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Mario Batali, the chef/restaurateur, cookbook author and TV personality believes young cooks should focus on honing their craft before their thoughts turn to fame.
In an interview with Forbes, Batali, who worked under Marco Pierre White as a young chef, states how uneasy it makes him feel when he comes across young chefs who want to skip the hard work and head straight for celebrity chefdom.
“I’m just a cook and if every platform I’ve been fortunate to have come my way was taken away from me, I’d still be happy prepping delicious food behind the line,” he says. “I find it disconcerting when I meet young chefs full of talent, but who have an idea of wanting to make it as that celebrity TV chef without putting the blood, sweat and tears behind the true definition of being a chef.”
Batali also expressed his disdain for restaurant pop-ups – “Thank goodness pop-ups are no longer as popular. Those drove me crazy. Right now I’m seeing fast, casual, eco-friendly chains as an American trend and I have no problem with that – and hinted at plans for the future: “Where I’d like to move the most forward is in the digital space, creating content driven by strong characters rising in the food scene and smart, thought out projects in the digital platform where we all know TV is headed.”
Read the full interview here and watch Batali talk about the time Marco Pierre White threw a hot risotto pan at him in the video below.
Mario Batali’s Babbo is one of eight Michelin lunches in New York for $50 or less
