— Jackie Kennedy's go-to breakfast, according to notes recently sold at auction. Not eggs-actly our first choice.
theSkimm With
#PrivateChef Reilly Meehan
'Tis the season for private chef content. As summer heats up, some of the country's wealthiest decamp to their second homes — accompanied by private chefs, who dish about all the prepping, cooking, and plating on Instagram and TikTok. It's content people are clearly hungry for: Videos with the hashtag #privatechef have reportedly quadrupled in the last year, surpassing 1 billion views. To learn more, we spoke with private chef Reilly Meehan about what he's serving up.
Q: What does a day in your life look like?
When I'm out in the Hamptons, I live with my clients. I'm usually up by 7 am, so I can unload the dishwasher, reset the kitchen, and start breakfast — which could be anything from smoothies to eggs Benedict. After breakfast, I'll discuss dinner with my clients ... This is my third summer working for them full-time, so I've come to know the likes and dislikes of my clients and all their guests ... Then I head to the grocery store, where I go at least once a day ... and I work on content projects I have … By 3 or 4, I'm back in the kitchen. I'm a one-man show, so if they want a little appetizer, a cocktail, or an over-the-top dinner, that all falls on me. We typically do cocktails at 6, dinner at 6:30 or 7. There's a lot of buffets and family-style meals, but if neighbors or business partners are coming over, we might do a more formal, three-course meal. I'm done serving and cleaning around 8, so I'll have a quick dinner and the rest of the evening is for me.
Q: Has there been a time when a meal really didn't go according to plan?
Oh yeah. I mean, just the number of times I've dropped something and had to redo it. One time, we were doing a really chill birthday — pizza and chocolate cake, which is my client's favorite. I was trying to get fancy with the pizza dough, so I threw it in the air, it flew out of my hands, and it literally encased the chocolate cake. Just landed directly on top of it. So I had to peel the dough off, toss the dough, and fix up the cake. The cake was recoverable. But the dough? Not so much. Luckily I had made some extras.
Q: What about any unusual requests?
I wish I had some crazy answer, but I don't get these outlandish, over-the-top requests. Maybe somebody will ask for the maple syrup to be heated up, but that's my job, the service I'm here to provide. Though, I do make the dog food, which is not something I had expected. My clients have two standard poodles who are on very specific diets, so I help them out with that.
Q: What's the most challenging part of working as a private chef? And the most rewarding?
I'd say the biggest challenge for me personally [is that] I'm married, I have a dog, we have a lifestyle that we get accustomed to, [but] then three months out of the year I'm in someone else's home … [My clients] are truly the most accommodating people I could ever ask for. They let me have friends come visit, my husband gets to come visit. But I think anybody would have a difficult time uprooting their life and living somewhere else for three months out of the year.
… Obviously there's [also] huge perks. The Hamptons are beautiful and it's mostly sunny and right by the beach. Plus, I love and cherish my relationship with my clients — it's gotten to a point where they treat me like family.
Q: Private chefs have blown up on social media. Why is that?
You're getting to see a lifestyle that is so outlandishly different. It's so out of the realm of what you generally see — it's so not relatable. But you're seeing it through the lens of someone that is more relatable. Not everybody can fly on private jets and live in mansions, but everybody knows someone who works in the restaurant industry. Or, who's a really good home cook. Or, who loves food. Seeing this other lifestyle, but through the lens of someone super relatable, is what makes it so interesting.
Psst, this interview has been edited for length and clarity.
"Nothing Special" by Nicole Flattery...Looking for a little career inspo? This follows Mae, a 17-year-old in New York City in 1966, who gets a job as a typist for *ahem* Andy Warhol. She's tasked with transcribing his tape recordings, which he plans to make into an unconventional novel. As she works, she develops a friendship with her fellow typist Shelley — and while the two party and reach for their own independence, Mae finds herself unable to separate her own reality from that on the tapes. This is a very '60s, very smart coming-of-age story that you don't want to miss.
Skimm Picks
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Weekend Escape
*Slams laptop shut until Monday.* We know the feeling. And we've got some tips for escape.
Tomorrow's National Ice Cream Day. A cool way to celebrate? By getting a taste of another country or culture, via its twist on the creamy, dreamy treat. Plus, you don't need a passport to dig in. Many can be found at local restaurants and grocery stores, or perhaps even sweeter, can be made at home. Here's the scoop on a few...
Dondurma: The Turkish ice cream — which is also called bastani or booza — can be found in parts of Greece and across the Middle East. It's made with salep (a type of flour) and mastic (a tree resin), which gives it a thick, chewy texture that's similar to taffy.
Kulfi:Often served on a stick, this lighthouse-shaped treat is traditionally made by simmering milk for hours. The result? A dense dessert that's commonly flavored with rose, pistachio, mango, or saffron — a nod to its popularity in India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and other parts of South Asia and the Middle East.
Paletas:Forget American popsicles, which are commonly flavored with sugar syrups and food dyes. Mexican paletas are made with whole ingredients like fresh fruit, herbs, and spices — which explains the wide variety of flavors, from mango or watermelon to pineapple jalapeño or hibiscus raspberry.
Semifreddo: Some consider this the OG ice cream cake. Semifreddo — which means "half frozen" in Italian — got its start in the 19th century and is made by whipping eggs and cream into a mousse-like consistency. Meaning, no ice cream maker necessary.
Sorbetes:A popular street food throughout the Philippines, traditional sorbetes was reportedly made with milk from a native water buffalo. But more modern versions apparently use cow's or coconut milk and come in flavors like mango, chocolate, and even cheese.
Mochi ice cream:While mochi (a thick, chewy rice cake) comes from Japan, mochi ice cream (the same thing, but filled with ice cream) was actually invented in LA by a Japanese-American businesswoman. Popular flavors include vanilla, chocolate, green tea, red bean, black sesame, and plum wine.
...Oh and check back tomorrow for what's in store on National Ice Cream Day.
News Quiz
Let's see how well you kept up with the Daily Skimm this week.
Which golfer shot a W at the US Women's Open?
A. Michelle Wie West
B. Charley Hull
C. Allisen Corpuz
D. Jiyai Shin
Check back tomorrow for the answer. But if you just need to know, you'll find what you're looking for here.
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