Mark Peel (chef)

Mark Peel is a James Beard Foundation Award-nominated chef, hailing from California. A fourth generation Angeleno, he was mentored by culinary luminaries Wolfgang Puck and Alice Waters.

Career

Peel began as a sous chef under Wolfgang Puck at Ma Maison and the original Spago. He also did stints in France at La Tour d’Argent and Le Moulin de Mougins, as well as at Alice Waters' Chez Panisse in Berkeley.

Peel guest judged on Top Chef and Top Chef Masters several times in 2009 and 2010.[1]

He founded, owned and was Executive Chef of Los Angeles’ landmark Campanile restaurant for two decades and then helmed The Tar Pit. Just before Campanile opened Peel co-founded La Brea Bakery. It was sold in 2001 and is now a worldwide company.

Peel has authored numerous cookbooks and appeared on several iterations of Top Chef, on Hell’s Kitchen, Knife Fight, and Kitchen Nightmares. His latest cookbook, New Classic Family Dinners, was written with Martha Rose Shulman and released in September 2009.[2] Though Peel is known for his Mediterranean fare, the book is a collection of his favorite traditional American cuisine recipes.

Chef Peel's most recent venture is "Bombo", a casual broth-based seafood concept steeped in bold flavor and fresh, seasonal ingredients located in Grand Central Market in Los Angeles. Bombo also features a modern-day fish market curated by Chef Peel. Chef Mark Peel’s desire to contribute to the renaissance of downtown Los Angeles was a significant factor in choosing the Grand Central Market to launch his new restaurant.

His long career as a chef has taken a significant physical toll. In 2013, it was reported that he has carpal tunnel syndrome in both wrists and thoracic outlet syndrome in his shoulders, resulting from repetitive stirring, knife movements and heavy lifting. A bone spur on one foot and a cyst between toes of the other resulted from constantly standing and he has had three hernia operations and lives with a chronically sore back.[3]

Personal

Peel and his former wife, pastry chef Nancy Silverton, have co-authored several cookbooks. Peel and Silverton had three children. He is currently married to comedian Daphne Brogdon, of The Food Network’s Daphne Dishes, and they have two children.

References

  1. ↑ Top Chef biography
  2. ↑ Shindler, Merrill (October 21, 2009). "Peel(ing) Back to Basics". Zagat.com.
  3. ↑ KAREN STABINER (August 24, 2013). "For a Chef, 41 Years in the Kitchen Takes Its Toll". The New York Times. Retrieved May 2, 2014.
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