Giada, Wolfgang Puck, Rachel Ray, Emeril, Jamie Oliver, Bobby Flay, Ina Garten… the list goes on. Celebrity chefs are a thing, and here at Spoon, we don’t hate it. Anyone who has a catchphrase (“BAM”) and can make delicious food is A-ok in our book. Though the idea of celebrity chefs is not a new one, with Julia Child starting the phenomenon in the 1970’s, only recently have celebrity chefs of all kinds gained prestige and stardom. They are no longer hidden behind kitchen doors slaving over a hot stove, but are emerging outside of the kitchen to show off their incredible talent.
Curious as to who exactly is in this cooking cult besides the Food Network stars? Here’s a small sampling to whet your appetite.
1. Kelis
From milkshakes to Le Cordon-Bleu, the singer/rapper has incorporated the culinary arts in her personal and professional life in more ways than one. After feeling done with music, Kelis moved on to cooking, explaining that it was “therapeutic.” She obtained her chef’s certification from the acclaimed hospitality institution Le Cordon Bleu a few years after the release of her 2006 album, has her own line of condiments, and recently came out with a show on the Cooking Channel called “Saucy and Sweet”. Plus, she just dropped an album appropriately titled Food, boasting songs with titles like “Breakfast” and “Jerk Ribs”.
Photo courtesy of Time Magazine
2. Flynn McGarry
What were you doing at the age of 15? While most of us were struggling through the most awkward years of our lives, young prodigy Flynn McGarry is cooking with professionals twice his age and hosting supper clubs that go for $160 per diner. The impressive teenager gained fame through YouTube videos his mother posted and to date has made appearances on shows like “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.” I’m sure we’ll be seeing much more of his freckled face and red toupee in the future.
Photo courtesy of The New York Times
3. Rōze Traore
Traore is an interesting hybrid as a full-time model and part-time chef. At night he cooks at one of New York’s top-notch restaurants, only to head out for shootings and runway shows in the morning (supposedly with only a few hours of sleep in between). He was interviewed by Vice Magazine a couple of months ago, describing his experience balancing these now mutual worlds.
Photo courtesy of Vice Magazine
4. Gwyneth Paltrow
While I don’t consider Paltrow an actual authority in the culinary arts, her reverse relationship with celebrity status and food makes her worth mentioning -acting fame came first and afterwards she became a food guru. She’s emblematic of a whole slew of stars such as Alicia Silverstone, Eva Longoria, Lauren Conrad, and even 2Chainz (not kidding – checkout their cookbook #MEALTIME) who have assumed the role of food writers. Paltrow is the poster child for the question if a celebrity’s validity in the food world is based on their abilities or because of their spot on Hollywood’s bright-faced line-up. In Paltrow’s case, I’m inclined to think the latter.
Photo courtesy of Frappé, Inc