Khristianne Uy aka “Chef K” made her mark with celebrities long before her scene stealing turn on Bravo’s Millionaire Matchmaker and after winning the first season of ABC’s The Taste. As the personal chef for celebrities like American Idol creator Simon Fuller and Charlie Sheen, Chef K knew what star power was before it was her turn in front of the camera. She spoke with Entertainment Editor Cookie about her experiences in the kitchens of some of the world’s biggest celebrities, and how being an out female chef made the television show just a little bit harder.
Chef K, between winning “The Taste” and being on “Millionaire Matchmaker” I am so glad we had a few minutes to chat.
Yes, things have definitely been crazy!
How did you get into cooking and a love for food?
My mom was always into the holidays and time with the family, which definitely influenced me making the decision to go to culinary school.
You’ve also worked for some pretty big name celebrities I understand?
Absolutely. I worked for James Cameron for three years, Simon Fuller, actress Abbie Cornish. I’ve cooked for Madonna, and of course, Charlie Sheen.
Is life working as Charlie Sheen’s personal chef as crazy as you would think it would be?
Actually, life with Charlie is not that crazy at all. He’s definitely a crazy guy, but he’s very intelligent and a neutoric guy. He’s always been super nice to me, says “thank you” all the time and he’s a great guy. When I did “The Taste” he was like a proud dad and wanted to hear all about it.
Speaking of “The Taste”, was it harder to get through the competition as an out female chef?
You know, it’s funny, it seemed like some people got even angrier that I got through as an out female, and just as a female in general. One woman in particular said it was “nice to see a woman like you get this far.” I thought “a woman like me, you know you’re in LA right?” (laughs.) Some of the men were a little judgemental also, they knew I was Charlie’s chef and assumed that all I cooked was hamburgers or something. I just focused on what I knew best and let my anger power me; as time progressed, those are the people that went home that week.
So what kind of food does the legendary Charlie Sheen like?
Charlie loves comforting Americana food. He loves chicken and dumplings, chicken noodle soop, things like that. He loves grilled fishes, like salmon and swordfish also. I also created a burger for him called the “Machine Burger”, which he reccomends to his guests when they are there.
You recently appeared on “The Millionaire Matchmaker” as well, being the first out lesbian to be “matched”. What was that like?
I really have Charlie and actress Denise Richards (Charlie Sheen’s ex wife) to thank for that. I would always cook for them and Denise would say “Chef K are you single”? Denise said that she had “a friend” that could help me, since the lesbian scene in LA is not that great and I’m so busy. It turned out the “friend” was Patti Stanger! Patti was so pleasant and so nice, and it was really ironic; Patti was scared to meet me, but I was so intimidated to meet her. She could tell that what I was on the outside was not on the inside. Patti and I had one thing in common, we both definitely make time for everyone else and don’t take nearly enough time for themselves.
So what’s next for Chef K?
My food is nostalgic; I try to take certain recipes that create certain memories or feelings for the people I am cooking for. Actually,Charlie has asked me if I would be interested in doing a cookbook. I’ve loved creating things like Cameron’s Perfect Thanksgiving Dinner, Simon Fuller’s Chicken Dinner Roast, and of course, Charlie’s Machine Burger; I really do love having creative freedom. So I definitely think that doing this cookbook, and sharing my twelve years of cooking privately is what I’m going to do. All of my formulas and receipes are in my head, so it definitely would be great to be able to share them and give people an insight on other people’s lives.
For more about the show The Taste visit www.beta.abc.go.com/shows/the-taste.
Khristianne Uy aka “Chef K” made her mark with celebrities long before her scene stealing turn on Bravo’s Millionaire Matchmaker and after winning the first season of ABC’s The Taste. As the personal chef for celebrities like American Idol creator Simon Fuller and Charlie Sheen, Chef K knew what star power was before it was her turn in front of the camera. She spoke with Entertainment Editor Cookie about her experiences in the kitchens of some of the world’s biggest celebrities, and how being an out female chef made the television show just a little bit harder.
