Dishing it up for Mariah
Cooking has taken Scottsdale-based chef Zipora Einav everywhere - just about. After stints serving as in-home chef for celebrities like Pierce Brosnan, Cybill Shepherd and Seal in Los Angeles, she was ready to take her show on the road. She became Mariah Carey's personal chef on the Rainbow Tour in 2000, traveling throughout Europe and Asia.
"The biggest challenge," says Einav, "was to find the best ingredients. I had to go into the markets wherever we were, with a driver who understood the local language and currency." In the market in Antwerp, Belgium, the driver told vendors she was cooking for Mariah Carey, and no one wanted to charge any money. "They love Mariah so much, some guys asked for my autograph," Einav says.
In Japan, Einav visited the Tokyo fish market, said to be the biggest in the world. "I saw creatures I don't even know what to call them," she recalls, "so fresh you could smell the ocean on the fish." Einav was there on a special mission. Normally, she bought food and ingredients she herself would prepare. But this time, she was searching for fresh clams for Carey to cook. "Mariah likes to make pasta with clam sauce," Einav says. "She does it herself to relax."
Carey invited Einav, her manager, personal assistant and masseuse to help eat the pasta. Since they were switching roles, Einav, who was born in Israel, ended up singing "Hava Nagila" for the cook. Most of the time, of course, it was Einav who did the cooking.
"Singers have to be especially careful what they eat," she says. "Food can affect your throat and ability to perform." Before working for Carey, Einav was the chef for the Kelly Family Rock Group, an Irish band that is hugely popular in Europe and Asia. She cooked for them in Cork, Ireland, their home, while they were rehearsing for their tour. At the same time, Einav was making preparations herself. She designed a state-of-the-art mobile kitchen that she packed into cases for traveling, and, according to Einav, it was better than most restaurant kitchens. (Phoenix New Times) Many thanks to Mariah Buzz.
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