Question of the Day: Wanted: a personal chef
If you wanted to hire a personal chef for one week (and money were no object), who would you ask? A past or present famous chef? Someone local you admire? A relative? I would seek out a very nourishing, grandmotherly-type. I'd request she prepare her "ultimate" version of all my favorite comfort foods, ending with dessert, of course! Would you hire a personal chef if given the opportunity?
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36 Comments:
I would ask Jacques Pepin. Besides his amazing food, he just seems like a cool guy to hang out with!
K at 9:14PM on 06/28/07
A toss up between Ina Garten and Nigella Lawson. I like both of their general attitudes towards food, but now that I think about it, I think Nigella would be loads more fun to hang out with.
LizNYC at 9:49PM on 06/28/07
Rachel Ray.
JUST KIDDING!
If he could cook vegetarian food, I'd totally get Bobby Flay to be my personal chef. I have a stupid crush on him - probably because I like jerks and he totally is one. And I simply LOVE his food. My birthday tradition is to go to Mesa Grill for brunch.
In the even that Bobby is not available, I'd go with one of the following:
Nigella Lawson - while I don't think she's the most amazing chef, she'd definitely be fun to hang out with!
Mario Batali - so long as he didn't try to make me eat lardo or guangiale; I've heard conflicting reports on his personality, so I'm not 100% sure on this one
OK I'm taking this way too seriously! Time to watch Bobby Flay attempt to make sticky buns
charm city cupcake at 10:07PM on 06/28/07
K hit it before I could answer. Jacques Pepin. First guy I saw who inspired me to think about cooking better-than-crap food. That was a LONG time ago, on PBS. I'd be more interested in watching his technique than eating his food. Might get thrown out of the kitchen for being a bother.
TikiPundit at 10:44PM on 06/28/07
I agree with charm city... Bobby Flay all the way...
pbisNOTmyname at 12:38AM on 06/29/07
oh a toughie. Mario I would want to make me dinner. Nick Maglieri to make me dessert. Lidia to make me some soup. Rick Bayless to make me some mexican meals. Nancy Silverton for Breakfast, Brunch and or Lunch.
JerzeeTomato at 1:09AM on 06/29/07
Micheal Iles, my chef instructor at culinary school. He and I have amazingly similar tastes and he already knows what I like. I'd only do it if I could afford to pay him the "super-star chef" wages, though. He's toiled in the back of the house for years and he deserves a lottery sized payday.
Calichef at 4:37AM on 06/29/07
Would definitely want Thomas Keller.
ceforrester at 9:07AM on 06/29/07
yeah I dont realize the infatuation with "bad boy" bobby? i mean I dont think I want to ever watch him make any sort of blue corn tamale ever again...its seems he either does that or grills some veggies...every time!.
Kbear919 at 11:35AM on 06/29/07
Giada DeLaurentis could hang her apron in my kitchen any time she wants!
1stmakearoux at 11:55AM on 06/29/07
Can I have another pick? Giada's busy this week. How about that wonderful Cajun Chef, John Folse? Laissez le bontemps rouler!
1stmakearoux at 11:57AM on 06/29/07
If money and reality were no barrier, Auguste Escoffier.
DaveFaris at 11:58AM on 06/29/07
Jamie Oliver - definately!
Lilartist at 12:07PM on 06/29/07
If by "personal chef" we mean "attractive person I can keep around the house to obey all my food whims" then obviously Dave Lieberman. I can never remember exactly what he makes on his show since I am busy making eyes at him. that smile! mmmm!
I agree that Nigella would be great too, she'd probably end up being a great friend and someone you could count on to cheer you up with food/alcohol when life sucks. Her food is simple and yummy as well.
flye3076 at 1:40PM on 06/29/07
I would hire Mario for half of the week, with a "no holds barred" caveat. I would eat anything he served up. Then I'd hire Ina, her food is delicious. They would both be fun to hang out with in the kitchen (and the market!) with a glass of wine. I suspect that they wouldn't mind if I wanted to "help out" in the preparation.
ride&cook at 1:58PM on 06/29/07
Bob del Grosso: he keeps it real. I would love to watch him cook over a few beers, and perhaps a couple of shots after he finished cooking.
Lou at 2:12PM on 06/29/07
Definately Ina. Definately not Giada.
Reneebbuck at 3:52PM on 06/29/07
I would hire Sara Molton or Ina. Actually, anyone but Giada would do!
Cory at 3:53PM on 06/29/07
Jamie Oliver please
lisbear18 at 4:30PM on 06/29/07
Andre Soltner would be perfect.. However, a chef of the past, none other than Ferdinand Point.
flakevanille at 5:11PM on 06/29/07
Heck, aside from cheesy eye-candy, why would anyone want a personal chef for a week? I want one on permanent retainer, and since we're playing in the realm of fantasy, I'd like chefs Masa Takayama, Eric Ripert, and Nobu Matsuhisa to rotate during the week, so I be fabulously well fed and healthy to boot. And on Sundays I'd blow the diet and bring in a rotation of Ming Tsai, David Chang, Daniel Boulud, Thomas Keller, Mario Batali, and Joel Robuchon. Plus, you know, tons of minions or oompa-loompas for prep and clean-up.
maggiesara at 5:20PM on 06/29/07
Ooooh, Soltner, good pick. Ok, I'll add him to the rotation. Thanks, Flakevanille!
maggiesara at 5:22PM on 06/29/07
Mmmmm, if I bring in Soltner, he can do that incredible pike en croute and frozen raspberry souffle that I still dream about. What's another inch on the hips?
maggiesara at 5:32PM on 06/29/07
If I wanted to cook with the chef, it would be Ina Garten. If I was in the mood for fantastic layers of flavor, I would choose Jean- Georges Vongerichten. However, I just ate in "Top Chef" Harold Dieterle's restaurant Perilla, and the meal was great, but the desserts were to die from, so since I love sweets, he's elected.
Mich23 at 5:34PM on 06/29/07
Heston Blumenthal enough said.....
Kbear919 at 11:17PM on 06/29/07
Its nice to hear that Harold Dieterle's Perilla is actually good and has not turned into something like Rocco's bebauchery....
Kbear919 at 11:19PM on 06/29/07
Maybe I'm showing my age but I'd choose the ones who really piqued my interest in cooking... Martin Yan of Yan Can Cook fame and Justin Wilson who brought cajun cooking out of the swamps. We'd all have big holes in our culinary experience if we didn't have Julia Child swing past our kichens too.
czken at 5:45AM on 06/30/07
Sara Molton. Last on the list would be Giada. Yuck. I agree with the above comments. She can't cook, so they put her in outfits that make her look like a hooker to keep a couple of the men happy. What a way to make a living...she's a television hooker...lucky her.
viv at 11:30AM on 06/30/07
I'm surprised no one has said Anthony Bourdain yet. French bistro classics for a week plus getting smashed with him the whole time, total entertainment. He would also have endless stories from his travels, and he can talk trash about Rachael Ray in my kitchen anytime.
If Tony were off filming his latest episosde of No Reservations, I'd ask Lidia Bastianich. Motherly-type who would also sit around drinking wine with you and telling stories.
Jeana at 12:05PM on 06/30/07
I would hire a cutting edge vegetarian chef who made everything from organic and heirloom produce straight from the farmer's market and I would never let them go after a week. They'd be mine forevah, mwaah ha ha ha ha !!!!
june2 at 3:12PM on 06/30/07
Grant Achatz
AnnaG at 7:42PM on 06/30/07
I'd gotten to the very end of this page and was stunned/excited no one had named Achatz. Damn. Oh, well, my plates wouldn't cut it for his presentations, anyway.
So since he's off the list, how about Alice Waters?
conor610 at 1:07AM on 07/02/07
Matt and Ted Lee. They may not have the culinary credibility of Alice Waters, but they've got fantastic senses of humor and insatiable culinary curiosities (not to mention that they just won cookbook of the year!) I'd be guaranteed to stay entertained and well fed all week.
sawyerriley at 11:05AM on 07/02/07
marcella hazan and james beard.
simona at 11:20AM on 07/02/07
Tetsuya Wakuda - from everything I've read about him, I would absolutely love to have him in my kitchen for a week. I can only imagine how much I would learn just by observing!
That, or Jeff Smith, since The Frugal Gourmet is what very first clued me in that I might be a serious food lover. ;}
myzkyti at 3:31PM on 07/02/07
Sara Molton. There's no question that she is one serious cook. It hasn't gone to her head, like Giada, and her recipes are first-class recipes. She really knows her business.
Last on my list would also be Giada. What's up with that plastic smile, the phony accent, the sagging breasts, the huge head and the terrible cooking? Why is she on the air at all? I watched her about three times in the last three years. She has no talent at all and her recipes are as phony as she is.
Frankb at 3:48PM on 07/02/07