Selena Gomez Fires Up the Kitchen in New HBO Max Show

WASHINGTON, KOMPAS.com – Selena Gomez is returning to the television screen with the launch of “Selena + Chef” debuting August 13 on HBO Max.

The singer-actress will be taking the heat in the kitchen as she slices and dices her way to impress her grandparents and two friends who serve as taste testers.

“Selena + Chef” was filmed in the kitchen of Selena Gomez’s Los Angeles-area house.

“I really thought this would be something lighthearted because I was getting definitely down,” she said in a video conference Wednesday.

“Of course, there’s more important things going on but this was an opportunity to make something that could make people smile.”

Guiding Gomez remotely are chefs Nyesha Arrington, Roy Choi, Tonya Holland, Daniel Holzman, Jon & Vinny, Candice Kumai, Ludo Lefebvre, Antonia Lofaso, Nancy Silverton and Angelo Sosa.

They coach her through making such dishes as Korean breakfast tacos, matcha chocolate chip cookies, spicy miso ramen, seafood tostada and cheese souffle.

There was no one off-camera perfectly prepping the ingredients and Gomez didn't glam up her clothing or makeup while chopping and stirring.

Remote cameras set up in her kitchen captured Gomez's mishaps that include flames in the oven and squirting juices.

She wields sharp knives while struggling with a slimy octopus and pulls organs out of a raw chicken.

“I hope you’re going to laugh because I look like a fool,” she said. “I love cooking, I just don’t know how to do it all the time.”

Her go-to recipe? “I make a killer PB&J,” she said, laughing.

Selena Gomez learned to use a wet towel to adjust the shape and position on the plate of a classic French omelette.

“I've never cared more about presentation than I do now,” she said.

Cooking at home has skyrocketed during the global pandemic, with people using it to alleviate boredom and anxiety.

“It’s not easy for anyone to be walking through what we’re walking through. It’s affecting people, specifically with mental health,” Gomez said.

“It’s just confusing. It was hard but I tried to find what I needed to get me through it. I have great friends, I see a therapist. Just try to keep my mind positive. I’ve learned more about my country than I ever have from school or anything.”

Each episode highlights a food-related charity and invites viewers to follow along at home with lists of ingredients and tools needed.

“You don't have to be a great cook to enjoy this show,” co-executive producer Aaron Saidman said.

Since filming ended, Selena Gomez said she's made the chocolate chip cookies and French omelet again.

“I didn’t burn my house down,” she said. 

(Writer: Beth Harris) 

Source: https://apnews.com/c3245398a788d7aee032181688d992d0