There are some personalities that are just born for the limelight. They can not be contained in a regular box. The celebrity chef Nadia G. definitely falls in that category. She’s spunky, feisty, stylish, sexy, fearless and extremely skilled in the culinary arts. For watchers of the Cooking Channel, you have already seen her take-no-prisoners approach on Nadia G’s Bitchin’ Kitchen. The show was an immense worldwide hit, and since then, she has transitioned into other successful shows like Bite This With Nadia G. and Sick Kitchens. If you’re looking for a boring, run-of-the-mill TV chef, look elsewhere. In Nadia G.’s world, things always go from a 0-100 real quick. Read our Q & A below …
“My all time favorite hobby is dirty rock n’ roll. I have a band called The Menstruators…”
How did you first get into cooking – did you grow up in a household with food around you?
In my Italian family, we love food more than we love each other. So yep, we’re pretty food-obsessed. I was inspired to cook by the women in my family, but really I learned to cook by making massive messes in the kitchen and eventually getting the hang of it. My mantra is, “You gotta get back on the horse if you ever wanna make tartare out of it.”
When did you first realize that your career was going to revolve around cooking and food?
I’ve always loved cooking but considered it more of an everyday necessity than a career. I realized it was working for me when I paid for a Cayman in cash.
Your show Nadia G’s Bitchin Kitchen’ had so much authentic attitude and raw energy – how did you come up with the idea and concept for the show?
In early 2000, I was doing skit comedy and created a cooking show parody called Bitchin’ Kitchen. While writing the skit, it dawned on me that I could incorporate a real recipe into a fictional/comedy script. The rest is her-story. We tweaked the concept and eventually sold it to TV. Bitchin’ Kitchen went on to become Cooking Channel’s #1 show and an international success to boot — the show plays everywhere from the UK to Australia to Canada to India… pretty cool stuff.
What about your show – Bite This with Nadia G, what’s the main concept and theme for this show?
Bite This is a comedy-travel show where I gallivant around the US, gorging myself and harassing unsuspecting chefs. It’s pretty great.
