Celebrity Chefs - do they actually write?
A rather interesting article in todays Times concerning celebrity chefs and who actually writes their books.
They don’t name names of course but certainly state that one recently published book from a celebrity was lacking a chapter on spices; they put a call out - basically paying others to supply recipes - and the book was published with the ‘missing’ chapter.
”Reviewers of Made In Italy noted the generosity of the Italian chef Giorgio Locatelli in acknowledging his co-writer, Sheila Keating (who writes for The Times), on the title page. Insiders have long known Keating as a leading food ghost, supremely able to channel chefs’ ideas into clear, expressive prose. Her name’s tucked away, like a hallmark guaranteeing quality, in numerous books, from an early Oliver to the acclaimed Dough by Richard Bertinet. Nobody reading Made in Italy could doubt that Locatelli’s magnificent recipes, insights and anecdotes are the chef’s own. Keating let his voice sing. “
Incidentally Jamie Olivers next campaign is to focus on growing our own food, while the next ‘name’ to dominate the sphere is Skye Gyngell, who has tested recipes for Nigella. No mention of any bloggers rising to ‘celebrity’ status yet. It can only be a matter of time.
