Gourmet Vegan Cuisine
Au Naturel
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AANR – The Bulletin February 2010 Issue
NUDIST PROFILE
Sharon Picone – The Nude Chef
By Pete Williams
AANR Staff Writer
Sharon Picone is a longtime nudist and chef who prepares many of her meals in the buff in the kitchen of her home in Oviedo, Florida.
An editor for a travel magazine by day, she's developed a following as a chef via her Web site www.thesavvychef.com, which features her recipes and cooking tips, which focus on vegan South African cuisine.
Last April, she launched a second site, www.thenudechef.com, featuring short videos of her cooking in the nude, along with DVDs available for sale, as well as a cookbook: Super, Sexy Salads: Easy Recipes for Everyday Appeal.
Picone, 45, says her dream job is to have a cooking show on The Food Network or perhaps a cable channel comfortable with nudity. The idea of The Nude Chef was partially to generate attention for her cooking endeavors but also to celebrate the connection she feels between cooking and nude recreation.
“I decided that I wanted to combine the joys of being a naturist as well as my passion for cooking,” she says. “There's a connection between our bodies in their natural, unclothed state and the food we eat. It just boils down to a simplicity of life, being nude and also my philosophy of consuming simple, natural, healthy foods.”
Her cooking and nudist philosophies developed early in life growing up in South Africa in the town of Port Elizabeth along the Southeast coast.
At the age of 10, she was friends with a girl who lived across the street. One afternoon she wandered over and found her friend and family, including an older brother, skinny-dipping in their backyard pool.
Picone joined in and soon began going nude at home, around the house, and in her own pool. Her parents and younger brother never embraced nude recreation but thought nothing of young Sharon's tendency to go nude.
“I was very fortunate that both parents were very open-minded and allowed me to do my own thing,” she says. “They figured I was happy and not hurting anybody, so why not?”
Picone remembers cooking at the age of 6. By age 10, with both parents working full-time, she was preparing dinner most nights. “I was truly a latchkey kid, with a key around my neck,” she says. “I let myself in, did my homework, and by the time I was done it was time to start dinner.”
Along the way, she'd feed a menagerie of animals that shared the home. Whenever a neighbor discovered a stray cat or dog, they turned to Sharon's family, who had a soft spot for animals. Much of the caretaking turned to Sharon, who would deal with an average of 10 pets between dogs, cats, and wounded birds rescued from the cats.
That experience inspired her to become vegetarian and vegan as an adult, but even as a child she urged her mother to opt for healthy food options when shopping. Like the United States, South Africa is a culture of meat eaters and many of Sharon's early dishes consisted of meat, eggs and seafood.
Several years after college, she took two years off to backpack through Europe, which is not uncommon among young adults from South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. They often travel alone, meeting new travel companions along the way before splitting off again.
“It's difficult for Americans to relate to,” Picone says, “but it's part of the South African way of life for young people to just travel and take care of careers afterward.”
Picone was 26 when she began her journey in 1990. She visited 11 European countries and worked as a nanny in London for six months. During her European travels, she did not visit nude beaches and resorts, focusing on the major sights and cities. Before returning to South Africa, she tacked a brief U.S. trip to the journey, falling in love with the country during a stay in Boston and deciding to make the country her future home.
She relocated in 1994 to Orlando, figuring it had a warm climate comparable to what she was used to in South Africa. She met her husband Paul, an American, whose business partner was South African and an acquaintance of Sharon's.
In 2000, Sharon and Paul made the decision to become vegetarians. Sharon already was cutting meat out of their diet when Paul watched a documentary on PBS about factory farming and announced he was going vegetarian.
Sharon, an animal lover and health-conscious since childhood, had no problem joining him. In August, they became vegans, a stricter version of vegetarianism that seeks to eliminate the use of animal products altogether.
In 2007, she launched www.thesavvychef.com to share her South African heritage and cuisine for South Africans in the United States who might be missing the homeland. “I've taken traditional meat-based dishes and I've veganized them,” says Picone, who makes it back to South Africa about every two years.
More recently, Picone started an online social networking group called The Veggie Naturist (http://theveggienaturist.ning.com/) that has more than 800 members. She also conducts vegetarian/vegan cooking classes at birthday parties, corporate team-building functions, and other special events.
She says people interested in the vegetarian or vegan lifestyle often raise the question of how they would get adequate protein in their diets. “A lot of times that's the reason they're afraid of becoming vegetarian,” she says. “I point out that the animals they're consuming are herbivores when they're alive. The protein you're getting is from the plant indirectly. That kind of eases their worries and makes them realize they don't have to get protein from animals.”
Picone cooks with lentils, soy, tofu, and quinoa, all of which are sources of protein. Her Web sites are updated daily with vegan recipes with a South African twist.
Picone sells her downloadable book and three short cooking videos on her site. The videos were filmed with the help of some Orlando-area film students. Picone admits it was initially a challenge convincing the students—three young men and a woman, all in their early 20s—that the video was simply of a woman cooking nude in her home and nothing more. “As soon as they hear you're going to be nude, they think porn,” she said. “So I had to assure them that it would be legitimate, nothing seedy at all.”
The students, like many people, wondered if she always cooked in the nude. “The only time I will have an apron on is if I'll be working with hot oil, but other than that, I'm nude,” she says.
Half the proceeds from the sale of the videos and the book, which features 25 creative vegetarian salads, go to animal rescue charities. The Picones, who do not have children, continue to follow Sharon's childhood practice of caring for multiple animals, sharing their home with four cats and a dog.
As for her cooking television career, she's hoping her initial videos will serve as a demo reel for producers to consider. There's already a “Naked Chef,” but that only refers to the wholesome ingredients favored by British chef Jamie Oliver, who stays dressed and reluctantly agreed to the title early in his career for marketing purposes.
“I'd love to be able to do this in a larger television capacity,” Picone says. “Naturism is definitely a part of who I am, and hosting a nude show would be my ideal situation.”
NUDIST PROFILE
Sharon Picone – The Nude Chef
By Pete Williams
AANR Staff Writer
Sharon Picone is a longtime nudist and chef who prepares many of her meals in the buff in the kitchen of her home in Oviedo, Florida.
An editor for a travel magazine by day, she's developed a following as a chef via her Web site www.thesavvychef.com, which features her recipes and cooking tips, which focus on vegan South African cuisine.
Last April, she launched a second site, www.thenudechef.com, featuring short videos of her cooking in the nude, along with DVDs available for sale, as well as a cookbook: Super, Sexy Salads: Easy Recipes for Everyday Appeal.
Picone, 45, says her dream job is to have a cooking show on The Food Network or perhaps a cable channel comfortable with nudity. The idea of The Nude Chef was partially to generate attention for her cooking endeavors but also to celebrate the connection she feels between cooking and nude recreation.
“I decided that I wanted to combine the joys of being a naturist as well as my passion for cooking,” she says. “There's a connection between our bodies in their natural, unclothed state and the food we eat. It just boils down to a simplicity of life, being nude and also my philosophy of consuming simple, natural, healthy foods.”
Her cooking and nudist philosophies developed early in life growing up in South Africa in the town of Port Elizabeth along the Southeast coast.
At the age of 10, she was friends with a girl who lived across the street. One afternoon she wandered over and found her friend and family, including an older brother, skinny-dipping in their backyard pool.
Picone joined in and soon began going nude at home, around the house, and in her own pool. Her parents and younger brother never embraced nude recreation but thought nothing of young Sharon's tendency to go nude.
“I was very fortunate that both parents were very open-minded and allowed me to do my own thing,” she says. “They figured I was happy and not hurting anybody, so why not?”
Picone remembers cooking at the age of 6. By age 10, with both parents working full-time, she was preparing dinner most nights. “I was truly a latchkey kid, with a key around my neck,” she says. “I let myself in, did my homework, and by the time I was done it was time to start dinner.”
Along the way, she'd feed a menagerie of animals that shared the home. Whenever a neighbor discovered a stray cat or dog, they turned to Sharon's family, who had a soft spot for animals. Much of the caretaking turned to Sharon, who would deal with an average of 10 pets between dogs, cats, and wounded birds rescued from the cats.
That experience inspired her to become vegetarian and vegan as an adult, but even as a child she urged her mother to opt for healthy food options when shopping. Like the United States, South Africa is a culture of meat eaters and many of Sharon's early dishes consisted of meat, eggs and seafood.
Several years after college, she took two years off to backpack through Europe, which is not uncommon among young adults from South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. They often travel alone, meeting new travel companions along the way before splitting off again.
“It's difficult for Americans to relate to,” Picone says, “but it's part of the South African way of life for young people to just travel and take care of careers afterward.”
Picone was 26 when she began her journey in 1990. She visited 11 European countries and worked as a nanny in London for six months. During her European travels, she did not visit nude beaches and resorts, focusing on the major sights and cities. Before returning to South Africa, she tacked a brief U.S. trip to the journey, falling in love with the country during a stay in Boston and deciding to make the country her future home.
She relocated in 1994 to Orlando, figuring it had a warm climate comparable to what she was used to in South Africa. She met her husband Paul, an American, whose business partner was South African and an acquaintance of Sharon's.
In 2000, Sharon and Paul made the decision to become vegetarians. Sharon already was cutting meat out of their diet when Paul watched a documentary on PBS about factory farming and announced he was going vegetarian.
Sharon, an animal lover and health-conscious since childhood, had no problem joining him. In August, they became vegans, a stricter version of vegetarianism that seeks to eliminate the use of animal products altogether.
In 2007, she launched www.thesavvychef.com to share her South African heritage and cuisine for South Africans in the United States who might be missing the homeland. “I've taken traditional meat-based dishes and I've veganized them,” says Picone, who makes it back to South Africa about every two years.
More recently, Picone started an online social networking group called The Veggie Naturist (http://theveggienaturist.ning.com/) that has more than 800 members. She also conducts vegetarian/vegan cooking classes at birthday parties, corporate team-building functions, and other special events.
She says people interested in the vegetarian or vegan lifestyle often raise the question of how they would get adequate protein in their diets. “A lot of times that's the reason they're afraid of becoming vegetarian,” she says. “I point out that the animals they're consuming are herbivores when they're alive. The protein you're getting is from the plant indirectly. That kind of eases their worries and makes them realize they don't have to get protein from animals.”
Picone cooks with lentils, soy, tofu, and quinoa, all of which are sources of protein. Her Web sites are updated daily with vegan recipes with a South African twist.
Picone sells her downloadable book and three short cooking videos on her site. The videos were filmed with the help of some Orlando-area film students. Picone admits it was initially a challenge convincing the students—three young men and a woman, all in their early 20s—that the video was simply of a woman cooking nude in her home and nothing more. “As soon as they hear you're going to be nude, they think porn,” she said. “So I had to assure them that it would be legitimate, nothing seedy at all.”
The students, like many people, wondered if she always cooked in the nude. “The only time I will have an apron on is if I'll be working with hot oil, but other than that, I'm nude,” she says.
Half the proceeds from the sale of the videos and the book, which features 25 creative vegetarian salads, go to animal rescue charities. The Picones, who do not have children, continue to follow Sharon's childhood practice of caring for multiple animals, sharing their home with four cats and a dog.
As for her cooking television career, she's hoping her initial videos will serve as a demo reel for producers to consider. There's already a “Naked Chef,” but that only refers to the wholesome ingredients favored by British chef Jamie Oliver, who stays dressed and reluctantly agreed to the title early in his career for marketing purposes.
“I'd love to be able to do this in a larger television capacity,” Picone says. “Naturism is definitely a part of who I am, and hosting a nude show would be my ideal situation.”
