Gabriele Corcos facts for kids

Gabriele Corcos (born October 7, 1972) is an Italian chef, business owner, and TV star. He created, hosted, and produced the TV show Extra Virgin on the Cooking Channel. He also wrote a best-selling cookbook called Extra Virgin. Corcos used to own a restaurant called The Tuscan Gun Officine Alimentari in Brooklyn, New York, but it is now closed.

He also starred with his wife, Debi Mazar, in a TV show called Extra Virgin Americana. This show had eight episodes in early 2016 on The Cooking Channel. Gabriele Corcos has also helped several charities that fight hunger.

Gabriele Corcos's Early Life

Gabriele Corcos was born into a Sephardic Jewish family in Fiesole, Italy. He grew up in Tuscany. After finishing high school, he joined the Italian Army. He studied medicine at the military academy for several years. However, he loved music more. He decided to study music instead of finishing his medical degree. Corcos traveled to Brazil, Cuba, and Morocco to learn drums and play with local musicians.

Gabriele Corcos's Career Journey

In 2001, Gabriele Corcos met his wife, Debi Mazar, in Florence, Italy. He moved to the United States to be with her. They got married on March 16, 2002. While his wife was busy filming during the day, Corcos wrote about his thoughts on American food.

One day, the couple filmed themselves cooking spaghetti sauce in their kitchen. They shared the video on YouTube, which was a new website at the time. In 2006, they started a blog and web series called "Under the Tuscan Gun." They received many emails from people who loved their project. Over five years, they built a large group of loyal fans. They did not plan to go on TV. However, when the Cooking Channel started in May 2010, they were asked to host the channel's first cooking show. The Boston Globe newspaper even called them the Cooking Channel's "first family." People have compared the way Corcos and Mazar interact to the famous TV couple Ricky and Lucy Ricardo from I Love Lucy.

On June 4, 2019, the President of Italy honored Gabriele Corcos as a Knight. This was to recognize his work for Italian heritage in the United States. It is the highest honor an Italian citizen can receive.

Gabriele Corcos's Cooking Skills

Gabriele Corcos started cooking when he was very young. He often shares that his favorite memories are cooking with his grandmother and mother as a small child. From them, he learned about traditional Tuscan food and farmer's cooking. When he lived in Los Angeles, Corcos worked in the kitchens of famous chefs, like Gino Angelini. In 2012, he was also the head chef at the well-known Montauk Yacht Club. Since 2011, Corcos has been a celebrity chef at both the Food Network New York City and Food Network South Beach Wine and Food Festivals. In February 2015, he hosted the opening event at the festival, which was called the Ronzoni Italian Feast.

Gabriele Corcos's Charity Work

In April 2013, Gabriele Corcos appeared on Food Network's Chopped. He competed to raise money for the charity Feeding America. In May 2013, Corcos and his family took part in the Live Below the Line Challenge. For five days, each family member had only $1.50 per day to spend on food. This amount is equal to the poverty line in America. Also, in 2014, Corcos became a council member for the Food Bank For New York City. In October 2014, he hosted a series of special dinners where a large part of the money raised went to the Food Bank.

Extra Virgin TV Show Details

The first season of Extra Virgin started in 2011. By 2015, the show had five seasons. Extra Virgin is shown in the United States on the Cooking Channel. Outside the U.S., it airs on Food Network International.

Extra Virgin Cookbook Success

The Extra Virgin cookbook, titled Extra Virgin: Recipes & Love from Our Tuscan Kitchen, was released on May 6, 2014. It was the number one Italian cooking book on Amazon for six months. It remained in the top 10 as of October 2015. In June 2014, the cookbook made the New York Times Best-Seller list. The cookbook includes both real Tuscan dishes and dishes inspired by Tuscany. It has 120 recipes that are both simple and very appealing.

Tuscan Gun Officine Alimentari Shop

The Tuscan Gun Officine Alimentari shop opened in May 2015 and closed in late 2017. It served Italian food. Located in Brooklyn, New York, the shop was open every day for breakfast and lunch. They also held a few special ticketed dinners each month, which featured tasting menus made with fresh, seasonal ingredients.