Away from the spotlight: Meet the women chefs behind the Met Gala 2022 menu

While celebrities captured the theme of ‘Gilded Glamour‘ in the Met Gala 2022 with eye-catching dresses reflective of America’s Gilded age, behind the scenes, three talented women worked to celebrate American creativity in a domain different from fashion, that of gastronomy.

Handpicked by celebrity chef and restaurateur Marcus Samuelsson, rising world-class chefs Amirah Kassem, Melissa King, and Lauren Von Der Pool are in charge of this year’s menu, which is meant to capture the diversity and depth of American cuisine.

“We’re spotlighting American food and what that looks like today, but also who was part of building the traditions of American food, so focusing on women chefs was very important to me,” Samuelsson, who was also in charge of the menu for last year’s gala, told Vogue about his pick.

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While the menu, at the time of writing this, still remained a secret, the three chefs are expected to bring their distinctive takes on American food to the table.

Known for her innovative and playful desserts, Kassem is a baker and best-selling author who owns the Flour Shops bakeries in New York and Los Angeles. She is also known for being a judge in the food art series ‘Foodtastic’.

King, meanwhile, is a chef with Michelin-star experience in French, Italian, and Japanese kitchens, who is renowned for her unique take on Californian cuisine wherein she infuses American dishes with traditional East and South East Asian flavours. She also recently launched her line of signature sauces, King Sauce, to give people a taste of her unique culinary perspective.

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Last but not least is Von Der Pool, a rising chef whose take on raw vegan food has taken the world by fire. Von Der Pool had previously worked with former First Lady Michelle Obama for ‘Let’s Move’, an obesity prevention campaign. She has also authored a series of books on fresh, locally grown, environmentally sustainable food.

Given their unique strengths, the menu for the 2022 gala is expected to be a diverse one that reflects the evolution of American food.

“It’s very collaborative and it’s a lot of fun. When you pick incredible chefs like this, you want their voice to be heard down to every last detail,” an excited Samuelsson told Vogue, adding, “I just want everyone to break bread and say, ‘That was an incredible night out that I will never forget’.”