Edward Lee (chef)

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Edward Lee
Lee at the 2018 Texas Book Festival
Born (1972-07-02) 2 July 1972 (age 51)

Edward Lee is a Brooklyn-born celebrity chef, author and restaurateur. He has made numerous television appearances on shows including The Mind of a Chef and Top Chef as well as a judge on Gordon Ramsay's Culinary Genius. He is a nine-time James Beard Award nominee, owns multiple restaurants throughout the United States and the Caribbean, and is the author of two award-winning books Buttermilk Graffiti and Smoke and Pickles.[1][2][3][4]

Early life, family and education[edit]

Lee was born on July 2, 1972, and raised in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, to Korean parents. He began cooking at age 11 and credits his grandmother with first sparking his interest in food. Before college, he worked in a traveling circus. He graduated magna cum laude with a degree in literature from New York University.

Career[edit]

Lee (second from right) presented at the State Dining Room of the White House by First Lady Jill Biden at the April 2023 State Dinner for President Yoon Suk-yeol of South Korea, alongside White House Executive Chef Cristeta Comerford (middle) and pastry chef Susie Morrison (far right) (White House photograph by Adam Schultz)

Lee began cooking professionally at age 22.[5][6] He traveled to France and toured the US to learn more about different ingredients, cuisines and cooking methods.

On a trip to the Kentucky Derby in 2001, he fell in love with Louisville and Southern cooking.[7] He moved to the city in 2002 and began working at 610 Magnolia with former chef/owner Eddie Garber. Lee now owns 610 Magnolia along with several other restaurants; Whiskey Dry in Louisville, two locations of Succotash, in Washington, D.C., and National Harbor. He is also consulting chef of Nami Steakhouse and Neighbors Noodles in Louisville. [8] Lee's restaurant, Milkwood (Louisville, KY) closed in 2020 and reopened as McAtee Community Kitchen to help feed neighboring communities during the Covid pandemic.[1] In 2007, Lee opened a venue for special events called The Wine Studio@610 Magnolia.[9][4]

In 2011, he was one of the 'cheftestants' on season 9 of Top Chef. He won two elimination challenges, and finished fifth in the competition. He was also the host chef featured in the third season of The Mind of a Chef.

In 2014, Lee partnered with YouthBuild and IDEAS 40203 to create a culinary training program based in the Smoketown neighborhood of Louisville. The program trains youth who may not be able to afford expensive culinary schools with skills in all aspects of the restaurant industry.[10] In 2015, Lee's young chef trainees launched a pop-up diner called Smoke & Soul.[11]

Lee has been nominated four times by the James Beard Foundation for Best Chef: Southeast in 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014.[3] In 2013, he published a cookbook, Smoke and Pickles. It received positive reviews from food journalists and other chefs including David Chang and Anthony Bourdain.[12]

In 2017, Lee was the chef judge for the American adaptation of Culinary Genius.[13]

In 2017, Lee founded The LEE Initiative. LEE is an acronym (Let's Empower Employment. The Initiative identifies issues surrounding diversity in the restaurant industry and creates solutions to help the restaurant community grow. The initiative includes two programs: Smoke and Soul and Women Chefs in Kentucky.[14] During the COVID pandemic the initiative developed the Restaurant Workers Relief Program to support workers laid off by the shutdowns.[15]

Visiting Chef Edward Lee prepares food in the White House Kitchen on April 26, 2023, for the official State Dinner for the Republic of Korea

In 2023, Lee was selected as the guest chef at the April 26 state dinner at the White House during South Korean president Yoon Suk-yeol's visit to the United States.[16]

Cuisine[edit]

Edward Lee's approach to cooking frequently blends the flavors of his Korean heritage and culinary traditions and ingredients of the southern United States including sorghum, ham and bourbon. In The Mind of a Chef, Lee said he believes that food that grows in the same latitude often blends well together, even if the locations are thousands of miles apart.[17]

Personal life[edit]

Lee is married to Kentucky native Dianne Durcholz (Lee). Their daughter, Arden, was born in 2013.[18]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Meet Our Staff | 610 Magnolia". 610magnolia.com. Archived from the original on 2016-01-20. Retrieved 2016-02-03.
  2. ^ "Meet Chef Edward Lee | The Mind of a Chef | PBS Food". PBS Food. Retrieved 2016-02-03.
  3. ^ a b "Search | James Beard Foundation". www.jamesbeard.org. Retrieved 2016-02-03.[permanent dead link]
  4. ^ a b "Peek Inside the Bold New Succotash Chef Edward Lee's Opened in D.C." 11 September 2017. Retrieved 13 November 2018.
  5. ^ "Norman Van Aken's Kitchen Conversations: Edward Lee". The Daily Meal. 28 September 2015. Retrieved 2016-02-03.
  6. ^ "Edward Lee". BravoTV.com. 25 June 2012. Retrieved 2016-02-03.
  7. ^ "Behind the Scenes Chef Edward Lee 610 Magnolia Louisville KY". friendsdriftinn.com. 13 May 2012. Retrieved 2016-02-03.
  8. ^ "Inside Chef Edward Lee's New National Harbor Restaurant: Succotash". Washingtonian. 11 September 2015. Retrieved 2016-02-03.
  9. ^ "Wine Studio". 610magnolia.com. Archived from the original on 2016-02-07. Retrieved 2016-02-03.
  10. ^ "Chef Edward Lee launches Smoketown program". The Courier-Journal. Retrieved 2016-02-03.
  11. ^ McMahan, Dana (2015-09-29). "Edward Lee Has An Idea To Help Solve The Chef Shortage". foodrepublic.com. Retrieved 2016-02-03.
  12. ^ Lee, Edward (2013-05-01). Smoke and Pickles: Recipes and Stories from a New Southern Kitchen. Artisan. ISBN 9781579654924.
  13. ^ "Louisville chef Edward Lee stars in new TV show 'Culinary Genius,' set to air Monday". Courier Journal. Retrieved 2018-01-02.
  14. ^ "Home". chefedwardlee.com.
  15. ^ Brownfield, Elizabeth. "Looking To Help The Restaurant Community? Armchair Travel To France In A New Doc Featuring Manresa Chef David Kinch". Forbes. Retrieved 2023-06-26.
  16. ^ "Edward Lee chosen as guest chef for White House state dinner". Associated Press. April 21, 2023. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  17. ^ "Season 3 Episode 6: Latitude | The Mind of a Chef | PBS Food". PBS Food. Retrieved 2016-02-03.
  18. ^ "24 Hours with Chef Edward Lee in Charleston, SC". The Daily Meal. September 2013. Retrieved 2016-02-03.
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