AUSSIE CHEF CURTIS STONE
HEATS UP THE HARD ROCK

After a month long vacation back home to Australia, TLC’s Take Home Chef Curtis Stone arrived in Tampa to celebrate the recent expansion at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa with a book signing and cooking demonstration. After graciously signing copies of his book – Cooking with Curtis: Easy, Everyday and Adventurous Recipes for the Home Cook – Metro had the chance to chat with Stone.

Since we’re at the Hard Rock, who are your favorite rock stars that you’ve cooked for?

Mick Jagger, Madonna, Paul McCartney. When I worked in London, Guy Ritchie was friends with the owner, so Madonna was a frequent guest. I love the Beatles, and Paul McCartney came in with no notice. He is a vegan, so I had to be creative. Then, he wanted to meet the chef and I had no idea he was at the restaurant. He was a really cool guy.

What are your favorite types of food?

Well, I really love Mexican food – we don’t have that in Australia or the UK. I also want to embrace the cuisines of South America – in particular Columbia and Ecuador.

If you had to pick five ingredients for a menu tonight, what would you choose?

Chocolate, champagne, crab, garlic and fresh pasta. I make my own pasta – it makes all the difference.

What inspires your menu?

It depends on whether you’re cooking for friends, family or a lover. Think about the atmosphere and ingredients and build on it.
What is your favorite holiday meal?

Back home in Australia we serve pork. I lived in London for eight years and the main dish was more game – quail, and pheasant. Now that I’m in L.A., I’ll serve turkey. I’ll cook for all the holiday orphans – those friends that don’t have any place else to go. I’ll serve anywhere from 6 -16.

Finally, any New Year’s Resolutions?

I don’t really like to set them, but I’d like to spend more time with friends. I’ve been so busy working.

—Ronda M. Parag

The second season of The Take Home Chef with Curtis Stone begins on Friday, Jan. 4 on TLC.