With decades of experience in the entertainment industry, Emmy-winning chef Bobby Flay has worked with hundreds of celebrities throughout his career. But there’s one star he’s dying to cook for.
“I think it’d be fun to cook for Jennifer Lopez,” Flay, 59, reveals exclusively in his 25 Things You Don’t Know About Me feature in the latest issue of Us Weekly, on newsstands now. “I love her energy. I think it would be really fun.”
What would the world-renowned chef make for J. Lo? It depends on what she likes!
“I don’t know what she wants to eat or what her food aversions might be. I’d have to ask her,” Flay added. “If you’re coming to my house, I’ll say to you, ‘Are there things that you like and things that you don’t like?’ Because I never want to make a mushroom pasta and you’re like, ‘Oh, I can’t stand mushrooms.’”
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The invitation is open, Jennifer!
Keep scrolling for more fun anecdotes from Flay, including the surprising occupation he would’ve pursued if he wasn’t a chef:
1. My favorite comfort meal is a cheeseburger or my Piri-Piri chicken, which is a collaboration between Portuguese and African cuisine. It’s a roasted chicken with spicy chilis.
2. I collect molcajetes.
3. My favorite recipe in my new cookbook, Bobby Flay: Chapter One, is the paella with shellfish, chicken and chorizo. It’s a great family-style dish and has a little bit for everybody.
4. One celebrity I’d like to cook for is Jennifer Lopez. I think it would be fun. I love her energy.
5. My favorite book is The Zuni Café Cookbook.
6. My first car was a Volkswagen Scirocco.
7. My most starstruck moment was when I met Sienna Miller at a movie premiere. I was definitely stressed.
8. My favorite item in my wardrobe is a Patek Philippe pocket watch. It’s an antique, I love it. It makes me feel like I’m in Peaky Blinders. It was a gift a long time ago and every once in a while I break it out.
9. My alternate profession would be mayor of New York. Stay tuned.
10. “Good Times” by Chic reminds me of being a teenager ready to go out to the clubs. My favorite line is, “Clams on the half shell and roller skates, roller skates.”
11. Gordon Ramsay is my dream guest to have on Beat Bobby Flay: Holiday Throwdown. We’ve had a friendly rivalry for decades [but] never really done anything together. One thing that we have in common is that we both have restaurants in Caesars Palace [Las Vegas Hotel and Casino].
12. I dropped out of high school when I was 16 years old.
13. I was the first chef to get a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame [in 2015]. It’s the proudest moment of my career.
14. My first job was delivering pizzas in sixth grade.
15. The dish I love to make for people in my life is a scallop dish with avocado, corn [and] relish on crispy flour tortillas. It is probably the most asked for thing from my friends. It’s the best bite of food. You can find it in chapter one [in my book].
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16. I’ve been an athlete my whole life, but tennis was one of the sports I never really played. Now I’m taking lessons. I like tennis better [than pickleball]. I root for Madison Keys on the women’s side, and on the men’s side, I love [Novak] Djokovic. I think [Carlos] Alcaraz is amazing. I went to the Olympics this year and I saw the final between Djokovic and Alcaraz. It was amazing.
17. American Hustle is my favorite movie. [It stars] Jennifer Lawrence, Christian Bale, Jeremy Renner and Bradley Cooper, and the wardrobe was so cool.
18. Farrah Fawcett was my celebrity crush growing up. Think Marilyn Monroe, but [for] my era. Charlie’s Angels.
19. My favorite workout is Pilates with the reformer.
20. I’m a New Yorker and ride the subway all the time. When I was a kid, we used to have to buy tokens for the subway, then there was a MetroCard for a long time. But now, nobody uses them anymore because you just use your credit card or Apple Pay. When I’m the mayor of New York, I’ll change the law. The subway will be free for everyone.
21. I decompress with a mezcal margarita after a long day.
22. The most influential person in my life is my father. He makes sure that I practice the fundamentals of good living and doing the right thing. He never lets me forget that.
23. One food I’d never touch or include in a recipe is durian. It’s an Asian fruit that has the worst aroma and I can’t be around it.
24. I’ve been everywhere in Southeast Asia, but the one thing left on my bucket list is to visit Thailand.
25. The Amalfi Coast is my favorite place to vacation.
Beat Bobby Flay: Holiday Throwdown airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET on Food Network.
With reporting by Lexi Carson
