.

And amateur magic.

And of course we ALL know that good cooking is a magic in itself. /img/vbsmilies/smilies/chef.gif


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## thecytochromec (Jan 16, 2013)

It's funny how this addiction thread is intimately intertwined with our hobbies. It's also nice to see how many shooters and re-loaders there are here. It makes sense though, some people just prefer to roll their own.


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## beastmasterflex (Aug 14, 2013)

GSUchef said:


> Reading- I'm a big reader, but I'm a picky reader. I will not read "trash novels" Once I year I read my two favorite books. "The Fountainhead" and "Atlas Shrugged" by Ayn Rand. Yes I know I am a nerd and I am proud of it!!


"Ayn Rand is one of those things that a lot of us, when we were 17 or 18 and feeling misunderstood, we'd pick up." Obama. That one cut a little for me too.


Workaholic said:


> PRAISE. and coffee.


I hear that, all about the moment when someone realizes the lengths you've gone to.

Also coffee, redbull, cigarettes, pot, guns, knives, vodka, lidocaine patches.


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## thecytochromec (Jan 16, 2013)

beastmasterflex said:


> Also coffee, redbull, cigarettes, pot, guns, knives, vodka, lidocaine patches.


/img/vbsmilies/smilies/lol.gif Don't forget beer /img/vbsmilies/smilies/drinkbeer.gif


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## veronporter (May 9, 2011)

Cigarettes, red bull/coffee, buying cookbooks, NFL, eating food(on my days off of course), working/adrenaline. That's it, really.

I'm lucky to have quit the drugs/drinking early in my career(4 years ago at 25) which unsurprisingly, is when my "career" really began.


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## chef torrie (Mar 1, 2011)

Snowmobiling, cigs, beer. Really good beer.


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## chef torrie (Mar 1, 2011)

I agree. Was spending a lot of my time and money on cocaine when I was younger. Havnt touched the stuff in over 3 years. Can't give up the beer though. Nothing like a couple cold ones after a long shift or during a game. Also agree with the red bull, kind of my new cocaine.



veronporter said:


> Cigarettes, red bull/coffee, buying cookbooks, NFL, eating food(on my days off of course), working/adrenaline. That's it, really.
> 
> I'm lucky to have quit the drugs/drinking early in my career(4 years ago at 25) which unsurprisingly, is when my "career" really began.


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## dreamshards8 (Dec 2, 2013)

Coffee, craft beer, travel, and cook books. O god I spent too much money on all of these things in 13'.


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## meezenplaz (Jan 31, 2012)

> It's funny how this addiction thread is intimately intertwined with our hobbies.


Haha, I was just _waiting_ for someone to say that! /img/vbsmilies/smilies/lol.gif


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## mhpr262 (Dec 6, 2013)

Phaedrus said:


> I'm not sure how close they are to "addictions" but I have a few:
> 
> 1. Guns- A pretty good percentage of my money goes to guns, especially handguns. Shooting and reloading are major hobbies for me.
> 
> ...


WTF, apart from the guns (can't really get them in germany, I have bows and airguns and slingshots though) you have exactly the same hobbies I have. Just way more extreme ... especially the audio and the sharpening stuff ... /img/vbsmilies/smilies/biggrin.gif


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## phaedrus (Dec 23, 2004)

That's kind of ironic- I have four German-made HKs.  It's strange/sad that you can't get the superb firearms made in your own country.


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## thecytochromec (Jan 16, 2013)

Phaedrus said:


> That's kind of ironic- I have four German-made HKs. It's strange/sad that you can't get the superb firearms made in your own country.


That's what I was thinking. HK, Glock in Austria and Sig Sauer-Kraut

/img/vbsmilies/smilies/bounce.gif I've waited a long time to use that one.


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## powerviolence (May 19, 2012)

Weed Coke Beer Cigs Sex and occasionally caffeine the basic industry standards


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## kostendorf (Mar 15, 2012)

after winning a battle with cancer, surgery to remove a Tumor then 8 months of chemo, i had to reduce my addictions and watch what i put in to my Body in large amounts.  but in the high times it was what ever was around and popular at the time.  now only medical weed and and a bit of booze,  mostly Scotch and some beer.


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## ras1187 (Oct 3, 2006)

After a quick browse of this thread I have not seen my personal favorite... SLEEP

I guess I also tinker with computers alot more than the average cook. I still think I am better with that then I am in a kitchen.


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