No one knew I was gay growing up but I was bullied. I was a cheerleader, fairly popular and considered straight.
To me, money is the ability to create lifelong experiences for my family and myself, to educate my children and a way to give back to humanity.
I wanted so badly to be straight like my friends. But I couldn’t change it any more than I could change having brown eyes. And I knew I would never fit into what kids thought was normal.
The type of cuisine I do, especially after being on ‘Iron Chef’ for several years, is a lot of global cuisine. My strength has always been Mediterranean cuisine across the board from Morocco, Spain, Italy, Greece, France, but I think now I’m doing a lot of very different cuisines all the time.
It’s fun to pick a cuisine and say I’m going to research Ethiopian food, and see what it’s all about. You find that there are a lot of similarities in cuisines from around the world and a lot of similar flavors.
The thing about being at home versus being out in the world working is, it’s a whole different vibe. When I’m home with my kids and partner, I will cook – even though she’s a very good cook. She’s learned over the years. We started with basics, you know, how to saute onions, how to saute mushrooms.
Purchase items that can be made into several meals, like a whole roasted chicken, or bag of sweet potatoes, and shop the periphery of the grocery store, avoiding the middle aisles full of processed and higher-priced foods.
Chronic malnutrition, or the lack of proper nutrition over time directly contributes to three times as many child deaths as food scarcity. Yet surprisingly, you don’t really hear about this hidden crisis through the morning news, Twitter or headlines of major newspapers.
I add a lot of citrus to my food and I think that flavors it. And, to me, that what makes it healthier, lower in fat, lower in calories. It adds lots of flavor. Spices, of course. But citrus is definitely kind of my go-to to season and really to really make those flavors, make that food come alive.
Every public school in the country should have a nutrition-education curriculum. We’re creating a pilot program at my son’s school. We are looking to create a replicable model that can help bring good nutrition to all children.
I think people are more savvy about cooking, food and dining. I notice they are looking for more value for their money – not in larger portions but more in terms of healthier, fresh, farm-to-table dishes with a nice presentation.
I use a lot of fresh citrus, garlic, and fresh herbs when cooking to cut down on fat and sodium but punch up flavor. Our cupboards and fridge are full of condiments – mustards, vinegars, etc. that also add tons of flavor but are low in fat, calories, or other processed additives.
I know growing up as a young gay person how much you hate yourself, how much you already think you’re different.
I launched Chefs for Humanity, a national nonprofit, with my voice, heart and money from my own pocket. Money gives you the ability to make a difference in the world and, when used in a positive way, is a lot of fun.
I am climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro in Africa this Summer as a personal physical goal for myself, but also as a way to bring on sponsors and raise awareness and funds to help benefit the programs and initiatives of Chefs for Humanity.
My humanitarian work evolved from being with my family. My mom, my dad, they really set a great example for giving back. My mom was a nurse, my dad was a school teacher. But my mom did a lot of things for geriatrics and elderly people. She would do home visits for free.
I’ve been experimenting more and more with LN2, liquid nitrogen. I’ve used it in battle on ‘Iron Chef America,’ but have also made some great ice creams at home for my family. Since it freezes basically on contact, you can have ice cream ready in mere minutes.
When I’m home, the heart and soul of our family is in the kitchen. Growing up, my parents both worked, so dinnertime was for family – the TV was off. I think it’s important to grab that time and really make it special, even after a tough day.
Following the devastating India Ocean tsunami of 2004, I founded Chefs for Humanity, modeled after Doctors Without Borders, but comprised of chefs. There wasn’t anything out there like it, and there was a definite need for chefs to be able to offer assistance and aid.
I think about food all the time. It’s my passion; it’s my profession. But some people think about food all the time because they’re hungry. We can put an end to this if we join forces and lend a hand.