Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/271567
46 / the tasting panel / march 2014 CHEFS: ONE ON ONE WITH MERRILL SHINDLER A ustralian-born Curtis Stone is a globally-famous chef, who hasn't been in a restaurant kitchen in more than a decade. His fame comes from his winning smile, excellent hair and cheery banter on TV. He was the host of Top Chef Masters and Around the World in 80 Plates, as well as a judge on America's Next Great Restaurant. But he's finally returned to the kitchen, opening a modest, 25-seat tasting menu restaurant in Beverly Hills called Maude, where the menu changes from month to month. And it all goes back to his grandmother—Maude—who taught him to cook. Merrill Shindler: What's your earliest food memory? Curtis Stone: Definitely cooking with my granny Maude. She introduced me to food. She made beautiful fudge. I haven't figured it out yet. How did you go from a business degree at college to toiling in a restaurant kitchen? I did an apprenticeship in Australia, four years on-the-job training. I spent my time in a big, horrible hotel, peeling carrots and peeling more carrots. It was so depressing. I'd slice onions for variation. I went to college to get a degree. But I missed the kitchen. You worked for free under Marco Pierre White. Why? The first cookbook I ever read was by Marco. As soon as I finished school, I headed for London. I wanted to learn from him. Gordon Ramsay has said Marco Pierre White taught him to curse. Well, he was good at that. But he also insisted on perfection. He made huge demands of himself—and of those who worked with him. You learned to swim—or you sank. It was a very steep learning curve. Were you shocked when he made you head chef at his Quo Vadis restaurant? I thought, "My God, I'm still here. I must be doing something right." What do you cook at home? I cook to make my wife and son happy. They like Mexican food. I'm learning. Can you explain the Aussie obsession with Vegemite? You have to grow up with it. My son is one of few Americans who love it. He eats it on hot toast. Is it your guilty pleasure? No, that would be the stuff you pour over ice cream. Magic Shell it's called. I keep trying to do it myself. That, and the fudge. Curtis Stone A FAMED TELEVISION CHEF RETURNS TO THE KITCHEN WITH MAUDE IN BEVERLY HILLS Lemon curd and yuzu sorbet with hempseed at Maude. PHOTO: RAY KACHATORIAN PHOTO: RAY KACHATORIAN Chef Curtis Stone in the doorway at Maude, which opened last month.