Blogs and Stories
Chef Horror Stories
Ted Lee
Simple Fresh Southern cookbook co-author
One time we had to cook for 250 people and we were told we would have a big kitchen to use and crew to help with this meal, so we decided to make buttermilk biscuits and corn bread to order. Really if you don’t do it this way they aren’t even worth serving. So when we showed up the “kitchen” turned out to be a sandwich prep kitchen with no crew—just one girl who ended up having to leave. So there we were making dinner and 250 biscuits to order. You learn you have to be prepared for this stuff, though, so we pulled it off—but barely.
Chai Trivedi
Pranna, New York
I cooked for Tyra Banks last week on the fly. It was great. She wanted a hanger steak and she wanted chicken stir fry. We think that she’s pregnant—we sent her a bottle of Champagne and she wouldn’t drink it. [Ed. note: Tyra has said she doesn't drink alcohol.] But she was a great customer; she wanted to take all the leftover food home for the next day. But the runners threw it out, and I had to make everything again.
Sandra Lee
The Food Network, Semi-Homemade Cooking
I released a springform pan filled with a chocolate torte. It went all over the floor. Complete disaster.
Matthew Weingarten
Inside Park at St. Bart’s, New York
When I was a young cook, Julia Child came into eat at the restaurant that I was working at. She ordered roast chicken and I ended up cooking her nine roast chickens. The first was probably fine, but it wasn’t good enough to me, so I put it aside. The next three I burned, the second two were undercooked. So it ended being nine before one went out. So that was when I was young and nervous. She was always a very gracious woman, and she was very gracious to me at the time.
Plus: Check out Hungry Beast for more news on the latest restaurants, hot chefs, and tasty recipes.
For inquiries, please contact The Daily Beast at editorial@thedailybeast.com.
10 Power Food Combos
Divya Gugnani is the CEO and founder of BehindtheBurner.com, an emerging culinary media brand that creates expert-based content about food, wine, mixology, and nutrition.
How Obama Wins in 2012
As vice chairman of Public Strategies and president of Maverick Media, Mark McKinnon has helped meet strategic challenges for candidates, corporations and causes, including George W. Bush, John McCain, Governor Ann Richards, Charlie Wilson, Lance Armstrong, and Bono.
How Barack Beat Bibi
Peter Beinart, senior political writer for The Daily Beast, is associate professor of journalism and political science at City University of New York and a senior fellow at the New America Foundation. His new book, The Icarus Syndrome: A History of American Hubris, will be published by HarperCollins in June. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook.
How Close Is It?
The Daily Beast is dedicated to news and commentary, culture, and entertainment. We carefully curate the web’s most essential stories and bring you original must-reads from our talented contributors.
What Are We About to Pass?
The Daily Beast is dedicated to news and commentary, culture, and entertainment. We carefully curate the web’s most essential stories and bring you original must-reads from our talented contributors.
Iraq: Seven Years Later
The Daily Beast is dedicated to news and commentary, culture, and entertainment. We carefully curate the web’s most essential stories and bring you original must-reads from our talented contributors.
spotted
Gotta love Paula Deen:
"I didn't know whether to shit or go blind."
wingsabre
Sandra Lee's not a chef. She's not even a cook, since she doesn't cook on her joke of a show. It's just assembling stuff out of the box. She can't even cook. Although, for an article of kitchen horror story she kinda fits the bill since she's a walking kitchen horror story.
It's a sad day when the Beast considers her one of the world's best known chefs. Julia Child's probably rolling in her grave right now.
ApresSki
Paula is the most colourful chef out there! She is too funny with her Southern expressions . . . go blind?
ROTFLOL!! ROTFLOL!! ROTFLOL!! ROTFLOL!! ROTFLOL!! ROTFLOL!! ROTFLOL!! ROTFLOL!! ROTFLOL!! ROTFLOL!! ROTFLOL!! ROTFLOL!! ROTFLOL!! ROTFLOL!! ROTFLOL!! ROTFLOL!! ROTFLOL!! ROTFLOL!! ROTFLOL!! ROTFLOL!! ROTFLOL!! ROTFLOL!! ROTFLOL!! ROTFLOL!! ROTFLOL!!
legion
Here's a real anthology book on chef horror stories:
Don't Try This At Home: Culinary Catastrophes from the World's Greatest Chefs
nuzzybear
Oh come on, Rachel - how is that a horror story? What, did the bouillabaise boil over, catch fire and the President had to use fake eyebrows for a month?
spotted
Agreeing to prepare a "Turkey" Bouillabaisse is the horror - it sounds like a crime against nature.
nuzzybear
You'd think the Secret Service would have put a stop to something like that... dove in front of the simmering pot before the Commander in Chief took a taste.
deegeezee
Tyra's not preggers; she never drinks.
devilsadvocate
What was the point of Rachael Ray's story?
spotted
It shows just how dull she is. Ick-O!
jarussell
Dull? Maybe.
Hot? Absolutely!!!!!
nickmagoo
Blech. Cute face maybe, but listening to her is like nails on a chalkboard. And frankly, dull ain't hot.
jarussell
The garbage truck in my town used to have a saying written across the back...
"Your garbage is our bread and butter."
or in other words....
De gustibus non est disputandum.
CitizenBloggerX
I moderated a food forum at a Georgia based hunting and fishing website, Those guys and gals loved Paula Dean some even making special trips to her restaurant in Savanah, That is until I informed them that she was a die hard Democrat !! You'd of thought somebody had poured acid down their thoats, I was called a liar and other assorted words but when they found out I was telling the truth, They refused to even speak her name, The south will never change !!
kconwaycole
Paula Dean's a Democrat -- I love her even more! A good cook, funny, and has a soul!
nclark499
Rachel Ray, Paula Deen, and Sandra Lee have never claimed to be chefs - they are cooks and are up front and honest about it.
I don't think there was any point really in this entire article all the way around. Although I will say at least Paula Deen made me laugh.
rhonda1309
Hope its not true that Paula Deen is hooking up with Kate Gosselin for a talk show. Paula Deen has enough good things happening, hope she doesn't get messed up with that control freak bitch.
anacalvertkilbane
hold the phone -- paula deen curses?
prettyscary1
Paula Deen is such a riot...she smokes her brains out and cusses like a sailor! She is one bawdy broad ...ya'll...and one smart cookie
betsy1829
ok sorry but Rachael- that was a HORROR story? Hmmm...I guess our definitions on horror are vastly different.
pastrydude
I love Paula!!! Rachael? what? I worked as chef for years, Ive had the fire surpetion systion go on befor a banquet, cut a vain in my hand while getting ba banquet out loosing blood fast and still had to finish it just giving comands to the dishwasher my blood would not get near the food. oh the list gos on.. peace all
Thank you.
As a first time user, your comment has been submitted for review. It can take anywhere from a few hours to a day or two for your comment to be reviewed, depending on the time of week and the volume of comments we receive.