TV and movies can often portray the life of a famous chef as pretty rock 'n roll.
But Canadian chef, TV host and personality Matty Matheson has experienced more than his
share of struggles ... and it's been a long road to landing his massive success.
So who's the guy behind this culinary tattooed sneakerhead?
Here's the real truth about Matty Matheson.
"I have a TV show, I'm the chef of many restaurants, very successful, no.
See all that stuff's fake.
That's what you say"
Never one to shy away from spilling the less-savory details of his checkered past, Matty frequently
entertains fans and interviewers with stories of drug binges lasting days at a time.
There was nothing he wouldn't consume if offered to him, and he often enjoyed taking multiple
kinds of substances at once.
"With the chef stuff and partying, everyone knows what the f--- goes on.
Everyone goes out and parties every single night and you show up and you're hungover,
and you cook"
For 15 years, Matty soaked up as much alcohol, snow, ecstasy, mushrooms, and acid as he could
get his hands on.
He was a self-appointed "garbage head" someone who constantly dabbled in mind-altering substances.
"I could easily drink a bottle of whiskey, 24 beers, half a bottle of vodka, like do
grams and grams of snow, a few ecstasies"
It was all fun and games until 2012, when a heart attack landed the 29-year-old in the
hospital.
"Who has a heart attack at 29.
I don't know anyone"
While a heart attack in someone's twenties would likely bring the party lifestyle to
a screeching halt for most people, it would take more than a terrifying medical scare
to stop Matty's urge to binge.
Alcoholism is a disease, and anyone who's ever known someone in its grip can attest
to the horror.
It changes people, causing them to become the worst versions of themselves.
And despite the amount of treatment options available, some fall victim and never return.
Luckily, Matty climbed out of the abyss.
But it wasn't easy.
"I feel worse today than I've ever felt in my life.
I feel like a f------ piece of s---"
Before choosing a life of sobriety, Matty solidified his reputation as a "party guy"
early on.
He was always the loudest and craziest, and when fellow chefs came into town to rage,
he welcomed them with open arms.
However, as friends and coworkers around him ditched the antics to pursue their careers,
Matty stayed put, satisfied with the role he carved out for himself knocking back copious
amounts of alcohol and showboating everywhere he went.
"We got really wasted.
We did a million shots."
But finally, someone stepped in.
Tired of the ongoing shenanigans and drunken stupors, three of his close friends staged
an intervention and Matty accepted.
Even though he disguised it well, he too was tired of the exhausting existence.
So these days, does he miss sipping a fine wine with an extravagant meal?
You bet.
And Matty admits that every sober day takes effort.
But his passion for food filled the void left by the booze, and he enthusiastically declares
he's now "the best version" of himself.
One look at Matty and you can tell the dude loves ink.
Like, a lot.
After spending that kind of moolah on decorating your skin, you'd hope at least some of those
designs would have a special meaning ... and you'd be right.
"Just below my nipple, I have the worst tattoo of my body, but it's one of the most meaningful."
Oddly, his least favorite tattoo on his body, in his opinion, also packs some major importance.
Dedicated to his sister Sarah while she went through a rocky patch with her ex-husband,
Matty had an artist from New Mexico design a heart with her name, on his torso.
Although he hated the final result, it represents just how much he loves his family.
"Sarah.
I love you.
Still she's the best"
Across his right knuckles are the letters D-S-O-L, an acronym for his VICE show Dead
Set on Life, representing the moment he kicked his out of control drinking habit, for life.
And his most meaningful tattoo, not surprisingly, is his son's name, Macarthur, running down
his chest.
"I just got my son's name tattooed on me.
Mac.
That means the most.
That's like the best one.”
You'd think that a chef who holds the accolades Matty does surely had dreams of making it
big in the kitchen.
But it turns out, that wasn't exactly his thing, originally.
After high school, Matty found himself enrolling in Toronto's Humber College culinary school
for one reason: It was literally the only program willing to accept him.
But it was soon apparent that handling knives and pairing ingredients were his strong suit.
For the first time in his entire academic career, he earned decent grades and enjoyed
doing it.
"The response was like, give me more sir, you ever see that movie with the orphans?"
But Matty led a renegade lifestyle, and two weeks prior to graduating, he abandoned school
to tour with his friends' metal band.
After the substance-fueled tour ended, he returned to Toronto, resume in hand, and started
looking for a job.
Le Select Bistro offered a position to the culinary school dropout, and Matty accepted.
There, he mastered the art of cooking classic French cuisine.
Our tattooed friend was hooked, and immediately began his gradual climb to the top.
"This kinda cooking really gets me going.
Really tweeks my nipples.
And if you know me, I'm a nipple guy"
You've heard the expression "a way to a man's heart is through his stomach," but men aren't
the only gender it applies to.
Whipping up a delicious meal for any partner is a sure-fire way to score some serious brownie
points and according to Matty possibly get a little bedroom action, as well.
His dish of choice is lasagna.
"If you don't like lasagna, you're probably an idiot, you probably vote for people that
you shouldn't vote for."
So, listen up all you hopeful romantics who also love Italian food.
First, use nothing but fresh ingredients, including a great olive oil.
Once everything reduces down, the flavors combine to create a gravy any Italian grandmother
would brag about.
"See these layers, see these things?
This is what lasagna should look like."
Once all the ingredients are meticulously layered into a deep pan pasta, meat, cheese,
repeat throw that bad boy into the oven, and let the magic happen.
The golden brown crust that forms on top ends the show, and now it's a one-way trip into
your rumbling bellies.
"You make the lasagna for someone you love, I guarantee you'll get laid"
Anyone who's worked even one day in a kitchen knows there's a LOT to learn.
Narrowing down all the tips and tricks to just the essentials might seem like an impossible
feat to lesser chefs, but Matty's got your back.
"The foundation.
The building blocks.
Everything you need to know about cooking."
According to the chef, knives are the cornerstone of any successful kitchen.
If you plan on rising to the ranks of home culinary wiz, splurge on a good one.
Pair with it a solid cutting board, sturdy pan, and capable spoon.
While you can sometimes get away with using cheap pantry items, always shell out for quality
staple goods, like olive oil, flour, and salt.
These ingredients alone crank a dish up from ten to 11 real quick.
Oh, and maple syrup.
We can all agree our pancakes need tender loving care, as well.
"If you wanna put some seasonings, I do"
Finally, don't hang on to old spices forever.
They dry out and dull flavors make for dull meals.
Get to know your supermarket's spice aisle, and keep things fresh in the pantry.
"I'm building a landscape of flavor"
In a perfect world, we'd all swim in fat stacks of cash, able to afford whatever we want whenever
we wanted it.
But since that reality doesn't exist, people gravitate toward the affordable.
Matty shops at local discount stores, but there are a few things he'll shell out top
dollar for.
And maybe you should, too.
"Some fennel, some f----- kohlrabi, some daikon, some f----- rapini."
First up, nab some super-charged olive oil.
When Matty visits New York, he leaves with Frankies 457 Spuntino Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
At 18 bucks a pop, it might be a tough sell, but Matty swears it's the "perfect oil."
Then, you've gotta have some maple syrup on hand.
Societe Original Remonte-Pente Maple Syrup is the real deal according to the big guy.
He describes it as,
"Pure, toasty, and made with such precision and care."
Matty also is never without Hostess cupcakes.
Although his wife prefers that he avoids these rich sugar-laden snacks, Matty's all in.
And finally: you'll need some real nice tomatoes.
Matty claims each bite of Bianco DiNapoli Whole Peeled Organic Tomatoes whisks you away
to the hills of Tuscany.
Developed by the head chef of Phoenix's famous Pizzeria Bianco, they supposedly taste like
succulent strawberries.
This is one chef who goes the extra mile to ensure his Instagram account kicks major butt.
And if you assume it's inundated with curated pics of Kobe beef or divine Michelin dishes,
you're wrong.
Sure, he's got enough drool-worthy posts to satisfy any foodie, but it's the other stuff
that piques the interest of Insta addicts.
For one thing, the guy's not afraid to show some skin.
He's large and in charge, and he posts the photos to prove it.
Are you bold enough to show the world what a bird's-eye view of you sitting on the toilet
looks like?
Matty is, and that's why people love him.
"Hi guys, I'm so excited."
His Instagram account's also a fervent reminder of how important family and friends are to
him.
Anyone in need of good vibes can fire up his pictures and bask in the positive energy radiating
off his contagious smile.
A photo with Bill Nye, science's coolest guy? Yea, he's got one.
Are you a fan of the Trailer Park Boys?
Well, so is Matty.
Brag about your Instagram heroics all you want, but you'll find it nearly impossible
to match Matty's.
"It's my cookbook."
Knowledge isn't something to hold secret, no matter what it is.
Matty agrees wholeheartedly with this, and he blessed the culinary landscape with his
aptly titled, Matty Matheson: A Cookbook.
Inside its cover, you will find tons of great Matheson family recipes, as well as a glimpse
into the fond memories that laid the groundwork of his eventual passion: good eating.
"It's selfish of me to keep these recipes to myself."
This definitely isn't your grandma's cookbook.
Need proof?
He describes his maple bacon Jack Daniel's sauce by saying:
"You could pour this on like a burning baby diaper and suck it off like a soup dumpling
from a Chinatown Chinese restaurant."
"I was just like this young punk being like I don't care about society man, and then I'd
go sit at that table and have a chicken cacciatore and be like I think I get society."
Matty emphasizes the book is an unfiltered look into his childhood, reminiscing about
the days he spent with his grandfather shucking fresh oysters with a rusted knife or falling
asleep in the booths every time he visited the family restaurant.
There's an undeniable honesty in his words, and it all comes from the heart.
"Do do do…pancakes, pancakes."
Although nutritionists implore you to eat breakfast because it's the most important
meal of the day, Matty isn't having any of it.
In the hierarchy of daily meals, breakfast sits alone on the bottom.
Instead, he'd rather start his day with a rich bowl of pho.
Since a hearty helping of delicate noodles isn't exactly what most places offer early
risers in America, Matt does have a breakfast go-to: hash.
He nicknames the stuff "fridge-cleaner" because you can throw in just about anything from
your refrigerator.
Time for a fridge purge?
If the answer's a resounding "yes," there's no better time to fire up a helping of hash.
“You should start your day off with a real big ole heavy duty hash."
For a guy who avoids breakfast like Superman avoids Kryptonite, there's one pet peeve he
finds hard to forgive: cold syrup on a stack of hot pancakes.
Do everyone a favor and heat that sugary nectar up before dressing that stack.
"I make the best pancakes in the world.
Try to f--- with me on this"
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