Alex Guarnaschelli Says That Her Daughter, Ava, Is Her Toughest Food Critic
Published Dec. 22 2020, 9:46 a.m. ET
The love of culinary arts runs in the Guarnaschelli family.
Star chef Alex Guarnaschelli appears to have imparted her knowledge of everything cooking-related to her 13-year-old daughter, Ava Clark, who has already carved out a successful hobby for herself as a food influencer on Instagram.
Ava's main area of expertise? Not surprisingly, it's American bistro food with a creative twist.
Alex Guarnaschelli and her daughter, Ava, share a voracious interest in cooking.
As the executive chef and owner of Butter, an upscale restaurant in midtown Manhattan, New York, Alex spends some of her workdays inventing brilliant dishes for a clientele predominantly comprised of socialites and foodies.
When Alex is not busy cooking up a storm at the restaurant, she stars on Food Network shows like The Kitchen or Chopped. Not only does Ava share her interests, but she has already earned 35,700 followers on Instagram with her food photos.
Ava has accompanied her mom during some of her media appearances as well. Take, for instance, a 2019 profile by Open House TV, which sees Alex and Ava whip up a steak with a garlic scape garnish and a simple but flavorsome black pepper sauce.
As part of the profile, Alex shared a few tidbits of information about how she wanted to raise her daughter as well. Alex feels that it's vital for Ava to learn about how herbs are grown and used to give her a sense of nature even though they live in New York City.
"I want my daughter to grow up with some idea [of] what herbs [are] grown in a garden that you go out and pick and then eat. What that feels like, that sensation, just a little bit of nature for a New Yorker, that can bring you real peace," Alex said.
In the interview, Alex introduced her daughter as a steak lover who's unafraid to share her opinions with her mother when she sees fit.
"Let me tell you she doesn't lie. You cannot get a child to lie for anything. So if you really want [a tough] food critic, have a baby," Alex explained in the video.
Ava garnered a substantial Instagram following with her food photography.
Ava often takes to Instagram to share snaps of her latest creations, such as light pink pickled onions flavored with cardamom seeds, a perfectly seared, delightfully crispy duck breast, and a beautifully-composed Caesar salad.
On occasion, she also tries her hands at recipes she inherited from her grandmother, such as a marinara sauce — which Ava paired with extra-thin strands of angel hair pasta.
In addition to sharing photographs documenting her latest culinary escapades, Ava also uses the social media platform as a means to showcase her adventures with friends.
An enthusiastic traveler and ambitious musician, she occasionally posts snaps of her seaside holidays and short clips capturing her latest experiments drumming and playing the piano.
