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Mar. 31, 2010
Private chef Gason Nelson of New Orleans provides a winning combination of professional culinary skills and hard work with a down-to-earth attitude. By Lisa Shames
Gason Nelson has a pretty cool job. But chances are you won’t hear him bragging about it. Ditto for the helping hand he lent to friends and family after Hurricane Katrina or the time he takes to mentor those hoping to follow in his footsteps. For the last four years, Nelson has been the private chef to New Orleans Saints running back Reggie Bush—for the record, Gason wasn’t at the game in Miami; he preferred to watch his team win in their, and his, home town—a job that keeps him very busy, in addition to his business, Full of Flavor. We managed to catch up with him by phone as he waited for his flight back to New Orleans after a last-minute trip to Los Angeles to prepare a surprise birthday dinner party for Bush.
APPCA: How did you get interested in cooking?
Gason: I became a cook in the military by accident. My dad was in the Army, and he got orders to go to Alaska. I was 18, but he wasn’t going to leave me there on my own. So I went down to the recruiting office and said I need to join the Army and quick, because I wasn’t going to go to Alaska. A cook came by, and I asked him what it was like. I thought, well, I worked at Burger King, so how hard could it be? When I got there it was a whole other world. I realized one day, though, that I loved it: the challenge, the excitement of being in the kitchen with everybody. I knew then I had found my passion, and I had learned what my purpose in life was.
APPCA: What was it like being a chef in the Army, and what did you learn from that experience?
Gason: You learn to deal with big numbers. At that time we were cooking for 600 people. I got more of the fine details when I got out and went to culinary school. It definitely brought out the competitor in me. It was all about who could be the best. There were 15 cooks there. It was something else. It was all about the challenge, and that made it exciting. I knew at that point there was nothing else I wanted to do. After that, I never had another job in my life that wasn’t involved with food in some way.
APPCA: Why is cooking so important to you?
Gason: It’s fun and challenging. Last night at Reggie’s birthday party, we had about 50 people there. It was awesome to see Reggie happy and the people enjoying the food. Food brings people together. But if that food is terrible, you’ll have a terrible vibe in the room. But if everybody is oohing and aahing and wanting seconds and thirds, for me that’s like scoring a touchdown.
APPCA: Why did you decide to go to culinary school?
Gason: I was working at different restaurants in the Quarter as a line cook, but I knew I needed to do something to further my career. I asked myself, “Do I want to be a line cook all my life?” So I went to culinary school just to see what was going on there. Next thing you know, I was enrolled. I had no idea how I was going to pay for it. I didn’t have the money. Within a year I got a full ride. [The] James Beard [Foundation] took care of everything. I got two scholarships back to back. Just had to show up for school. It was great.
APPCA: Why did you decide to become a personal chef?
Gason: Working in a restaurant was my life. I was there for birthdays, Mardi Gras, Christmas, whatever. I remember being in the restaurant watching the Super Bowl year after year. Eventually I got burnt out. One day I was putting out food just to put it out, and I told myself I never ever want to cook like that again. I care about food too much. So at that point I stood back and reevaluated things, and realized I had no life outside of the kitchen. You have to have balance, and I had none. I saw something on the Food Network about personal chefs, and I got curious about it. I remember I went into the office of where I was working and the phone rings. Somebody was calling about finding a personal chef, and I just happened to answer the phone. I called the guy, and he brought me to his house. I was very intimidated. I was still in school finishing up my last year. I didn’t know what to expect. I did a demo dinner, and he hired me on the spot. I was there for five years. He was an older guy who had been around the world, and he really challenged me. At the same time, he was really patient with me. He had every cookbook you can imagine. He built up my confidence, and I really grew when I was there.
APPCA: Why do you think you’ve been successful at it?
Gason: It’s my personality and my passion for food. One thing I noticed about myself is that no matter what I’m doing, whether it’s tennis or cooking, I want to be the best. I don’t like being average. So I’ll sit back and study. I need to know the why and where about things. Also, I love food and I care about freshness. I’ll drive across town to get a fresh tomato. But I wouldn’t say I’m successful at it yet. I look at Rachael Ray or Jamie Oliver, and to me they’re successful. I would like to get to that point one day. I see how hard Reggie works out, and I try and have the same mindset in my cooking. Everything has to be just right. You’d think I was getting ready to play the
Super Bowl myself!
APPCA: Describe how Katrina affected you?
Gason: Well, it affected everybody. I was doing fairly well financially at the time. Then I woke up one day and everything was gone. I went to Houston with just some clothes and had to start all over. Nobody knew me there. It was weird going into a restaurant and filling out an application. I knew so many chefs in New Orleans, and could just make a phone call to get a job. It was wild. It made me sit back and appreciate what it was that I had: great friends and family. Katrina humbled me. We would evacuate every year, but that year was different. I ended up staying in Houston for a year, taking jobs here and there.
APPCA: I heard you were involved in some rescue efforts afterward.
Gason: It was more about keeping families together. When we left New Orleans we all carpooled together, so somebody had to do a lot of driving back and forth as far as checking on jobs, everyone’s houses and stuff like that. I made some phone calls and helped people get places to stay, too. I was going through a bit of depression like everybody else, but somebody had to stand up and say this is what we are going to do. I feel pretty blessed and thankful.
APPCA: What was going through your mind when you prepared the demo meal for Reggie Bush?
Gason: That time I was in Houston and I didn’t know what was going on in my life. When I got the call it was more about just coming back to New Orleans and meeting him and doing a demo. If nothing else, I could put that on my résumé. He had a line of chefs waiting who wanted to cook for him, and I was the first one. Before the night was over I was hired. At that time I didn’t know how I was going to come back to New Orleans. I had nothing to come back for. I’ve been working for Reggie for four years now, and I have a lot of respect for him. He’s so approachable.
APPCA: What did this year’s Saints Super Bowl win mean to you?
Gason: To take care of one of the players that won the Super Bowl was very rewarding. Knowing that my job is to take care of what Reggie eats so when he comes home he doesn’t have to worry about anything and can concentrate on other things makes me feel great. In some ways I feel like that’s my Super Bowl ring, too.
APPCA: What might surprise people about your job as his private chef?
Gason: That you have to be very creative. There are no short cuts when it comes to being a private chef. You have to stay current by looking at books and going online, and then you have to be able to reproduce those things. I get that all the time. Reggie will be at a restaurant, and he’ll call me and say, “I’m in such and such place and I just had this and we’ve got to get it.” So I’ll Google the restaurant and try and figure out how the dish is done. It’s challenging, but fun, too.
APPCA: What do you like best about your job?
Gason: The freedom and the traveling. But most of all the freedom. When I was working in a restaurant I would be there for 10 hours and I didn’t have a life.
APPCA: What do you find the most challenging?
Gason: The phone. When Reggie calls, you have to be ready to roll. I was sitting at Herbsaint restaurant having lunch when I got a call that I needed to go to L.A. that day. They called me about 1 and I got on the plane at 6:30 and I was cooking the dinner in L.A. by 1 pm the next day.
APPCA: I heard you do some mentoring. Tell me about that.
Gason: I have two guys who came to me and said they wanted to be personal chefs. They wanted to follow me around. That made me feel good. One of the guys hung out and stayed with me for about a month. Right now he’s in culinary school and is on the same path I was on.
APPCA: Where do you go for inspiration?
Gason: I’m always online and reading. I’m a big fan of Jamie Oliver, his passion and excitement.
I’m like that, and people will look at me like I’m crazy. I love watching “Chopped” and “Iron Chef.” I’d loved to be on “Chopped.” I’ll get on there eventually. It’s about the challenge, not the money.
APPCA: Future plans?
Gason: I have a young lady who approached me about doing a book. I might explore that. One of my goals is to be one of the most sought-after private chefs. I would like to be recognized for what I do and be an inspiration to young chefs. That would be very rewarding.
APPCA: Advice for those seeking to become personal or private chefs?
Gason: You have to be true to the game and respect the food. I’m not one to come with up all these frills for my dishes. I want the food to speak for itself. You have to understand and appreciate that and let the food do what it’s supposed to do. You need to challenge yourself to learn something new every day: an herb, a seasoning, a cut of meat. Every day, I challenge myself to learn something new and that helps keep me passionate. Also, never compromise an ingredient. Do all that and you’ll be all right.
