Curtis Stone dishes on favorite foods, chocolate and more

We don’t know what we love more, his sexy Aussie accent, his timeless style, his food or his heart. Curtis Stone, the Top Chef Masters host and new Lindt spokesperson, talks about chocolate, comfort food and his first date favorites.

Self-confessed chocoholic

“I’m a self-confessed chocoholic, and I’ve partnered with Lindtfor the ‘Taste the Difference’ program because of the craftsmanship and care they put into all of their products — it mirrors the attention to detail that I take with each dish I create. It’s my mission, from one chocolate lover to all chocolate lovers out there, to understand and taste this difference for themselves.”

As he stated, this new partnership focuses on the importance of using fresh, high-quality ingredients in cooking. So we have to ask the top chef, what are his favorite (and least) favorite ingredients?

All about ingredients

“I absolutely love cooking with fresh seafood. Growing up in Melbourne, Australia, fresh seafood was a huge part of my life. I always try to find the highest quality fish I can get my hands on and then all I need to do is treat it simply. I’m also a freshly shucked oyster lover. All that you need is a little squeeze of lemon and your favorite bottle of Champagne and you’re in heaven! Truthfully, “I’m not a big fan of the flavor of licorice.”

Aside from seafood, he shared four other ingredients he simply can’t live without.

“Good quality extra-virgin olive oil. It’s like liquid gold and every kitchen needs this staple in the pantry cupboard. Chocolate. As a self-confessed chocoholic, my ingredient list wouldn’t be complete without this favorite! I also really love pork. I remember my mum would do a roast leg of pork, and I loved the crackling. I’m still mad for it. Truffles have to be my all time super indulgence. Come wintertime when white truffles hit the menu, I cannot help but order them. I really think they are addictive.”

Gathering your ingredients is only the first part of creating an incredible dish. As a world class chef and host of Top Chef Masters, Stone is no stranger to incredibly innovative cuisine. Since we’ve all had those days where we’ve felt uninspired in the kitchen, we asked how he finds his inspiration.

“I think you can get really creative with seasonal ingredients. Just say your favorite quinoa salad recipe calls for peaches but they’re not in season, then you can simply take out the peaches and substitute with some roasted beets instead.”

Stylish dishes

If you’re not much of a chef and do more of the “presenting” at your dinner parties and soirees, Stone has a quick tip for making any dish look pretty.

“You can add a ton of creativity to simple dishes purely by the way you plate it up. When creating a dessert, there’s a bunch of ways to elevate the dish, such as dusting icing sugar over your dish just before serving or applying chocolate swirls and drizzles. I think the way you plate up a dish is super important because we eat with our eyes!”

First date food

Speaking of eating with your eyes, we were dying to know what this hot chef would make if he was trying to wow a girl on a first date (hey, we can dream, right?).

“[I’d definitely make]something with lobster! Whether it be a little adventurous like a Pot-au-feu of Lobster or something warm and hearty like a spicy Red Curry of Lobster and Pineapple. Lobster dishes always make a good impression.”

And for dessert?

“Then I’d have to say something with chocolate to finish (a chocolate soufflé perhaps!) because everybody loves chocolate, don’t they!”

We sure do, especially when it’s made by Curtis Stone. Which is why we’re sharing one of the latest recipes he created for Lindt, a luscious chocolate bread pudding. Grab the recipe below!

Chocolate bread pudding recipe

Serves 8

Ingredients:

• 2-1/2 cups heavy cream
• 1-1/4 cups whole milk
• 1-1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
• 5 large eggs
• 1-1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 pound day-old French or Italian bread, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 12 cups)
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 8 ounces Lindt EXCELLENCE 70% cocoa bars, coarsely chopped
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, whisk the cream, milk, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla together. Add the bread and gently stir to coat well. Set aside for about 20 minutes to allow the bread to soften and soak up some of the egg mixture.
2. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish with the butter.
3. Fold the chopped Lindt EXCELLENCE 70% cocoa bars into the bread mixture. Transfer to the prepared baking dish and sprinkle with the granulated sugar. Bake for about 50 minutes, or until the pudding puffs and is golden brown on top but still moist inside. Cool slightly before serving.

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