Here is Part One of our interview
(… continued )
Part Two
Julie Anne Rhodes has the graceful stature to go along with her name. She’s adventurous, talented and a whole lot more. It’s no real surprise that her nickname is Jewels. She is inventive, and at the turn of the century, she put into action her personal chef idea, “The Roving Stove”, and is currently polishing it right into the future. Jewels, has shaped herself into the woman people see today. A mature, sophisticated lady, who adores her daughter, family and friends.
She’s smart and knows how to step up to the plate, and I’m not just talking dinner plates. Jewels is taking her dream a step further by offering the everyday home cook a way to get organized, follow her lead, and become a confident woman who can balance work, home, children and good food. Her goal it seems is to help cooks become their very own personal chef.
Me: Many people, women especially, think they have to come up with ideas like yours fresh out of college, in order to become a successful business owner. How old were you when your personal chef ideas began formulating from an idea, and then how long did you plan before you got started? What words of encouragement can you give those young people who are reading this today?
Jewels: It’s only too late if you think that way. Suffice it to say I was no spring chicken, but then I’m a reverse women’s libber. When all my friends set out to conquer the biggest conglomerate, my burning desire was to be a mother (not a popular decision in those days). I modeled and toyed with acting, but my daughter was the center of my world. Then my friends started having babies, mine was grown, and I suddenly found myself hungry for a career that, if you think about it, is still about being a nurturer. The only real difference is I feed other people’s families instead of my own. I think the best advice is the only boundaries blocking you from achieving any of your hearts desires, are the ones you put around yourself. If you don’t buy into societal stereotypes, they can’t affect you.
Me: You’ve gone from being a fashion model to a role model. Women look at you to understand how you managed to be a proper Mum, who lavished attention on her child, someone who overcame the hurt of divorce, an addictive and high profile life, to someone putting her creative talents into action. What words of advice do you offer people looking to you for direction? How they can juggle and balance family and professional lives, too?
Jewels: No one does it flawlessly, so let’s bust that myth right away. The best you can do is to keep your priorities straight, and give everything your best shot. Some days being good at your career means you didn’t do so well as mom, because you missed a dance recital, or you were unfocused at work after being up all night with a sick child. None of us can claim to be perfect at the balancing act; but in the grand scheme of things, if you did your level best – your child will flourish, that career will still grow, and hopefully your marriage will survive. You definitely have your best shot at getting it right when you maximize the time you can devote to each aspect – that’s why I truly believe the personal chef approach is such a valuable asset – freeing up ten extra hours a week makes a big difference!
Me: Over the span of your different careers and travels, which countries influenced your taste buds the most? Do you have a favorite cuisine?
Jewels: You certainly have my number! I love to eat my way through any country I visit – flavors and aromas create vivid memories for me. First and foremost would be Italy and Provence (I think the stork dropped me in the wrong part of the world by mistake), closely followed by Thailand, India, and Morocco. Healthy foods packed full of flavor.
Me: Describe your family in the kitchen … everyone is helping to prepare a traditional meal. Set up the scene … what’s happening?
Jewels: As a child, my fondest memories are of hanging out in the kitchen stealing snitches when my Auntie Vera wasn’t looking; or my mother giving me what felt like her undivided attention (she was really enlisting slave labor) as she taught me to make crepes, or decorate fifty pats of butter for a dinner party she was throwing. I always felt closest to my family in the kitchen – especially sitting down together for dinner every night no matter how busy or far apart our days took us.
Me: Being in sunny California and close to the Pacific, where are some of your favorite places to visit for food and drink? What do you like to order when you dine out? Which cuisines tempt and delight your palate?
Jewels: I just spent a delightful day hanging out at the Getty Museum with Cynthia Occelli taking in the art, gardens, and a fabulous meal in the restaurant there. Cleo’s’ at the Redbury Hotel in Hollywood makes wickedly good cocktails as well as great Mediterranean and Middle Eastern food. Yang Chow’s for Chinese, and Il Pasteo in Beverly Hills for Italian. I also just checked out a great new restaurant called Fresheast in West Hollywood – loved the concept and the food – everything is organic, seasonal, sustainable, and only the best quality raw ingredients are used to make delicious Indian, Korean, Thai, Japanese, and Chinese influenced meals, that are extremely affordable.
Me: (Sorry!! … I just have to ask) have you ever dined at Chef Ramsey’s “Hells Kitchen”? It seems like an exciting experience that a lot of folks would like to have. You’re in L.A. and exposed to so much fun stuff. What amusing things do you like to spend time doing?
Jewels: No, and I wanted to, but it isn’t really a restaurant you can book; the diners are all extras. I did have a divine meal at The London in West Hollywood when he was associated with the restaurant, but the finest meal I think I’ve ever had in L.A. was the tasting menu at Melisse in Santa Monica.
Me: You mentioned that your lovely daughter Tatjana is working in film editing. Does she ever set the camera down and join you to cook or bake? What are your favorite things to do with her? I saw a photograph of her pushing her little shopping cart (just adorable). Do you encourage mothers to include their children while cooking?
Jewels: Actually, she often keeps the camera rolling while I make cooking demos for my members, but yes we love to share cooking and baking time – I’ve always found her more forthcoming with her inner thoughts when her hands are busy in the kitchen, and it is a great way to show your kids why math and science are relevant in everyday life. Tatjana does the prep and cleanup, while I do most of the cooking which suits us both down to the ground.
(to be continued …)
Tags: helping single mothers cook smarter, Jewels, Julie Anne Rhodes