Chef Curtis Stone on Traveling the Globe, Feeding His Newborn and Eating Worms

Curtis Stone is a busy guy. When he's not hosting "Top Chef Masters" or "Around the World in 80 Plates" on Bravo, he's developing recipes for his upcoming cookbook or hosting live demonstrations across the country. After one such event at Haven's Kitchen in New York, Stone found time in his hectic schedule to chat with FOX News Magazine about everything from cooking for his infant son to chowing down on slugs in Australia. VIDEO: How to Keep Mealybugs Out of Your Flour See what Stone had to say about balancing his television work with his love of the being in the kitchen, and be sure to scroll down for pictures of the mouthwatering dishes he whipped up during his stop in NYC. You obviously spend a lot of time in the kitchen, but you also do a lot of television work. Which do you prefer and why? CS: You know, for me, the TV is really interesting. I mean, I've done "Surfing the Menu," where I've surfed and cooked my way around Australia; "Take Home Chef," where I met a different person each week for 140 episodes; "Top Chef Masters," where I get to eat food from the best chefs in the country; and "Around the World in 80 Plates," where I literally circumnavigated the world with a group of foodies. So it’s been so diverse, you know? It’s amazing. It’s super fun. RECIPE: 10-Minute Tacos With a Top Chef When you work in a restaurant, it’s about the art of perfection. You make ravioli every day for three months and you get perfect at it, or your pasta’s perfect. But then [on television] you make ravioli one day, and then you make something else the next day, and then you’re into soups … You’re more creative but you’re less focused, if you know what I mean. So I love both. But then when you do events, you get that excitement, or that buzz that you miss from doing the other stuff. So you can sort of weigh it up and get something from both, I think. You mentioned traveling the globe on "Around the World in 80 Plates." Where are you the most inspired, food-wise? CS: I mean, I've spent a lot of time in Europe. I lived in Europe for eight years. France, of course, is like the birthplace of cuisine — in the Western world, anyway. I love that. I've also spent some time recently in Japan. Their attention to detail is unbelievable; they have a beautiful attitude towards food. So, you know, I think it’s really hard to pinpoint one particular place. But [I love] that idea of traveling and seeing new things. It’s also about being open-minded when it comes to food, and seeing different attitudes, and feeling different cultures, and experiencing all that stuff. READ: 5 Delicious New Ways to Eat Hummus What's the strangest ingredient you've cooked with or eaten in your travels? CS: God, I’ve cooked with a lot of weird ingredients. I ate a worm in the middle of Australia with some old Aboriginal guys. They literally live off the land. They take real pride in teaching each other, passing down the traditions… And they were eating that. And they sort of said, "This is good for you,” and I was like, "What? I don’t know about that." But I ate it. I had to. It would’ve been rude not to.  It tasted a bit like an oyster, actually. It wasn’t horrible, but the thought of it was pretty gross.  READ: U.S. Restaurants That Serve Up Insects and Reptiles Are you into American football? CS: I’m into all sorts of football. I watch the Premier League in the UK. What kind of snacks would you serve at a Super Bowl party? CS: I make these baby back ribs that are pretty killer. They’re just one of those things that everybody that eats and is like, ‘Unbelievable!” So they’re definitely something that I would serve. Actually in [my upcoming cookbook], I did a baked potato full of ratatouille and cheese, and breaded over the top. It feels a bit like a chili, but it’s a baked potato, but it’s healthy. It hits a few things. It's pretty great. For any aspiring chefs out there, could you list your three must-have kitchen tools? CS: You need a great cutting board. You absolutely need that. You need something that’s got enough space to do your preparation on, that’s nice and even, nice and flat. You definitely need a sharp knife, because if you’ve got a sharp knife and a decent cutting board, then you can prep everything. And then — these probably aren't the most exciting answers in the world — you also need a good nonstick pan. If you’ve got a good nonstick pan, you can make caramels, and cook fish beautifully, and make omelets or anything egg-based, and you can still get good carmelization on it. So I really think a good nonstick pan is a must. READ: Bethenny Frankel’s 7 Essentials for the Dieter's Kitchen Your son Hudson recently celebrated his first birthday. What's your approach to meal time? CS: It’s a really interesting journey when you have a kid, because I’ve made all of his food. And each puree that I make for him, either he likes it or he doesn’t like it, and I bring it back to him in a different way. I think as a parent, you have a real responsibility to give [your children] a good palate, to let them try different seafoods and meats and vegetables and spices and all that stuff. Keep it healthy and natural — that’s what I try and do. So what are your plans for dinner tonight in New York City? CS: Cooking for 100 guests. Those are my dinner plans tonight. But I love coming to New York. There’s so much going on. The thing I don’t like about New York is that you never get to go back to the same restaurant twice.