Adam Sandler's Secret Spice: Thomas Keller

By JULIETTE ROSSANT When Spanglish hits cinemas a week from this Friday (December 17), according to the UK's Contact Music, comedian-turned-actor Adam Sandler will be portraying a chef -- well, an expert BLT sandwich-maker. To master the art of preparing bacon, lettuce, and tomato, Sandler turned to the first person you would expect: Thomas Keller. There are the usual PR-hyped, trying-to-be-real-life soundbytes. How about these stilted lines from the often funny Sandler? "Thomas went out of his way. I got to work at his kitchen at the French Laundry and his whole staff gave me their time and confidence. I worked at home practising over and over making that BLT and making a bunch of other stuff that, before this movie, I probably hadn't eaten." I don't know... When someone composes musical works about food along the lines of -- Woke up in the morning Put on my new plastic glove Served some reheated salisbury steak With a little slice of love (Adam Sandler, "Lunchlady Land," They're All Gonna Laugh At You 1993 -- click here for sample in WMP) -- I'm just not sure that person should be playing a chef. I'm just not sure whether I want yesterday’s meatloaf as today’s sloppy joe -- a la Sandler -- you know? In more formal terms, I'm talking about branding here: is Adam Sandler someone with whom Thomas Keller wants to associate his brand -- per se (no pun intended)? I suppose that, what, with Keller's new chicken stock out, BLTs are just more of the basics for him, but -- Thomas, is superchefdom worth this? Previous articles: Stock, by Thomas Keller Jackie Chan, Super Chef? Amazon UK's Steamy Xmas Chefs Les Enfantes Terribles devient terriblement vieux Helly Kitty, Meet Emeril Lagasse Chef Branding: B&G Foods Exposes Emeril? Rocco DiSpirito: Be Warned by Me! Todd English: American Chef Gone Wild Agassi's Star Palate: Celebrity Chefs And Now Puck Paints, Two! Does Emeril always kick products up a notch? Just a Spoonful of Aerosmith Makes the Emeril Go Down? Gourmet Gyms Are Hardly A New Trend Business Week revisits old turf of niche agriculture Wolfgang Puck Examines The Examiner