Favourite chefs / chefs you look up to

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Von blewitt

Von blewitt

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There are a number of chefs who I look up to, and in some way or another many of them have influenced how & what I cook. I'm curious to find out who some of you other guys admire.
 
Well, there's a certain Mr Jones who seems to be doing wonderful things over in a place called Merimbula, or was it Zanzibar ... :whistling:
 
Jim the Greek. He taught me how to cook lamb, season meat, and tell people to "shove it".

In a non-professional setting, via celebrity influence, I of course love Jamie Oliver, Adam Perry Lang, and the late Anthony Sedlak.
 
Early years Thomas Keller, then Eric Ripert , Ducasse for a while , since coming to down under Peter Gilmore


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Simon Hulstone.Raymond Blanc.Guy Savoy.Heston Blumenthal.Jock Zonfrillo.Christine Manfield and lots more that have provided me with inspiration but I think Alexis Soyer is the most incredible chef I have read about- the man was a genius and a bit of a nutter.
 
Jaques Pepin. How could you not be inspired by his knife work? M. Pepin and Julia were pretty much all we had back in the early days of tv cooking shows. (Unless you count Graham Kerr. :no:)

(Was going to add Clarissa Dickson Wright and Jennifer Paterson, but thought better of it.) :laughat:
 
A little known guy named Bill Neal.

He passed in the early 90's before celebrity chef culture really took off, especially in the South. And Southern cuisine in general was not really held in high regard in this country.

He opened and ran a few restaurants in the town over from where I grew up. He was a self-taught chef and also extremely intelligent (and over-educated for the job at the time). He wrote a couple cookbooks that are to this day my favorite on the different subjects, and a lot of it is less about the recipes themselves but the history and story behind the different dishes. Not so much the how but the why and the where.

It might sound silly but when I first got into cooking I was worried that I didn't have the background (some French or Italian grandmother waxing poetic about the tomato when I was a child etc etc). I didn't feel I grew up in an area or culture, at least at the time, that was known for its cuisine. I also never went to culinary school and knew I wouldn't - so reading his books inspired me a lot.
 
Matthias Merges, Giuseppe Tentori, Justin Woodward

Is hard to articulate on the forum as to why though
 
“When Jean-Louis first came here, he said to American chefs, ‘Hey guys, where are the farmers?’” recalls Thomas Keller of The French Laundry and Per Se. Keller was in awe of the imposing, yet congenial, chef, so much so that he put aside money during the year for an annual pilgrimage to Palladin’s restaurant in Washington, D.C. “I could only afford dinner for one, so I sat alone in the dining room. But it was an amazing experience.

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http://foodarts.com/news/features/30439/jeanlouis-lives
 
This is great guys! I'm really enjoying reading about some of these chefs who I haven't heard much about before.

Shaun Hill is a chef I have a huge amount of respect for his restaurant The Merchant House in Ludlow held a Michelin Star, and he was the only one in the kitchen feeding 24 guests. I remember reading after quite a few years he treated himself and hired a kitchen porter so he didn't have to do all his own dishes.

The restaurant made it to no.14 in the world at one point.
 
I would lose my mind. Feed 70 or so by yourself, clean the line, then do the dishes. There is dedication and there is that guy.
 
Two guys you've never heard of. John Martino; the guy who taught me what it really means to be a Chef and that cooking is just the fun part. Graziano Tecchio. I just like his style & food. He did a braised tongue once that still ranks in my top 5 all timers.
 
I am going to have to go with Pascal Barpot, Magnus Nilsson, Dave Beran, Daniel Humm and one of my Local boys, Jeremy Charles of Raymond's here in St.John's, the guy is incredible and going to be featured in the new Fool. "the CODFATHERS" .
 
For me I'd go with Pascal Barbot, Alain Passard, Daniel Patterson, and Wylie Dufrense all having a very different approach to food and thinking about it in a unique way.
 
I think everyone has heard me talk about Frank Stitt. Also through his book Paul Bertolli has inspired me. More the way he thinks about and approaches food than his recipes.
 
Pepin and Julia are my favorites. I haven't had the privilege of working with any exceptional chefs yet. After surgery I hope I can find somewhere, wash dishes, be the lowly garnish boy...anything to learn from people who actually have it together.
 
Jean-Georges Vongerichten first top chef I worked for who not only taught me about food but also everything else that is important if you want to not only survive but prosper in this industry.
 
He may not have been a chef but Craig Claiborne was one of the first people to make me aware of what good food was, how it was prepared, and the proper way to present it. He was a tortured soul but he knew whereof he spoke.

When my grandson leaves the nest, I'll make sure he takes my copy of Claiborne's Kitchen Primer with him.
 
Coolest experience was many years ago cooking a lunch together with Gilbert Le Coze.....and not knowing who he was. He was gracious and the last laugh was on me when the family I was visiting finally told me. Most influential is Chris Chung who became a great friend when he opened AKA Bistro with Christian Touche.
 
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