Who is your favorite Chef and or Cook Male, Female or both?

Answer 1

AS I AM A RETIRED EXECUTIVE CHEF I MUST SAY THAT MOST OF THE FOLKS (WANNA BE CHEFS) ON TV ARE ONLY INTO IT FOR THE $$! I SAY GOOD FOR THEM BUT ANY OF THEM THAT ARE OR HAVE BEEN PROFESSIONAL COOKS/CHEFS KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT HERE! MOST ALL OF THEM ARE 99% PERSONALITY AND GREAT FOR FOLKS THAT KNOW NOTHING ABOUT COOKING OR WANT TO COOK RECREATIONALLY.
THE GREATEST CHEF I EVER WORKED UNDER (and believe me, I was very lucky!)..WAS A MAN NAMED CHEF PAUL! (last name not important), HE WAS WHAT I LIKE TO CALL A TRUE & AUTHENTIC EXECUTIVE CHEF WITH DEGREES IN "GARNISHEE" AS WELL AS "HARD WORK" ! HE STARTED OUT BACK IN THE THIRTIES GOING TO THE FAMOUS "CORDON BLUE" CHEFS/COOKING SCHOOL IN FRANCE, JUST FOR STARTERS! HE THEN GOT A JOB AT THE FAMOUS "BRENNANS" IN NEW ORLEANS FOR ABOUT 9 YEARS, THEN THE WALDORF- ASTORIA IN N.Y. CITY, THE AMBASSADOR HOTEL ALSO IN NEW YORK AND A FEW OTHER LUXURY HOTELS IN NEW YORK! HE MOVED TO CALIF. IN APROX. 1969 AS HE WANTED TO IMPROVE UPON HIS SKILLS IN THE FINEST RESTAURANTS IN THE HOLLYWOOD, CA- PALM SPRINGS, CA- OJAI, CA (just N.E. of Santa Barbara and very exclusive!) THAT OFFER A DIFFERENT TYPE OF CUISINE! THEN ON TO INFORMALLY RETIRE (working as a 40 hr. a week Exec. Chef, rather than the demanding "being married to your job atmosphere) in REDDING, CA. IN 1988 TO HAVE WORKED FOR 50 YEARS AS A CHEF!
I AM FROM REDDING BUT A FRIEND MY AGE GOT ME IN ABOVE THE LONG WAITING LIST AT THE VERY SHIEK "OAKS AT OJAI RESORT HOTEL" IN OJAI, CA, AS AN ON THE JOB SCHOOL AND DINNER COOK WITH A GREAT SALARY PLUS ROOM AND FOOD, WORKING SIDE BY SIDE WITH CHEF PAUL! THIS WAS IN 1974 AND EVEN THOUGH IT WAS A VERY TOUGH AND DEMANDING POSITION WORKING 80 HRS. A WEEK W/ GOOD PAY, I STILL CONSIDERED MYSELF TO BE VERY LUCKY AND MAN DID IT PAY OFF! I COMPLETED MY APPRENTICE IN JUST OVER 2 YEARS AND I CAN HONESTLY SAY THAT "I LEARNED FROM THE VERY BEST"! HE COULD BE VERY "GRUMPY" AT TIMES BUT THE COOKING BIZ WILL DO THAT TO ANYONE WHO'S BEEN SO DEVOTED TO IT FOR 36 YEARS (at the time) AS IT'S VERY HIGH PRESSURE WORK AND HOT WORK AS WELL! AS FAR AS HIS MOOD SWINGS, ANY STUDENT OF HIS JUST HAS TO IGNORE IT AND REALLY LISTEN TO EVERYTHING HE HAS TO SAY, ESPECIALLY WHEN HE'S TEACHING YOU EXTREMELY IMPORTANT AND VALUABLE TRICKS, METHODS AND ALL THE ZILLIONS OF "HOW TO'S"! I STARTED OUT WITH HIM AT 17 YEARS OLD AND ENDED UP WORKING AS A CHEF ALL OVER THE U.S. FOR 20 YEARS BUT HAD TO CHANGE CAREERS DUE TO THIS CHEFING JUST BEATS UP YOUR BODY! I THINK A LOT OF IT IS THE CEMENT FLOORS AND RUBBER SLATS ON THE COOK LINE (especially when they get a tad greasy in the middle of a busy dinner rush!) NOT TO MENTION BEING ON YOUR FEET FOR OVER 10 HOURS A DAY USUALLY 29 TO 30 DAYS A MONTH (lucky to ever get a day off unless you finally have a crew that you can trust while your away).
BOTTOM LINE HERE IS, A GREAT CHEF OR EVEN A LOT OF REALLY GOOD CHEFS CAN TEACH YOU THINGS THAT ARE PRICELESS! THINGS LIKE ICE CARVINGS, HOW TO MAKE SMOOTH SAUCES AND ABOUT 75 OF THEM (the 1st thing I used to ask potential dinner cooks I was interviewing was, "How do you make a hollandaise or Bernaise sauce?" If they look at you funny and try to pull the wool over your eyes by giving you a completely ridicoulous answer,like a lot of them do, let's just say that they don't have the experience you need for a dinner position, a breakfast cook is a show me thing, "Can the guy work 4 egg and 2 omelette pans as well as the grill, waffle iron and sometimes toast as well simultaniously? It just takes experience and I, if I liked the guy, would train him and a lotta times it works out well!
HE ALSO TAUGHT ME THINGS LIKE FOOD COST PERCENTAGES, COOKING ABOUT 10 PRIME RIBS PER NIGHT PERFECTLY RARE AND THE LIST REALLY DOES GO ON AND ON! EVEN THINGS LIKE "HOW YOU LEAVE YOUR KITCHEN, INSIDE AND OUT, AFTER A BUSY SATURDAY NIGHT! CLEAN, CLEAN AND CLEAN SOME MORE!
BREK., LUNCH AND DINNER COOKING CAN BE ALL ABOUT SPEED AND ACCURACY BUT DINNER IN A HIGH $$ PLACE, YOUR TALKING ABOUT $20 TO $75 PLATES SO IT TAKES WAY MORE EXPERIENCE THAN BREAKFAST COOKING!
ANYWAYS I KNOW I'VE GONE ON WAY TOO LONG BUT I REALLY HOPE IT NOT ONLY HELPS YOU BUT ANYONE OUT THERE THAT IS YOUNG AND THINKING ABOUT GETTING INTO COOKING! YOU REALLY DON'T HAVE TO GO TO SCHOOL BUT YOU DO HAVE TO BE, IN ANY RESTAURANT JOB (BEING A WAITRESS OR WAITER) THE HIGH ENERGY AND THE FAST TYPE OF PERSON! NO SNAILS NEED APPLY!
THEY JUST NEVER KEEP UP!
SO 1 LAST THING IS, GET A GREAT COOKBOOK! I HAVE THE BOOK WHICH COST ME ABOUT $75 BUT WELL WORTH IT A "CORDON BLUE BOOK W/ PICTURES CALLED...(now bare with me here)
LAROUSSE GASTROMONIQUE! YOU'LL LOVE HOW DIVERSE ALL OF THE VERY YUMMY RECIPES ARE! I'D CONSIDER IT A COLLABERATION OF A LOT OF COOKING STYLES, OR EVEN CONTINENTAL CUISINE. IT'S WORTH EVERY PENNY ESPECIALLY IF YOUR JUST GETTING INTO THE COOKING BUSINESS! ENJOY!

Answer 2

Female - Katharine Hepburn, all the way! Kate was the queen! She was a great actress, she chose such groundbreaking roles, and she had such a legendary career. Besides, I act so much like her with the non-conformist attitude and ever-present slacks. Male - This is a bit harder. I like Cary Grant, Gregory Peck, Al Pacino, Morgan Freeman, and even Dustin Hoffman. You can seldom go wrong with any of them. But I'll admit that I'm on a James McAvoy kick right now because he is an underrated actor but also because I think he's really good-looking. LOL!

Answer 3

I hate to say it, being a woman and all, but men are pretty good cooks and dam*ed good chefs when they put their mind to it. Not saying there aren't good female chef/cooks! I'd put myself up against any male chef (ha) any time for a little Iron Chef competition. And Paula Deen and Julia Child could both kick my butt! So...both.

Answer 4

I'm going with Food Network chefs if that's okay. My favorite female is probably Giada DeLaurentiis. She makes recipes that you can easily follow and they always look nice, even if I don't particularly like what she's making that day. As for male, I like a lot of what Bobby Flay makes on Boy Meets Grill, but then I also like what Tyler Florence makes on his shows. Who are your favorites? I do like Paula Deen, but her recipes are just too fattening. I made her chicken pot pie once with the puff pastry and it was so heavy from the pastry and heavy cream. I wish she could lighten up some of the things she makes because I just can't eat like that all the time.

Answer 5

Rachel Ray and The Barefoot Contessa

Answer 6

If we are talking about celebrities then Paula Deen, granted I might be partial because I am from Savannah. Gotta love a woman who cooks with out care...and a stick of butter!! Every recipe I have tried of hers turns out wonderfully and I love her sucess story also.

Answer 7

Alton Brown.

=]

Answer 8

Emerill and Paula Deen.

Answer 9

Justin Wilson.. . wonderful down home cooking with cajun flavor
loves cooking with wine. . .

Answer 10

male elton brown

Answer 11

Male. Have you ever been to the SpeakEasy? It ROX!!!

























































































































































































































AND WHAT DO U MEAN BOTH?