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SINGAPORE : In almost every sense of the word, Los Angeles-based, Melbourne-born master chef, author, TV host and kitchenware designer Curtis Stone is big.
Not only does he stand at more than 1.8m tall, the charming Aussie is a big TV star in the United States and Asia, thanks to his hit show Take Home Chef.
Each episode finds Stone approaching a female grocery shopper with a request to let him round up ingredients for a meal, cook it in her home and do the washing up afterwards.
It follows his other small screen successes such as 2002's Dinner in a Box and Surfing the Menu. But even before all that, Stone found himself a mentor in renowned chef Marco Pierre White and has worked in top kitchens including London's critically- acclaimed Quo Vadis.
He's cooked for the likes of Madonna and Samuel L Jackson and now finds himself in the illustrious company of peers-turned-good friends Gordon Ramsay and Jamie Oliver.
Evidently, his passion for cooking good food is the driving force behind the packed work calendar of this 33-year-old bachelor, who sees his parents and siblings in Australia about three or four times a year and spends the rest of the time travelling and experiencing life.
Until he gives in to his yearning to head back to the kitchen again, Stone will go on giving his fans here a reason to stay home on Wednesday evenings — or in the case of those in America, to dress up and head for the nearest surpermarket.
In town recently for the World Gourmet Summit, Stone spoke to TODAY about life, love and how he chooses his supermarket catch of the week.
Can you remember the first time you stepped into a kitchen?
My grandma taught me how to make this really good, sugary fudge when I was maybe four years old. Every time I went to her house, it was always: "Let's make fudge, let's make fudge."
I also used to bake with my mum. I've always loved cooking because I love eating. I'm greedy!
What's the best advice anyone has given you?
A long time ago, a chef told me: "The best thing you'll ever cook is what you like to eat." And that's something I can take with me for my entire life. For me, if you love to do something, you'll excel at it. It's not a job – it's a passion. I think that idea extends to all parts of life.
When filming Take Home Chef, how do you "cheat" so that things (hopefully) don't go wrong?
We have a big trailer that takes us around the filming locations, and inside I take with me a bunch of equipment, including a sharp knife, a wok and some decent tools.
If we get to somebody's house and they don't have anything, then I can still rely on what I have! But we still do come unstuck.
One lady we met turned out to be Jewish so everything had to be kosher. And one of the rules was you can't use any other cooking materials except the ones in the kitchen! I had to serve food with her plates and use her pots, but it worked out well.
Since then, I've begun to embrace the unknown. It's a challenge but you can still make great food.
Here's something everybody wants to know: What's your criteria when picking the women at the supermarket?
The honest answer is we put a big sign up at the entrance of the grocery store to let people know they may be filmed. And the producers stand at the entrance and ask people if they are okay with being approached. If they are, a ribbon is tied to their supermarket trolley.
But they don't reveal what the show is and they don't say it's me.
People think I am this sleazebag who goes up to women but, really, everything is already directed by someone else! They always tie the ribbons to the trolleys of the cute ones, though.
How does it feel to have your own 928 members-strong group on Facebook called "Curtis Stone Can Come Home and Cook for Me Anytime"?
Do I really? I didn't know that! I feel like I should go home and get on the computer right now and start looking them up! (Laughs)
It's funny though; all I've done my life is cook for people and then suddenly, I'm in the media and things like this happen. It makes you feel special and so lucky.
But at the same time, it's really strange that over 900 people will even bother to get on a group about me. You have to go online later today and post a comment that you've had breakfast with me!
Is all this amorous attention usually flattering?
It is. When people see me in public, there's always a little bit of that sidling up to say hi. I tell you what, though — it's become a bit difficult to grocery shop.
I live in Los Angeles and when I enter the store, people expect me to have a film crew hiding in the back. Plus, I have to be careful — I can't be seen buying frozen pizzas and ice cream anymore!
You're People magazine's sexiest newcomer of 2006 — and you're single. What's wrong with this picture?
I like being single! I feel really free to do what I want and live a spontaneous lifestyle.
I'm only in LA two weeks each time! I think it's really hard to have a serious relationship at this point, although I'm not opposed to it if the right person came along. I'd love to have a go at one.
Speaking of having a go, who's likely to end up on the mat if there was a battle of the TV chefs — Jamie Oliver, Gordon Ramsay, Nigella Lawson or yourself?
(Laughs) That's tough. I think all TV chefs have their own strength.
Gordon's an amazing cook and he's won three Michelin stars. Jamie's had a lot of success too, with his TV shows and his charities. I've never met Nigella but I've always wanted to. She's cool and I love the way she's obviously intelligent and articulate and she makes food sexy.
I don't know who's going to end up on the mat! Maybe me! Nah. We're just all different, I think. There's enough room for all of us in the ring.
You've gone from being a master chef to cookbook author to TV host to kitchenware designer — what's next?
I'm working on another cookbook that is due out next year, but my goal here in Singapore is to be in Takashimaya by July with my complete range of kitchenware. Now that I've cooked in people's homes, I know it's not easy, especially if the knife's blunt or the chopping board's small.
I've designed a range to make life a bit easier. For instance, I have this creation called "The Workman's Bench", which is essentially a bamboo chopping board with in-built cups for chopped ingredients and a little drawer in which all the rubbish goes.
With all your projects and initiatives, how financially comfortable are you now?
I've gone through different waves in my life when it comes to finances. There was a time when I didn't have any money, so, I slept on a friend's couch for six months and got on trains for free by sneaking through the turnstiles behind the person in front of me.
I think if you're passionate about what you do and you focus on that, the money will come.
For me, money has never been a reason to do anything. But I've gone and used that money in a positive way by setting up my kitchenware range, packaged in 100-per-cent recycled board. As a surfer, I am pro-environment. Packaging like that is costly but can start precedence for awareness and respect for the Earth. - TODAY/sh
Catch new episodes of Take Home Chef on Discovery Travel and Living (StarHub Channel 16) on Wednesdays at 8.30pm. Encore episodes air on Saturdays at 2pm.
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