LIVEMagazine #219 October 9, 2015

Top 3 Fox TV Master Chef
Stephen Lee
LIVE Magazine
EXCLUSIVE By Rory Snyder
Here we are at the Purple Room to interview Palm Spring’s own, Chef Stephen Lee.
Rory: What really started the burning desire to become a chef?
Stephen: It think it was my son. I believe in really good food. I think everyone has the
right to eat well. And when he came into life I just really wanted to concentrate on
giving him the best food possible.
Rory: Nice! So what is your favorite thing to prepare? What do you like to make and eat?
Stephen: I cook seasonally. That is what I do. It’s all farm fresh. So it is all about what
ingredients are available to me right now. So, I go out into my garden and see which
ingredients shout out to me. Which ones are at their peak flavor? It is all about what
inspires me at that particular moment. I will just look around and say, “That zucchini
looks fantastic! I’m going to cook it right now!”. I want to cook something that has
ripened on the vine. Nutrition tastes good! And I want to cook something that makes you
happy.
Rory: It sounds like you are not only a chef, but you are also a gardener?
Stephen: That is right. I am an urban farmer.
Before I came on to the show, Master Chef, I
would go into people’s back yards and show
them how to grow food from the seed to the
plate. So I’d go in there and get the soil ready
for them. I would build raised beds for them.
And then once we would grow the food, I
would harvest it. And then I showed them how
to cook it. That is what Life is about. It is about
taking advantage of those little things that are
so special. Here in the Desert we get the best
sun! It is a great place to grow food. The sun
is shining in the Desert seven days a week! We
can grow our own food and eat the BEST food!
All right here in our own back yard.
Rory: Nice! So, you were on the show
Master Chef and out of forty thousand people
you ended up in the top three and you are
scheduled to be in Master Chef All-Stars?
Stephen: Well, The all-stars show will be down the road somewhere. It is like first things
first, right? So I am going to take a break. I am going to get involved in my community.
Kind of bring my Master Chef experience into the local restaurant scene here and try
and promote Palm Springs to the best of my ability. And, I have to keep practicing! You
know, I am not going to win the All-Stars without a lot of practicing and hard work. So I
am going to do that right here. I am going to be the urban farmer who’s going to win the
All-Stars!
Rory: What was it like working with Gordon Ramsay?
Stephen: A lot of people are very intimidated by Gordon Ramsay. It was hard for my
competitors to really express themselves with what they are doing. But I come from a
Punk Rock background. I was just living life on the edge. There is not much that scares
me anymore. And most people don’t know this, but Gordon came from a very humble
beginning as well. So we had this kindred spirit connection happening. We would have
been best friends when we were 12 years old. We would have been the kids causing
mischief in the neighborhood! So I have this affinity with him so it worked well in the
show. So he would come and mess around in my station and I would just look at him and
say, “Don’t you have somewhere else you need to be? Because I am trying to cook here!”
Rory: And Gordon is going to partner with you in a food truck? Where will the food
truck be located?
Stephen: We are looking to roll out in January. And I want to take it to many venues
throughout the country. Here in the West Coast, it will start in LA. And I would love to
do it in Palm Springs as soon as they get their whole food truck system up and rolling.
But until then I will be doing it in places like Coachella and Stage Coach, Las Vegas, Los
Angeles and I lived a lot of years in Seattle and there is a Bumbershoot Festival that I
love and I will do it there too.
Rory: So how long has Palm Springs been your community?
Stephen: My son was born here 14 years ago. I have been here since then.
Rory: You are here getting ready for the upcoming Foodie Tuesday event at Purple Room. It
is called the Early Fall Harvest--3 courses for $45. Can you tell us what you will be preparing?
Stephen: Well, right now we are in October. So it is the Early Fall Harvest. Right now we
have tomatoes, and pumpkins...And pumpkins are what I am going to feature. So the
first course is going to be a Mixed Fall Harvest Squash Soup with handmade flat bread,
the seconds course will be an Osso Buco with Porcini Mushroom Sauce and Pumpkin
Ravioli. Then for dessert, an upside down Pumpkin & Pear Cake with Spiced Vanilla
Gelato! It is all about the Fall veggies. Earthy! Rich! Smoky, Romantic! That is what I
like to think, Smoky Romantic!
Rory: Well Stephen, thank you for your time. I can’t wait to taster what you make for us!
FOODIE TUESDAY
PURPLE ROOM
tickets: www.brownpapertickets.comcomnt/2293856
1-800-838-3006
OCTOBEr 13
tuesday
MIXER
Vol 8 Issue 204 March 6 thru March 20, 2015
M A G A Z I N E
AN INTERVIEW WITH
Michael
Childers
5-7 PM
PALM SPRINGS
Come meet Michael Childers and see the Michael Childers Room!
Palm Springs
M
I
Los Angeles
X
E
Debby AC Cheek Holiday
San RDiego
Chef
Matthew Accarrino
Ed Sheeran
Las Vegas
Lake of Dreams
Fox TV Master Chef star, Gordon Ramsay
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