L.A. Diet

Actor Dean McDermott Cooks Haggis at Abigaile, Ditches His Diet on Game Day

McDermott outside of Abigaile in Hermosa Beach
McDermott outside of Abigaile in Hermosa Beach Photo: Abigaile

Dean McDermott, best known for his real-life role as Tori Spelling’s husband, as also seen on the small screen in their show,Tori & Dean, is just as likely to be found behind the stove as he is in front of the spotlight these days. He recently completed a stint in culinary school, keeps a cooking blog called Gourmet Dad, and routed his competition in Rachel Vs. Guy: Celebrity Cookoff. “I try to to keep to some sort of healthy regimen,” McDermott tells Grub Street, “but it gets hard cooking for the kids. I cook healthy for them, but I snack as I’m doing it. Then, I have one cheat day where I go a bit crazy.” The film and T.V. actor did just that this week during the Super Bowl and while cooking a marathon group chef dinner at Abigaile in Hermosa Beach. Come see everything McDermott ate this past week in today’s L.A. Diet.

Monday, January 28
Woke up at 7:00 A.M. Rounded up the kids and made scrambled eggs for Hattie and Stella and a bowl of Gluten Free Chex with almond milk for Liam. I made a black coffee for myself and ate about 4 ounces of leftover scrambled eggs. Around 8:30 A.M., I started loading food and gear into my car for “The Restaurant Takeover” at The Abigaile in Hermosa Beach. I started a photo shoot for a Day In The Life then grabbed a half a bagel and cream cheese and black coffee from Tori’s Redbook shoot and left for the Abigaile.

I started prepping my food for the evening and took a break around 3:00 P.M. and had a chicken burrito bowl from Chipotle and a bottle of water. I consumed several liters of water while working and cooking in the kitchen and around 4:00 P.M., started sampling servings of haggis, mashed potatoes and turnips with cream and butter, pomegranate gastrique, and tablespoons of scotch mustard sauce. [Abigaile chef] Tin Voung convinced me to take a break and have a beer. The restaurant had an open tab for all the chefs, so I had half a pint of the dark ale. Delicious.

Later, I begged Chef Jorge Valines for a small piece of his fried chicken skin, which was amazing, then it was just water, water, beer, water until I started plating chef Tin’s dish and began working on my dishes, firing 90 sea scallops and 90 pieces of haggis. Around 9:00 P.M., I started plating chef Jorge Valines confit of chicken with mofongo balls, then ate two confit chicken thighs and one mofungo ball. After plating Jet Tila’s Khao Soi, I went to my wife’s table and tried two tablespoons of the dish, off the hook and spicy. Near 11:00 P.M., I started plating chef Tony Disalvo’s dish, and later tried five pieces of soy braised tongue, beef cheek, beef sausage. Insanely good. My favorite of the night.

At ten to midnight, I plated chef Emily Collissons’ tocinino del cielo dessert, ate two pieces at the end of service, and had a light IPA ale called Exile, which had bright, light, and great citrus notes. Got home at 1:00 A.M. and had half of one of the kids chocolate cookies with a bottle of water. I brushed my teeth and crashed out after an amazing night.

Tuesday, January 29
Up with the kids at 7:00 A.M., took a one-ounce shot of Noni Juice, a black coffee, and a piece of buttered, gluten-free toast, and a chocolate protein shake.

For lunch, I had a Banh Mi sandwich, but didn’t eat the bread, along with a bottle of sparkling Peligrino. Around six, I had a market salad with grilled chicken and a diet Coke. Then, after getting tje kids fed bathed and off to bed, I had a Yoplait pina colada yogurt,
lots of water, then off to bed.

Wednesday, January 30
Up at seven with the kiddos, had my Noni juice, black coffee, and a bowl of oatmeal with bananas. Also had a few bites of the kids pancakes and a chocolate protein shake.

For lunch, I had a turkey sandwich on gluten-free bread with mustard, mayo, lettuce, and tomato. For dinner, ate a grilled chicken Caesar salad followed by five mouthfuls of Liam’s brownie and ice cream. Around ten, it was time for a Yoplait original creamsicle yogurt while I watched Food Network and fell asleep.

Thursday, January 31
Up at 7:00 A.M. with the kids. I think you see a pattern here. Had my one-ounce Noni Juice and a black coffee. A big bowl of Chex gluten-free honey nut cereal and a chocolate protein shake. Boring…

I had chocolate protein shake for lunch and a handful of almonds. Oh, and a red apple. Then around 4:00, I ate two pieces of albacore belly sushi and a baked crab hand roll. No hot sake, just water. Around 7:00 P.M., I had two of the kids’ mini slider burgers and mash potatoes and half a chocolate chip cookie. Then a handful of almonds around ten, falling asleep with the Food Network…again.

Friday, February 1
Up at 7:00 A.M. with the same routine; Noni, coffee, and shake, but this time I ate two scrambled eggs, too. At eleven, I had a total sugar melt down. I had a craving and ate two M&M; cookies. Arrrgghh, I was being so good. Sweets are my Achilles heel. My diet is still a lot healthier than when I was in school and testing recipes at home. I’d eat everything I made and I’d also eat what my classmates made. 20 more pounds to go to reach my fighting weight again. Wish me luck.

For a late lunch, I had a Progresso chicken noodle soup, red apple, and a cheese stick. Later that day, I had a huge bowl of Gelson’s vegetable beef soup, and half of Stella’s pomegranate Popsicle. Then I wrote recipes and blog entries. Then crashed out.

Saturday, February 2
Up at 7:30 A.M. while the kids slept in. Had my Noni, black coffee, and shake and then I grazed all day until dinner. I munched on almonds, apples, two of the kids’ meatballs, and a bowl of GF Chex. For dinner, it was pan-seared sirloin with steamed broccoli. Then I channel-surfed between three hockey games and went to bed around 12:30 A.M.

Sunday, February 3
Up at the usual, drank the usual, then made the kids green eggs and lamb., which is just a little green food color in the scrambled eggs and some pan-fried lamb sausage. The whole family dug in and loved it.

I held out until 1:00 P.M. then made a big batch of my triple pork chili, ordered an extra large cheese pizza and some wings, and hunkered in for the game. Oh, I went deep on my cheat day. Pigged out until Rachel vs. Guy came on at 7:00 P.M. and watched my victory into the finale go down. Then I had some 18-year-old scotch to celebrate. Watched Paranormal Activity 4 and fell asleep halfway through.

Actor Dean McDermott Cooks Haggis at Abigaile, Ditches His Diet on Game Day