Maneet Chauhan (left) and Stephanie Izard (right) are everywhere, from food festivals to TV shows to cookbook aisles. Each chef has a number of restaurants, too.
Two faces familiar to anyone who watches a lot of food television — Maneet Chauhan and Stephanie Izard — were among the food celebrities in town in late-September for the Food & Wine Classic in Charleston.
Chauhan conducted a spice-oriented seminar called “Masala Dabba: The Heart and Soul of the Indian Kitchen,” while Izard held two sessions called “Outside the Brunch Box: Diner Favorites with a Twist.”
Both chefs know how to attract and engage audiences, with rising profiles and widespread recognition to match. And these days they seem to be everywhere, all the time — at festivals, as judges or competitors on food television and on the cookbook aisles. In addition, Izard has four restaurants in Chicago, and two in Los Angeles; Chauhan has three restaurants in Nashville. We caught up with them to ask how they keep so many culinary balls in the air.
Charleston City Paper: Your career is so diverse: What brings you the most satisfaction? Your restaurants? Festivals like the Food & Wine Classic? Television?
Maneet Chauhan: What brings me the most satisfaction actually, is my family, my kids. What I think is absolutely incredible is that as you get older, there is a lot of disillusionment, but then you have these kids and you get to see the world through their eyes. You see there is a wonderment and they remind you of it on a daily basis. I have three children: a 13-year-old daughter, a 9-year-old son and a 47-year-old husband. (Laughs.) You know how it is!
Stephanie Izard: I love all of it — that’s why I keep it so diverse. Because my teams are so great, they enable me to step away and do television, which I love because it’s such a different world. And then I get to supplement with books and events. I’m just really lucky!
CP: How many days a year are you on the road?
MC: It really varies. I wish there was a formula! This month, I was home four days; during the summer, when my kids were home, I made a conscious effort to be home the entire time. That’s what I love about this industry. It’s so flexible. In the fall, all the filming will be done; right now, all the festivals are happening. It does get busy!
SI: Probably 100 days a year.
CP: How do you ensure that your restaurants stay on course when you’re gone?
MC: At the end of the day, you are who you are because of your team. You’re not doing what you do individually — you’re just the loudest person. I can’t even tell you how grateful I am for my team, who show up and make sure I look good. If you take pride in what you do, the pride permeates through everything you do. If you’re miserable, everybody’s miserable, but if you’re grateful, it’s an emotion you pass down.
SI: It’s all about having people you trust. Each of my restaurants has a chef who has worked with me five to 10 years, and I have great managers and a strong team. You have to put people in place who share your vision.
CP: How do you take time for yourself?
MC: To me, what has worked is I just love what I am doing! I am very grateful and the attitude of gratitude, no matter how many things you have on the table, starts with you. I am very grateful for where I find myself.
SI: I go to the gym every morning and that’s my hour. Also, my son is 8 years old and he is my world. I Facetime with him every day, no matter where I am.
CP: As someone who’s made so many stomachs happy, what’s YOUR comfort food?
MC: Comfort food to all of us is a memory-oriented bite. It’s what you ate at that one moment you needed comfort. My mom would make a rice and lentil risotto called Khichdi every time I was sick. It’s what I make when I get back home.
SI: My go-to is I pick rice and any toppings I can find in the fridge, then add a drizzle of mayo and pickles and something crunchy.
CP: What’s next?
MC: I think I am at that stage in life where I realize that — at the risk of sounding pompous — I don’t have to do things because I have to. I am doing things because I am thoroughly enjoying it. If I get opportunities, like a new experience, that’s what’s next. I get to hang out with people who are amazing and who nourish my soul and who make me a better person and human being. What’s next is whatever makes me recharge.
SI: I can’t say too much about it, but I am working on new projects in northern California and Arizona. I’m just working on growing a little!
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