January 19, 2009

Chefs vs Cooks

By: AF Editors

A confession: I have a weakness for television programs that focus on the culinary arts: Iron Chef, No Reservations, Kitchen Nightmares — you name it. Nigella Lawson became an instant fantasy the moment I first saw her creep downstairs in a nightgown for seconds of whatever dessert she’d made earlier (I’m probably sharing too much there).

It was after reading Anthony Bourdain’s description in A Cook’s Tour of consuming his first bowl of Ph? that I turned to my girlfriend and announced, “We’re going to Vietnam.” And so we did.

So I couldn’t believe I missed this (hence the late posting) oped from the great Marcella Hazan in the New York Times — for once printing somebody sensible — on the lamentable faux-sophistication we confer on ourselves via our national obsession with culinary arts:

“Chef” has pretty much replaced “gourmet cook” to describe anyone who cooks well. How many times over the last few days, for instance, did you hear it used to refer to the person who prepared a Thanksgiving meal?I must confess that the growing use of the word bothers me.

Read the whole thing. And if you cook any Italian at all, Marcella’s Essentials of Italian Cooking will never do you wrong.