Chef De Berardinis cooks in the buff

Ah, the holidays. A time for family, friends and food. For some of us, though, maybe family or friends can’t come by. For others, maybe cooking doesn’t come so easily. So why not make it a little less lonely or a little more tasty with some Italian recipes straight from a naked man? What?

Chef Adrian De Berardinis, originally from Toronto, Canada, but who was raised in an Italian household, cooks from home wearing only an apron.

De Berardinis told Towleroad about his self-confidence and openness. “I’m at a juncture in my life where I am fearless about most everything. I am comfortable in my skin and it took me a long time to arrive at this place,” he said.

“My experience has brought me to this point of wanting to share who I am with the world, ‘exposed and un-cut,’ as well as my cooking. I have a voice that needs to be heard. My cooking is my art, and I want to share it in my own way, in my own language.

“Why naked? Cooking naked sets me free. When I cook I’m in my most primal state of mind so it makes total sense to execute it in the buff.”

Although health code violations don’t apply in one’s own home, De Berardinis still takes the necessary precautions. He wears an apron, and he is “extra careful,” making sure not to rush or hurt himself (imagine an oil splatter). But the purpose of his cooking is to take himself and his viewers on a "sensual journey."

So this season put an Italian twist on your holiday dinner with Chef Adrian De Berardinis. Home-alone on the holidays doesn’t have to be so lonely – and cooking doesn’t have to be so prude.

Watch his series "The Bear-Naked Chef" on Youtube, at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mNpyROa1f4 and check out his own webpage at http://www.bearnakedchef.com.

The Gayly – 12/22/2015 @ 12:11 p.m. CST