Chef Chris Maher Moonlights on Law & Order

By JULIETTE ROSSANT It's been over a year since I wrote about Chris Maher, chef-owner of Momentitos de la Vida -- and actor. Chris' last movie cast him as a fatherly short-order cook opposite J-Lo in Enough (2002); on TV, he last appeared as a deputy prime minister on Fox TV's hit series 24. Chris and I have kept in touch since then, and yesterday evening an email arrived from him, saying, "I thought I'd let you know I'm on this Wed. I had a great time shooting this show." "This show" -- that's right -- is none other than Law & Order. Tonight (Season 16, Episode E5314, "Enemy"), Chris plays "Khaleel," a warlord who, after previous working with US forces in Afghanistan, is claiming diplomatic immunity in relation to a heroin-related massacre that is traceable back to his character. TV has been moving away from the education-oriented cooking shows epitomized by Julia Child, first to "edu-tainment" like Emeril Lagasse's Emeril Live on the Food Network, and more recently to straight entertainment like NBC's efforts with Emeril (the sitcom) and Rocco DiSpirito's The Restaurant -- but let's face it, no one has found an entertaining angle for a chef show. Meanwhile, Law & Order rocks: way to go, Chris! Previous articles: Rocco DiSpirito Wins TV Turkey Dinner More Reality TV Chefs (or Less)? Real TV Cooking? Kitchen Confidential a la Sex and the City Rocco DiSpirito: Be Warned by Me! Iron Chef: America vs. USA Rocco Barred from Reality TV Restaurant Rocco: Trapped in Reality TV's Twilight Zone? Lights, Camera -- Cook! (from Saudi Aramco World)