What 10 Famous Chefs Are Making Their Moms For Mother's Day Slideshow
Find out what Adam Richman and nine other chefs are making their moms this Mother's Day and find inspiration for your own menu.
Jimmy Bradley
"Cooking on Mother's Day is an opportunity to use all of the delicious spring ingredients that become available. In Philadelphia years ago, I used to make snapper soup or crab imperial — the classic American dish with crabmeat and cream stuffed into a clean shellfish shell, then breaded and gratinéed — dishes that weren't Italian, as my whole family is amazing at that and I always want to do something a little different. If going more of the Italian route, however, I'll do a really good Timpano — a festive pasta dish almost like a pasta torte or pie — which I make with penne, egg, ham, Parmesan and fontina, spinach, and lots of fresh herbs in a springform pan lined with a little pie dough and baked."
Thomas Chen
"On Mother's Day, I'm cooking for another special mother in my life: my wife and mom of our little daughter. With both our schedules being so different (she works weekdays and I work nights and weekends), brunch is when we get to spend time together as a family. I'm making her a special brunch with some of her favorite things, such as indulgent steak with seared foie gras and eggs, fluffy pancakes, and potato hash."
Leah Cohen
"This Mother's Day I am cooking sticky toffee pudding for my mom. She has a sweet tooth (probably where I get mine from) and I just came across the best sticky toffee pudding on an app called ChefSteps. I made it for my staff this week and they all flipped out over it, so I knew I needed to make some for my mom."
Danny Grant
Every year for Mother's Day, Maple & Ash's two Michelin-starred executive chef Danny Grant makes his mom roasted lobster and king crab alongside a handmade pasta, and he uses the juices from the lobster and king crab to make a pasta sauce. He's been doing it for over 10 years now. He wanted to combine all of his mother's favorites into a luxurious, thoughtful, delicious meal. The pasta is an added bonus that soaks up all the love from the roasted seafood. He roasts the lobster and king crab on the open fire until the meat caramelizes. He then places the seafood in a cast iron pan and bastes with lemon, chili oil, and herbs. After they enjoy the bountiful treasures of the sea, he dumps homemade noodles in the residual juices. This abundant meal pairs perfectly with white Burgundy, his favorite!
Richard Hales
"For Mother's Day, I will make my mom Filipino adobo. My mom's grandmother used to make this for the whole family years ago. When she passed away, no one had the recipe. I then re-created this recipe from memory so my family, including my mom, could enjoy once again."
Yvette Leeper-Bueno
"This Sunday my mother and I will be working side by side at Vinateria. It may not be the most glamorous, but we'll be together! We'll share a dish of Vinateria's Manchego Polenta, inspired by the cornmeal porridge that we always made while I was growing up. The polenta— food of the poor, 'cucina povera Italiana' — is something hearty and warming, perfect for when we need something substantive for the long day."
Harold Moore
"I am making fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, plus grilled asparagus and cucumber salad. Mom loves a meat and three just as much as the next guy!"
Justin Neubeck
"Lamb with spring peas and greens, labneh, and chermoula — wood-fired if possible!"
Adam Richman
"The most important thing I'm making with my mom for Mother's Day is a solid block of time to just hang out with her. Between my travel schedule and her personal commitments, we don't always get much more than a meal here, a movie there, or every so often we'll catch a Broadway play or concert. Although we talk and text often, there's nothing like face-to-face time with your loved ones. My mom has been looking great these days and she claims to owe it to a 'Mediterranean Diet.' If I'm going to make my mother anything, it's definitely going to be about preparation, maintaining the essence of the food, and not a ton of ingredients. Maybe a nice roasted fish with high-quality olive oil, lemon, really good sea salt, some fresh herbs, and because the farmers markets are really picking up now in New York, probably a salad and a side dish from some amazing local veggies. But don't be fooled! We will still probably end up at a place called The Chocolate Room, in Brooklyn, as it has always been one of our favorites."
Chris Santos
"I unfortunately haven't spent a Mother's Day with my mom in many years due to my hectic schedule, but if I was it would be something low and slow — because what I learned from her cooking is that patience is truly a virtue in the kitchen!"