Baber's Profile
It's about that time -- Chef Name Pronunciation Guide Update
Some of you may be familiar with my "world-famous" chef pronunciation guide over at gentlemangourmand.com. I just got back from the BU food stylists and photographers conference, and have decided to go back to my roots.
I need some help from y'all though. If you couid help me come up with names that I've missed, I'll try to get in touch with the chefs to get the proper pronunciation. While we do live in an audiovisual age where you might already be familiar with these names, they are still often pronounced wrong. To make this game better, I try to post all the amusing chef responses. (or creatively made-up lack thereof)
From two years ago:
"So let’s face it, some of us from time to time butcher a chef’s name for 6 months, then hear somebody pronounce it correctly and feel really dumb. Don't worry; it has happened to all of us. I know I used to do it all the time, but now that I have compiled this list of a number of the top chefs and food personalities in the food world, I rarely miss a name. I suggest carrying a copy in your wallet for reference wherever you go."
Some of the responses I received were absolutely great:
Note: The responses are abridged. I only included the relevant portions, and dropped the greetings and other miscellaneous info.
Grant Achatz- ACK-ETZ
Yes my name is often mis-pronounced. I can't say that I have any one funny story...most people just avoid it altogether and call me Chef or Chef Grant. You are correct on the pronunciation.
Ferran Adriá- feh rahn ah dree AH
I’m Ferran Adriá BEYATCH!! {Just kidding. No response.}
Daniel Boulud- dan-YELL boo-LOO
Chef Boulud evidently has a very good PR department. They provided me with not only the best information, but was one of the first to respond.
You have the pronunciation correct: dan-YELL boo-LOO As for stories there are a few we can think of off hand. Most common is the confusion so many people have between Chef Daniel Boulud and his friend Chef David Bouley. I cannot tell you how many times people have asked if the chef of our restaurant is David Boulud, if Chef Boulud's restaurants in Tribeca are still doing well, if Daniel Bouley has any more plans to expand, etc.... A second confusion with restaurant DANIEL is that we have often had people make reservations at a small downtown restaurant called DANIELLA and appear here thinking this is where their table will be. We always try to accommodate them if we can. In terms of pronunciation, he has been called everything from Chef Blue, to Chef BuluD, Bolod, Buld, etc...
Tom Colicchio- ko-lick-e-o
As for a phonetic way to spell chef's last name, I think this would be most accurate: ko-lick-e-o (like radicchio)
In addition, Mike Colicchio actually posted here to inform me that:
My brother and our entire family pronounce our surname Ko lick e o. We stress the second syllable.
Italian, of course, from the village of Vallata in the province of Avellino. By way of Elizabeth, New Jersey.
I hope this clears it up once and for all.
Ruth Reichl- RYE-shul
It's more like rye-shel, but I can't say it the way my German father did, which was with an r in the back of the throat. When I first started writing I used to save envelopes with the various permutations of my name on them; my favorite was the one addressed to Ruth Raisehell.
Michael Ruhlman- ROOL-munn
Yep, that's a good phonetic spelling of the name. no funny stories, just the annoying assumption that it's spelled and pronounced Roman.
Guy Savoy- Ghee Sav-wah
One thing I thought was incredibly ironic, was the name they addressed the return email to.
Dear Mr Barber, Thank you for your mail. Very often there is a confusion with the spelling of my name. People write it like the well-known French region: La Savoie. This confusion doesn't shoke me, on the contrary I am very proud beeing associated to this beautiful area where I was born.
It’s ironic because my name is Baber, and given the topic of the email it was especially funny. I was glad to hear from Chef Savoy himself, though.
Full list:
Grant Achatz- ACK-ETZ
Ferran Adriá- feh rahn ah dree AH
Lidia Bastianich- lid ee ya bahs-TYAHN-itch
Mario Batali- bot tal ee
Richard Blais- Blaze
Paul Bocuse- pole boh-KOOZ
Daniel Boulud- dan-YELL boo-LOO
Tony Bourdain- boor dain
Michael Chiarello- kee ah rell oh
Tom Colicchio- Ko leek ee o
Gary Danko- DANG-ko
Marcel Desaulniers- mar cell di sol ni yay
Georges Auguste Escoffier- jorgz oh goost ess coff ee ay
Yutake Ishinabe- Yew-tah-keh Ee-she-nah-beh
Steve Klc- Kelch
Chen Kenichi- Chen is self explanatory, Kenichi is Keh-nee-chee (note that Chen is his family name, and Kenichi is his given name)
Masahiko Kobe- Mah-sah-hee-koh Koh-bay
Emeril Lagasse- la gass ee
Rokusaburo Michiba- Rouk-sah-boo-roh Mee-chee-bah
Masaharu Morimoto- Mah-sah-hah-roo Moh-ree-moh-toe
Koumei Nakamura- Koh-may Nah-kah-moo-rah
Jacques Pepin- pep anne
Paul Prudhomme- proo-DOHM
Ruth Reichl- RYE-shul
Dale Reitzer- RITE-zer
Eric Ripert- eh-REEK ree-PAIR
Michael Ruhlman- ROOL-munn
Guy Savoy- Ghee Sav-wah
Hiroyuki Sakai- He-ROH-yew-KEY SAH-kai
Joachim Splichal- joe ah keem splee kahl
Charlie Trotter- trah tur
Jean Georges Vongerichten- VON-gehr-ICK-ten
END OF POST.
So. Here's where you come in. Who else do I need? Should I start with new FoodNetwork personalities?
Chris Cognac - Kriss Cone-yak
There. That was easy.
Now you try:
Giada De Laurentiis - ?
The new "next food network star" stars?
Anyone else you want me to find out?
the full comp -- new boston industry-insider hilariawesomeness
this has got to be the funniest, most informative and scandalous thing ive ever seen:
http://www.thefullcomp.blogspot.com
Coke with a yellow cap
The Shaws near BU (packards corner) had plenty of 2-liters today.
Bought a neat half dozen.
Mmmmmm
Humboldt Fog - where in Greater Boston?
While youre at either place pick up some stonewall kitchen roasted garlic and herb jam.
That + humbolt fog on a rare burger with just sauteed onion and fresh tomato?
Freakin awesome.
Best Dim Sum in Boston Area That No One Knows About?
Im a fan of the dim sum at Mary Chungs in Cambridge (next to Middle East in Central Square) -- sunday only i believe.
Eastern Standard
They have a new dish that is absolutely not to be missed. Baekoffe -- an Alsacian Beef Stew with carrot, tomato, lamb, pork, and tripe. Served in cast-iron, covered with browned breadcrumbs.
I also highly reccomend the steak tartare, bone marrow, offal and mussles.
Best ways to enjoy balsamic vinegar
in addittion to drinking it, putting it on strawberries and icecream and everything else mentioned here -- i love a perfect tomato with just some sea salt and fresh cracked pepper with balsamic and some good olive oil. just a dash of each and the tomato comes fully alive.
this: http://gentlemangourmand.typepad.com/the_gentleman_gourmand/2004/06/che_bello_pomor.html was the best example of that dish that ive ever had
Cooking Barley so it's tasty
cook it like risotto and finish it with some mushrooms and truffle oil. amazing.
The Hungry Detective -have you noticed
Boston should be mid January or early Feb, or so I hear.
thoughts on Osushi at the Westin?
I've always thought the sushi was decent, with some solid sake choices.
So hypothetically, you're moving from Boston to Atlanta
Suan la Chow Show at Mary Chungs in central square (cambridge)
brief visit to Boston - quick lunchtime hits?
Perhaps Parish Cafe is what you're looking for. They have an outstanding menu of local chef-designed sandwiches, executed very well by their kitchen.
Great beer selection as well.
Cooking Classes?
If you guys are ever at the BU classes and see a very large (6'7") uniformed and goateed TA walking around, that'd be me.
I'm glad to hear you guys enjoy the lessons; they always look interesting when I walk by.
Henckel versus Wusthof knives
I would recommend Shun knives -- very sharp and durable. As long as you use a steel correctly (22.5 degrees, gently...none of this bravado clanging business) and every time, you don't have to whetstone it.
This is also assuming that you arent cutting on metal, or hacking through bones or dropping it on ceramic tiles.
Why does some restaurant food come out/stay hotter than my home cooking? Technique? Pans?
Yeap, heated plates. During demos we keep ours in the salamander (with only the pilot), or run em through the dishwasher.
And heat lamps.
