The crowd for Ayesha Curry at the Williams Sonoma Culinary Stage. Photo credit: Kassie Borreson
Last weekend food and music fans from across the country flocked to Napa, CA to listen to music and enjoy the best of local food and drinks at the fifth annual BottleRock Napa Valley. In addition to sound stages that showcased musicians like the Foo Fighters and The Roots, there was the Williams-Sonoma Culinary Stage, where star chefs like José Andrés, Martha Stewart and Morimoto tag-teamed with musicians to put together standout dishes in front of a live audience. We spent three days hanging out backstage in the Williams Sonoma Culinary Oasis and caught plenty of behind-the-scenes scoops. Here, in no particular order, are six of our very favorite moments from the weekend.
José Andrés Getting Star-Struck On Stage
Celebrity chef José Andrés’s on-stage demo was called “Jamón the Bass.” Andrés invited four legendary bass players from Dave Matthews Band, Greenday, Metallica and Guns N’ Roses up on stage to jam on working bass guitars made out of pizza peels. Meanwhile, Andrés himself played on his own musical instrument: an Ibérico ham leg from Spain. But, Andrés was prepared with more than just his “instrument”—he hung a sharpie pen around his neck and used it to score autographs from each of the musicians on his chef whites!
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Martha Stewart’s Facebook Live Getting Photobombed
After Martha got off the Wiliams Sonona Culinary Stage, where she did a cooking demo with Macklemore and Ryan Lews, she headed to the Williams Sonoma Test Kitchen Pop-Up to do a live wine tasting with James Beard Award winner Thomas Joseph. The livestream was crashed by not one but two celebrity guests: Modern Family actor Jesse Tyler Ferguson, who appeared on stage with Chef Roy Choi, and actress Teri Hatcher, who exclaimed “I’m totally fan-crushing out. I’m a stalker!”
Watch Martha Stewart’s full Facebook Live here.
Emcee Liam Mayclem hamming it up with Martha Stewart and crew. Photo credit: Kassie Borreson
Adam Richman Rapping with a Hip-Hop Legend Warren G
Last year Man Finds Food host Adam Richman put his passion for hip-hop to good use by crafting a food rap for his cooking demo with The Pharcyde. This year he took it a step further: He reached out to Warren G weeks before Bottlerock and the two got together to co-write a rap called “Marinate & Macerate” to the tune of Warren G’s classic “Regulator.” Here’s some footage of the two practicing at Warren G’s home.
Warren G Refusing to Share his Secret BBQ Rub
While operating under his pitmaster alias Stiffin Griffins on stage, Warren G refused to share the ingredients for his homemade Sniffin Griffin’s World Famous Backyard BBQ Rub. The red spice blend brought a totally unique flavor to the beef Richman was grilling on stage but, when asked what was in it, Warren G coyly replied, “Just salt and pepper and a couple of other things.”
Adam Richman and Warren G. Photo credit: Kassie Borreson
Ayesha Curry Getting Surprised on Stage
Ayesha Curry was all ready for her cooking demo with rapper E-40—she was making beer-battered chicken with E-40’s beer and, to go along with it, gruyere and pancetta waffles. But, things quickly went off-script when Ayesha spotted actress Tamera Mowry watching in the wings and called her onstage. Then, unbeknownst to Ayesha, her husband and Warriors star Stephen Curry strolled on stage to taste-test the final product. His rating, on a scale of one to ten? A thirty, of course.
Richard Blais Being Mistaken for Just About Everyone
You’d think the foodie crowds at BottleRock would be able to recognize a celebrity chef like Richard Blais, who won Top Chef: All-Stars and has a new cookbook with his face front-and-center. Yet, Blais explained, people still confuse him with other notable personalities. “Someone told me, ‘I love your work on Modern Family,’” said Blais, joking about his resemblance to the Modern Family star (and Culinary Stage guest) Jesse Tyler Ferguson. Then, they asked him for his autograph—as Macklemore. “I signed it ‘Mack-e-lemore’,” laughed Blais.
Matt Sorum of Guns N’ Roses and Richard Blais break out the Searzall for their demo. Photo credit: Kassie Borreson
1 comment
OMG I can’t believe Martha Stewart was in Napa Valley recently. Had I known earlier I would have gone to see her.