Onassis New York blazer, $438, Mastai Ferretti shirt, $175, Grenson patent brogue shoes, $410, and Bosca leather belt, $100, all @ Martin Patrick 3, 212 Third Ave. N., Mpls., 612-746-5329, martinpatrick3.com. Invicta diamond watch and Gucci jeans, Green’s own.
Most television chefs get their start in restaurant kitchens. But for Edina-based Food Network star Daniel Green, it was the other way around.
For the past 10 years, British-born Green has been a host for the Eden Prairie–based television home-shopping network EVINE Live (formerly ShopHQ). He’s also written ten books about healthy cooking, designed menus for two major international airlines, and developed an in-room dining program for a five-star hotel chain in Asia.
Green’s love for tasty, nutritious, low-calorie cooking came about for practical reasons. As a teenager, he was overweight, and his mother put him on Weight Watchers. Though he slimmed down, Green found himself bored by the bland food. But a trip to Thailand changed everything. “I loved the flavors,” he says. “I thought, ‘This is incredible—there are some really amazing flavors you can add to food, and it doesn’t have to be fattening.’”
After honing his culinary chops for a few years, the self-taught cook saw an ad in a British food magazine that read, “TV Chef of the Future—are you the next Jamie Oliver?”
“I just thought I had a story to tell, and that maybe people would like this healthy eating thing, and no one else was doing it,” Green says. He ended up winning the competition and a spread in the magazine—no doubt aided by his easy charm, slicked, black hair, and chiseled jawline. Buoyed by the win, Green secured an agent and lined up gigs with Food Network UK, BBC Travel, and the Style Network. A decade ago, ShopNBC (now EVINE Live) came calling, and the Londoner moved to Minnesota.
His experience at the home-shopping network has led him to gigs as a judge on Food Network shows Kitchen Inferno last November and Food Fortunes in March. And he just released the American edition of his latest book, The Paleo Diet: Food Your Body Is Designed to Eat.
Moods of Norway blazer, $599, Stenströms shirt, $235, and Bosca leather belt, $100, all @ Martin Patrick 3
Green’s love for Asian culture extends beyond cuisine. His home is decorated with antique carved-wood sculptures from Bali purchased 20 years ago on his honeymoon with his wife, Jane, and a series of Thai clay figures of musicians encased behind glass in his living room. Exotic touches such as a zebra-print rug and an aquarium contrast against his home’s sleek, clean lines and white walls and give the space a modern-yet-glamorous, globetrotting vibe.
Green’s cosmopolitan home matches his relaxed-yet-luxe personal style that favors high-end designers such as Prada and Gucci as well as the European fast-fashion brand Zara. Though you can spot him in a tuxedo on one of the covers of his books, he usually opts for a more casual look, such as a svelte blazer paired with a custom-made collared shirt (worn unbuttoned with no tie) and slim-fit, dark jeans.
On Food Fortunes, he says the producers wanted most of the cast in suits, but they put him in a tuxedo jacket and jeans— a nod to his book-cover look. “I became the tux guy,” he laughs.
Daniel Green’s Style Crib Sheet
On his personal style:
“I prefer the tailored fit of European styles. I love Gucci’s jackets, and I love Prada—the clothes just fit so well, and I love the materials they use.”
On his shopping tactics:
Though he shops most often when traveling overseas, Green also has embraced digital. “I buy a lot from Zara online, which offers a great value so I can change it up a lot.”
On custom-made clothing:
Whenever he’s in Hong Kong, Green always has a handful of shirts custom made. “Not only does a custom-made shirt fit so well in the body, it fits in the neck, which is so important for wearing ties.”
Behind-the-Scenes
