"The only real stumbling block is the fear of failure. In cooking, you have got to have a what-the-hell attitude." ~ Julia Child

5 Hot chefs Who Can Cook Me Valentine’s Dinner

by Julie on February 14, 2012

in Chew on This

Because this is my blog, and it’s Valentine’s Day, and I have no one special to cook for this year, and I’m a grown-up…I’m going to fantasize instead about all the men who could cook for me. Professionally, I mean.

Akhtar Nawab is the first. Because, Damn. I’m a sucker for the swarthy. And should the swarthy wear glasses? So much the better. Ultra special bonus points? This guy grew up in Kentucky. All this and he’s got a southern accent!

Akhtar Nawab

I'm cooked.

Anyone who knows me at all knows that dark men with glasses and snark have me at hello…So yes, Akhtar — can I call you Ocky? — Any Indian dish you want to cook up would be lovely. But if you’re not in the mood you can make me some fried chicken instead. I hear you’ve got a secret recipe.

 

Mark Bittman

The thinking girl's foodie crush

I have a HUGE crush on Mark Bittman and I can’t be the only one. He’s clever and funny and on message about the joys of cooking at home and the importance of eating more consciously. I’ve read all his books.  His “How to Cook Everything” is my bible (and also in three pieces held together with rubber bands after more than a decade of heavy use).

Because of him my kids get pancakes from scratch every Sunday. (to paraphrase: That packaged pancake mix ever got marketed shows just how alienated Americans have become from the kitchen. It’s just eggs, milk and flour!)

Ah yes, and he’s not a chef. He makes that clear. But he does cook. And in a New York City kitchen that makes mine look like the Taj Mahal. He comes across as a regular guy who loves to cook, and is trying to convince everyone else that they should — that they can — cook too. Plus he’s a working journalist. What’s not to love about this guy? If I have a guru, he’s it.

 

 

Emmanuel Delcour isn’t the thinking woman’s crush. He’s not the thinking girl’s anything. He’s just beefcake, or whatever the French equivalent is. He is a chef, yes. He’s also a model and and actor, which sort of kills it for me, but what are you gonna do? He is hot though. And I don’t need him to think. I don’t need him to speak. I need him to feed me lovely morsels by hand with his chef’s jacket unbuttoned…

Emmanuel Delcour

Emmanuel. Food was never like this...

 

Mourad Lahlou is HOT!

Mourad, Mourad, Mourad...

 

Middle Eastern men are my weakness. I swear I was from somewhere on the Levant in another life. It’s really the only explanation for my lifelong attraction to the food, the music, the poetry, the landscape, the decor and, um, the men, of this region.

And here’s this Moroccan chef Mourad Lahlou…. GAHHHH!!!!

Lahlou is the chef behind San Francisco’s Azziza and has a cookbook out called Mourad: New Moroccan. Which I need to rush out and buy as soon as it’s on sale.

Because I’m also stupid for Moroccan cuisine. I own four Moroccan cookbooks.  I’ve even got a tagine, for God’s sake. One day I’m going to make those preserved lemons, I promise. What a blogpost that will be.

In the meantime, let me just drool at the man that is Mourad. Yeah, he’s another good looking chef who knows he’s good looking, which takes much of the fun out of oggling him, but it’s Valentine’s Day. Let me just oggle the pretty chefs, ok?

Last but not least, what list of hot chefs would be complete without the bad boy of the kitchen, Anthony Bourdain.

Anthony Bourdain

I got your bad boy right here, pal...

Who doesn’t know about Tony Bordain, he of the best selling Kitchen Confidential and all those Food Network Shows I’ve never seen. His cockiness (and writing ability) just drive me wild. Me and millions of other women (and men). Such a bad ass gets my Irish up. He can come over and cook me anything at all as long as it’s not my neighbor’s dog.

These are all men I think are hotter than broiled brisket. The Drama Teen, however, just looked over my shoulder and grimaced. Not her type at all.

I don’t care. She’s a child. And this is MY blog.

Gotta cute chef you wanna share? Hit the comments section…

 

{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }

Shari February 14, 2012 at 8:38 am

Curtis Stone is mega hot. Can’t believe he didn’t make your list. Oh and the eyes of Eric Ripert. You can tell me I watch too much Top Chef. Ok. Admitted. How about our own David Slay of Park Ave. fame. He can cook me dinner anytime. And I’m lucky enough to say he does…any time we go to Park Ave.

Reply

Julie February 14, 2012 at 8:41 am

yeah, I can see it, I’m just not into blonds at all. It’s just one of those things…;-)

Reply

Bonnie McCarthy February 16, 2012 at 10:50 am

You bring new meaning to delish and yummy…now who ya gonna pick for your St.Patrick’s Day throw down?

Reply

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