Dressed in his chef’s outfit from his days working in the White House mess, Charlie Redden — otherwise known as “Chef Charlie” — sips his water and tells of his rise from the inner city of Wilmington, Del., to walking the halls of celebrity. All through his cooking, he points out.

Like many of his culinary colleagues, Chef Charlie credits his mom and grandma with sparking his love for food. After all, he says, as fervent “country girls,” both ladies spent much of their time cooking. Though as a youngster Redden was not particularly interested in cooking, he loved to eat their home-prepared meals.

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