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Food
Rachel Askinasi
2020-05-10T11:00:00Z
- Some of the greatest chefs in the world were inspired by their own mothers and grandmothers in the kitchen.
- This year, for Mother's Day, Wolfgang Puck, Mario Carbone, Michael Mina, Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Bryan and Michael Voltaggio, Alain Ducasse, and Hubert Keller have shared their favorite recipes from — or inspired by — their childhoods with Insider.
- Recipes include the iconic meatballs from Carbone and a classic Egyptian comfort rice dish from Chef Mina.
- Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.
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It's hard to think about the world of culinary arts without thinking of Wolfgang Puck and Jean-Georges Vongerichten. The name Carbone has become synonymous with New York's trendy restaurant scene. Michael Mina has built an empire of restaurants each with a different feel. Hubert Keller and Alain Ducasse are legendary when it comes to French cuisine. And the Voltaggio brothers have made waves as young faces of the restaurant industry.
All seven of the industry icons named have identified their mothers or grandmothers as their source of inspiration.
In honor of the women who shaped their careers, they've each shared their favorite matriarch-inspired recipes with Insider.
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Chef Wolfgang Puck has created a culinary empire with fine dining, catering, and general restaurant industry brands.
A representative for Wolfgang Puck told Insider that the chef's favorite dish is the veal wiener schnitzel his mother, who was also a professional chef, would make when he was a child.
Puck and his family would eat the dish as a special treat only twice per month.
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Mario Carbone studied under Chef Massimo Bottura and now owns his own namesake restaurant.
"You would be hard-pressed to find an Italian chef who doesn't find their mother to be a source of inspiration," Carbone wrote. "I am no different."
In a statement shared with Insider, he said that meatballs are one of the things he still asks his mother to make for him to this day.
But, he wrote, their styles are different: "Hers are all-beef meatballs bound by breadcrumbs while mine are beef, veal, and pork, bound by a mix of stale bread and milk. I think hers are lighter and softer while mine are meatier and slightly bouncy."
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Michael Mina is a celebrity chef and founder of the Mina Group.
Mina said in a statement shared with Insider that his earliest memories involve his mother's Middle Eastern cooking.
The chef has adapted some of her recipes and added them to the menus of his restaurants. One of those dishes is her koshary and matbucha.
"Growing up, my mom did most of the cooking at home," Mina told Insider via email. He said there were a lot of dishes that he loved and took inspiration from, but one of his favorites was her koshary rice.
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Jean-Georges Vongerichten has restaurants all over the world and several Michelin stars.
Jean-Georges Vongerichten, a Michelin-starred chef, grew up watching and helping his mother and grandmother in the kitchen.
A representative for the chef told Insider that one of his favorite dishes was his mom's white asparagus and ham gratin.
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Bryan and Michael Voltaggio opened Voltaggio Brothers Steak House and co-authored the book "VOLT ink.: Recipes, Stories, Brothers."
A representative for the brothers told Insider via email that cinnamon coffee cake was a staple in their house while they were growing up.
"My mother always cooked for us growing up including special days, holidays, and birthdays," Bryan told Insider. "One particular memory was baked goods like coffee cakes and cinnamon rolls."
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Alain Ducasse is a Michelin-starred chef and restaurateur.
While he was growing up in France, Alain Ducasse's grandmother made a roast chicken for lunch every Sunday.
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Hubert Keller is a chef, restaurateur, and has appeared as a judge on "Top Chef."
Hubert Keller wrote in a statement to Insider that his love of cooking came from his grandmother.
Keller said that one of his grandma's most versatile recipes is actually for a condiment: her light mayonnaise.
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