Why Chefs Are Sexy: The Real Reason.
Chef = Sexy. It just does.
This seems like some new trendy thing, chefs being sexy, but in truth, it’s a valid association. It’s only that now, as the food industry takes the forefront of entertainment, chefs are becoming more of an iconic figure rather than just a glorified cook hiding in the kitchen barking orders. A chef is an artist. Some chefs have refined training, some have learned simply by experimenting or growing up in a family that cooked as a way of communication. Food is culturally necessary to our entire happiness. It is an exceptionally beautiful reminder of times shared, places visited, romances had, youth running free, curiosities answered. Food is the beautiful ally to every single one of us. And Chefs – well, they are the catalyst to our happiness.
I believe the term “Chef” is a loosely and sometimes misunderstood term. A true Chef has expectations, values, integrity, sees food much like a sculptor sees their delicate materials. Food becomes this highly emphatic connection to the senses. It is to be treated with respect and love and a delicate touch. A chef by definition is someone who is a professional cook. That said, thankfully – the world has become acutely aware of standards in the service and hospitality industries. No longer can a real chef get by with mediocrity or careless creation. Not technically, nor should they. The chef is the artist who sees and imagines the sounds, emotion, complexity, possibility, and natural exquisiteness of a single ingredient. They are masterful if they dare to be.
So why are chefs considered sexy?
Oh, you MUST watch a chef create a dish. A chef’s hands handling food is like watching a hand caressing skin. Sometimes it’s soft and gentle and barely touching – just enough to stimulate the senses. Sometimes it’s aggressive and demanding and completely in control. Together, those hands fold in ingredients, drizzle juices, pinch spices, caress proteins and with these incredibly – and distinctly unique – ingredients, what they create is sheer magic. When you bite into something made with that kind of passion, your entire body responds. A chef is the conductor to your palate; the answer to your secret desires. Much like the movie, Chocolat, food is our responsive connection to absolutely every truly wonderful. It is an authentic experience for every individual and it reveals the core purity of this mysterious thing we call life. It nourishes, surprises, and tells us stories. A chef is able to decipher the stories and from that, create their own. When you sit down and eat a dish prepared by a real, honest-to-god chef, the words unravel themselves onto your tongue and into your bloodstream slowly and melodically and nothing is more intimate than that.
Hence … SEXY.
Any true food savant welcomes that kind of elegant dance with open arms.
Named #SexiestChef by People Magazine this year, Marc Murphy is indeed one sexy – but incredibly nice man. I met him in Austin in 2013 and he couldn’t have been kinder. Chef Murphy has a brand new cookbook coming out, so in honor of every chef who has played to our sultry whims, we wanted to highlight this sexy Chef’s creations. You can pre-order it now:
The Story Behind Season with Authority
The recipes in Chef Marc Murphy’s cookbook run the gamut from artifacts from his family’s history to some of the greatest hits from his restaurants Landmarc, Ditch Plains and Kingside. Each recipe will serve to nourish and inspire you for years to come. And more importantly, they will teach you that whatever you do in the kitchen, always cook with confidence, and never, ever be afraid to Season with Authority.
Use the hashtag #seasonwithauthority on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook for the chance to win prizes like an awesome Season with Authority t-shirt from Flavour Gallery!
