Chuck Hughes’ playlist

Celebrity chef Chuck Hughes has realized his teenage dream and then some.

“I grew up working in kitchens and my big dream was to open a 40-seat restaurant in Old Montreal,” Chuck says.

That was his wildest dream.

Today, the Montrealer is the chef and co-owner of two restaurants, Garde Manger and le Bremner, he has a handful of cooking shows on the go, including the Food Network’s Chuck’s Day Off and a special 8-week series, Chuck’s Week Off, set to premiere in September.

On top of that, Chuck just released the English version of his silver medal-winning cookbook, Garde Manger.

“I never really dreamt or thought all this was possible,” Chuck says over the phone. “It amazes me every day.”

Chuck credits his restaurant staff for materializing his dreams. He says he couldn’t have done it without them, and that his cookbook, Garde Manger, is a tribute to his dream team.

“I owe a lot to my staff. Without the team at the restaurant it all wouldn’t have been a success. I’m lucky to have an amazing team, from the guys in the kitchen to the dishwashers and floor staff,” he says. “We’re like a family and a lot of our favorite recipes ended up in the book. We made this book like a look into the restaurant, a peek into what we do.”

And here’s another peek into the life of the superstar chef. Take a look at what’s running through Chuck’s sound system.

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Money I$ King – Lee Fields & the Expressions

“Lee Fields came up as a suggestion on iTunes, I downloaded it and never looked back. It’s has a very soul, classic Motown sound. It’s just great and it fits in anywhere.

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Wu-Tang

“The collective. Any song, it doesn’t matter, at all times. I love every member, ever since the first album. A couple albums like Nevermind by Nirvana changed my whole perspective on music. Wu-Tang’s Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) was another big one that completely changed my life. Just the way they do their thing. It’s very different, very grimy, it’s sometimes almost scary. There’s not much production, it’s pretty raw, it’s pretty rugged. I like that style.”

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Crucial – k-os

“I love listening to k-os. ‘Crucial,’ I can’t get this song out of my head.”

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I’m Shakin – Jack White

“I really like Jack White’s new album, Blunderbuss. All the songs are good.”

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Turbulent Time – Lutan Fyah

“I listen to a lot of reggae. It’s probably the genre I listen to the most. I love this guy, Lutan Fyah. I love the lyrics and the tone of ‘Turbulent Time.’ There’s so much injustice. It’s very in sync with the student protest.”

Chuck has two book signings scheduled in Montreal on Saturday, June 2 at 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Costco, 300 Bridge St. Montreal and 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Appetite for Books, 388 Victoria Avenue (corner of Sherbrooke St West), Westmount.

Join Chuck on facebook and twitter, and check out his restaurants Garde Manger and le Bremner.

Posted by Marc Andrew on May 29 2012. Filed under Celebrity Playlist. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.