Every night the world’s cooks subject themselves to the heat and pressure of the professional kitchen. We wanted to turn up the pressure on them in a different way, subjecting them to our rapid-fire interview about travel, food, and pop culture. In this episode we talk with Jérôme Bocuse, chef at Monsieur Paul at Epcot Center, co-founder of Ment’or with Daniel Boulud and Thomas Keller, and son of legendary chef Paul Bocuse.
Waffles or pancakes?
Waffles. The French waffles, not the ones for breakfast.
What’s your most prized possession?
My most prized possession might be the real Bocuse d’Or. There were some rights issues with that sculpture, so we couldn’t use it for the Bocuse d’Or anymore. But I have the original and for me this, of course, is a great prize.
If you could only eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be?
That’s a tough one, but probably pasta because it’s plain and you can make it so many different ways.
Your drink of choice?
Moscow Mule.
If you could cook a meal for anyone living or dead, who would it be?
Probably my grandfather that was my father’s dad. My father was the seventh generation of chef, so he’d be happy to see the eighth could still cook and hopefully the ninth as well.
And what would you cook?
Just and omelet. Something simple. His restaurant was a simple restaurant doing little fried fish along the river. You don’t have to cook fancy as long as it’s right.
Die Hard or Lethal Weapon?
Die Hard.
Ferrari or Lamborghini?
Ferrari.
Chunky or smooth peanut butter?
Neither. I’m not a fan of peanut butter.
What music do you listen to while getting ready for service?
I like loungy music, something that’s relaxing.
Guilty pleasure TV show?
My son loves America’s Got Talent, so if I have a few minutes, I’ll sit with him and watch America’s Got Talent.
What’s one place you haven’t traveled where you’d really like to go?
Australia.
Biggest mistake you see home cooks make?
I think they don’t take enough time to cook. Cooking is a process, if you take shortcuts at the end the result is different. It’s not going to be the same.
What superpower would you want?
Superpower? To go back in time and never age.
Culinary Masters
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