“I have an incredible sweet tooth, so being around that much baking was a dream, much to the chagrin of my boxing coach. Back to the gym!,” he tells Parade.com. Besides the desserts, Stone was drawn to the series because of its unique twist. Bakers on the culinary guessing game are tasked with recreating recipes using merely clues and crumbs. And as someone who’s appeared on countless cooking shows, the show’s reverse engineering aspect was a fun change for Stone. “The concept of the show was attractive,” Stone admits. “I’ve always liked team challenges on the competition shows I’ve worked on previously because it’s the reality you face working in a professional kitchen. You’re not an island.” The premise of Crime Scene Kitchen was “something new” for Stone, who has appeared on Take Home Chef, Top Chef Masters and Top Chef Junior, among others. “Reverse engineering each challenge was super innovative and the constant teamwork it takes to solve the case was something new,” he says. “Plus, [host] Joel McHale is hilarious, and Yolanda Gampp is just a pro when it comes to all things sugar and flour. It was a good time on set.” While his fellow judge might be known as the Beyonce of cakes, the acclaimed chef can admittedly hold his own when it comes to baking. In addition to making a “mean crust,” Stone can also whip up a “delicious Banoffee Pie.” Continue reading for more on Stone’s cooking at home and how he gets his kids to try new dishes!
At home, do you do all of the cooking?
Yeah, I do most of the cooking. [Wife Lindsay Price] has a couple of specialties like Korean dishes she’s learned from her mum, but she’s happy to have me in the kitchen at home.
What about your kids, do they like helping out in the kitchen?
They do. My oldest is an adventurous eater and I got him in the garden young, explaining healthy eating and where our food comes from. I thought to myself, “Oh, I got this down. I really did it right,” and then my second son came along, and he’s the exact opposite, very particular and a fan of all white foods like pasta and rice.
So, how do you get them to try new dishes?
I like bringing a story to the table, telling them the first time I tried the dish or suggesting that it took me a few times of trying something before I developed a taste for it. I’ve resorted to the “just one bite” rule but find that forcing food on kids is not a good idea, they have to come to love an ingredient or dish on their own.
Having children presents plenty of mysteries. Can you share an example of one you’ve successfully solved?
How to get my youngest to eat vegetables? Dice small and sneak them into his pasta sauce.
OK, back to baking. Do you consider yourself a good baker?
I can make a mean crust. I opened The Pie Room by Gwen during the pandemic. It’s a pop-up shop in the Maude space in Beverly Hills. I took charge of the savory pies and was using suet and leaf lard in the crusts and the meats from my butcher shop. Our pastry chef Amy Taylor was baking the sweets. We would go head-to-head on who could sell more pies on any given day. Her baking is phenomenal, but I can hold my own.
Did you venture into any new cooking territory during the pandemic?
Like many did, I really embraced comfort cooking during the pandemic. One of the first things I made was a chicken pot pie that my family loved, so I put it on the takeout menu at Gwen and it quickly became a guest favorite.
Do you think Crime Scene Kitchen will appeal to fans who love crime podcasts and crime shows?
I hope so. Everyone loves a “Whodunit?” I actually just watched an episode with my sons, and they thought it was really fun. It’ll be a great show to watch with the family.
Are you big on crime podcasts and crime shows?
I listen to a lot of NPR and everyone keeps telling me I need to listen to the first season of “Serial.” I’ll get to it one of these days. Next, everything you need to know about Season 1 of Crime Scene Kitchen!
