If you’re anything like me, you binge watch Barefoot Contessa, get irrationally angry when your favorite chef gets voted off of Top Chef and are constantly googling new recipes.
You’re a die-hard foodie, and you just want to meet other foodie friends who share your culinary values. While Taylor Swift’s girl squad may be the friend goals of most people you know, you’re hungry for more. In a dream world, your “squad” would consist of people who love and obsess over food as much you do.
1. Katie Lee
Photo courtesy of wendyshow.com
Though she’s a relatively new food personality, Lee is no stranger to kicking it in the kitchen. She started cooking with her Grandma at the age of four and her love of food (especially biscuits) kept growing from there. And not having a culinary degree hasn’t stopped her.
At the age of just 33, she’s become a success in the food industry. An acclaimed TV food critic, host of her own show, and cookbook author, Lee has been killing it career-wise, inspiring young aspiring female foodies (including myself) everywhere.
Her passion and expertise lie in Southern cooking and while she’s not afraid to indulge, she likes to keep her food simple and healthy. Katie Lee leads the life we all aspire to as she currently resides in the Hamptons and has an adorable relationship with her pug, Fionula.
Also, can we take a minute to talk about her fashion sense? She’s the kind of friend whose closet you would definitely want to raid. But despite her fame, she seems super cool and down to earth and is the perfect example of what you can accomplish with hard work. Can you say #goals?
2. Jeff Mauro
Photo courtesy of foodnetwork.com
Also known as the Sandwich King, Mauro captured the hearts of millions when he appeared on Season 7 of Food Network Star. A natural born performer, his goofy personality rivals even the best of them (I’m looking at you, Guy Fieri).
He’s also BFFs with Marc Murphy and Geoffrey Zakarian, two guys who know their way around a kitchen pretty well. Mauro has experience in every element of the food industry from teaching cooking lessons back home in Chicago to hosting his own show. He has even ventured to Hollywood to pursue his love of comedy.
He’s also not afraid of turning literally anything into a sandwich because as we all know, everything is better in sandwich form. And just like any grub-loving college student, Mauro is a sucker for pizza and potato chips.
On top of it all, your heart will melt like a classic grilled cheese when you watch him and his son, Lorenzo, together in the kitchen. Hello, #dadgoals. Basically, he’s just a big goofball that loves to cook, two qualities that make for an ideal best friend.
3. Haylie Duff
Photo courtesy of people.com
You probably know her best from her role in “Napoleon Dynamite” or as Hilary Duff’s older sister. Despite her success on the big screen, she left life as an actress to pursue her passion for cooking. Food was a huge part of her life growing up, and cooking with her family is something she truly values.
Her cooking style is based on her Southern roots combined with her new glamorous life in health-conscious Hollywood. A fellow food blogger, Duff eventually ending up compiling all of her best recipes into the best-selling cookbook The Real Girl’s Kitchen, which is now a successful show on the Cooking Channel.
Staying true to her “realness,” Duff admits she didn’t start off as the best cook, something we are all not so keen on admitting ourselves. College students aren’t the only ones who struggle in the kitchen.
She’s down to earth, sisters with Lizzie McGuire, and cooks super simple, health conscious food- in other words, someone who would make a pretty cool gal pal.
4. Anthony Bourdain
Photo courtesy of stltoday.com
This guy is everything all of us foodies aspire to be. He’s a world traveler, celebrity chef, and successful television host. He’s even a best-selling author, and I don’t mean just cookbooks. Bourdain is probably best known for his candid and brutally honest perspective on the culinary world.
Bourdain is known as the culinary world’s “bad boy” being that he is unapologetic in anything and everything he’s got to say regarding fellow chefs and the food industry in general. In a sense, he’s your typical college guy.
With his no-holds-barred use of profanity and sexual references, Bourdain isn’t afraid to say what he’s thinking. Bourdain has traveled the world and tasted foods so exotic it’s hard to believe they actually exist. And some of the food he eats looks seriously questionable.
He’s a big advocate for taking the time to travel and see the rest of the world. So tell your parents you’re leaving the country, because Anthony Bourdain, your new culinary best bud, told you to.
5. Duff Goldman
Photo courtesy of ciachef.edu
If you love cake, chances are you and Duff Goldman would become fast friends. But he’s more than a mean pastry making machine, Goldman has held jobs in small, local bagel shops all the way to the infamous French Laundry. Because sometimes, bakers can make pretty incredible chefs.
He’s also lived the dream of starting his own business from scratch claiming he needed an escape from the oppression of his day job. This started Charm City Cakes, a place where Goldman was able to get in touch with his creative spirit by creating absolutely insane cakes.
Charm City Cakes inspired the television show “Ace of Cakes” where we got a sneak peak inside Duff’s eclectic business and ultimately made us decide we wanted to become his best friend. Hello, free cake, am I right? Not only is he a killer baker and chef, he’s got the music in him, too.
Goldman is clearly a man of many talents and has recently even come out with his own line of baking products. Oh, and have I mentioned that he was named Culinary Ambassador by the White House? Having a friend like Duff definitely would not hurt your social status.