So this post is kind of late but as I have stated before I am finally starting to catch my blog up with what has been going on here in Italy. When I got to Italy I got the shock of a lifetime! I had the opportunity to meet Chef Robert Irvine! Chef Irvine was in Naples doing a Mission Impossible episode for the military and was available for autographs. Since his show is not aired on Italian TV not many people really knew who he was (gasp) so I had his exclusive attention for a good 20 minutes.
I realize too that this is also the first glimpse of the man behind the dough :) I know what you're thinking..."He works out" and you would be correct. Chef Irvine talks about how much he works out in his book ;) as for me well, I like bread, enough said. In case you have ever watched his show and really did wonder if he was a work out fanatic then let me answer that for you - YES HE IS!!! He was massive! In his book he discusses how he likes to cook and workout as a stress reliever. Now if only I could get on board with that plan!
Chef Irvine was my first "celebrity" chef to meet and I have to say that he was the nicest guy you could imagine. He was completely approachable and amazingly friendly to talk to. We talked about his show and the things that had happened with the Food Network. he said that the Food Network had apologized to him for overreacting to a misunderstanding about his credentials. I asked him what he was going to do now. He said that although he couldn't go into details about it he was in talks with a major network and taking his show prime-time.
Before leaving Chef Irvine autographed his latest cookbook for me with some very kind words.
The book (Mission: Cook!) is more of an autobiography of Chef Irvine's life than a cookbook. The recipes that he shares are from his present day life and his childhood. Chef Irvine was a cook in the Royal Navy and he shares stories from that part of his life as well.
In his cookbook you will get recipes ranging from Black Angus Beef Tartare with Toasted Brioche and Fried Quail Egg (I can't imagine ever putting this in front of my children who still balk at meatloaf) to Chicken Vindaloo (I love Vindaloo!! Now if I only I could get it to love me...). The wide range of recipes speaks to the amazing life this Chef has had.
Well, I certainly can't wait to see what shows he comes up with! There have been many celebrity chefs do well on prime-time TV in America. Especially the British type. I am a personal fan of Kitchen Nightmares and Hell's Kitchen. I've never really gotten into Jamie Oliver but I'm not saying I wouldn't give it a try later in life.
I would like leave you dear Reader, with my opinion of the ton of negative articles about Chef Irvine; I have to say that unless you have met him in person and seen what kind of guy he really is you shouldn't believe everything you read. I'm a life long fan. Also, in case you are wondering if I am 'celebrity prone' I can't ever imagine meeting Rachel Ray or Paula Deen and writing this same review. (Yes, dear Reader, that was a slam.)
Tell us about your experiences:
Have you met any "celebrities"? Chef or otherwise?
