London - Are you sick of television chefs who seemingly get turned on by caramel? Or are you so po-faced you find yourself apologising to the screen when you get a bit of yolk in your egg whites? Well, step aside, Heston and Delia, because the world of cookery has an unlikely new star.
Well Dunn with Jourdan Dunn has just begun its second series on Jay-Z's Life + Times online video channel (goo.gl/Ox9t5). With her waif-like proportions, the 22-year-old Burberry model may seem an odd choice to host such a show, but Dunn's enthusiasm and goofiness more than make up for her lack of formal training.
Demonstrating how to make shrimp tempura, the first episode of the new series sees the host joined by fellow model Cara Delevingne, sporting a purple dinosaur onesie. Cara, we're informed, can cook only toast and baked beans but she makes for a competent sous-chef, even offering to clean out the shrimp's “doo doo” (top tip for next time, though, girls: you'll find the intestine along the back of the prawn, not the front).
But though I'm pleased to see they expound the benefits of washing your hands while cooking, I wish they'd tie their hair back. No one likes a stringy strand in their sweet-and-sour sauce. Supermodels or not.
Another minor quibble is that Dunn fails to add any sour to her sweet-and-sour sauce (you'll need some rice vinegar for that!), but who really cares? You don't watch Well Dunn with Jourdan Dunn for the recipes, you watch it to hear all the food be described as “bangin'“. This is cooking for the YouTube generation.
Dunn isn't the only model who likes to flirt with the food industry. Just as models used to hanker after Hollywood, today's catwalk stars all seem to want to be foodies.
Karlie Kloss, Lily Donaldson, Lindsey Wixson and Milla Jovovich have all contributed recipes to a cookbook called Model Kitchen. Featuring carb-free, fun-free recipes such as kale salad, fresh mango salsa and baked salmon with green asparagus, shockingly it failed to capture the public's attention.
Last year, Lara Stone opened up about her desire to abandon photo shoots and open a burger place. She suggested calling it Lara's Baps and Buns. Though any forays into restauranteering should be approached with caution. Just ask Naomi, Christy, Elle and Claudia about their ill-fated Fashion Café.
The restaurant was closed in 1998 after the founders, Francesco Buti and Tommaso Buti, were accused of conspiracy, fraud and money laundering. Wonder how well Naomi took it… - The Independent