Mark Peel (chef)

Mark Peel is a James Beard Foundation Award-nominated chef, hailing from California. He is the executive chef and owner of Los Angeles-area restaurants Campanile, The Tar Pit, The Point, and La Brea Bakery.^[1]

Career

Peel began as a sous chef under Wolfgang Puck at Ma Maison and the original Spago. He also did stints in France at La Tour d’Argent and Le Moulin de Mougins, as well as at Alice Waters' Chez Panisse in Berkeley.

Peel guest judged on Top Chef and Top Chef Masters several times in 2009 and 2010.^[2]

Peel's latest cookbook, New Classic Family Dinners, was written with Martha Rose Shulman and released in September 2009.^[3] Though Peel is known for his Mediterranean fare, the book is a collection of his favorite traditional American cuisine recipes.

His long career as a chef has taken a significant physical toll. In 2013, it was reported that he has carpal tunnel syndrome in both wrists and thoracic outlet syndrome in his shoulders, resulting from repetitive stirring, knife movements and heavy lifting. A bone spur on one foot and a cyst between toes of the other resulted from constantly standing and he has had three hernia operations and lives with a chronically sore back. ^[4]

Personal

Peel and his former wife, pastry chef Nancy Silverton, have co-authored several cookbooks. Peel and Silverton had three children. He is currently married to comedienne Daphne Brogdon, and they have two children.

References