Have Knife Will Travel
Working for celebrities, such as Billy Joel and Heidi Klum, may make most people a little uncomfortable. Link Livingston has made a living cooking under pressure and having faced his demise at an early age, it strengthens one’s resolve.
As a traveling chef, Livingston has traveled to 20,000 acre ranches in Texas, where they served some wild game to hosts and their guests. Growing up in the entertainment business with his family (his father has an event planning business, Lance Livingston Productions), the young Livingston was involved in many big name entertainment parties. At twelve years old he was thrown a curve when he was diagnosed with brain cancer and given a ten per cent chance of survival. Livingston credits his mother and father’s positive attitude toward his treatment as a reason for his perseverance. As a result of the treatment, Livingston was forced to be home schooled for two plus years during the healing process.
As an avid fisherman and hunter, his specialities are wild game and seafood. Today he is managing director of Manor’s Gourmet, a specialty catering business.
I got started in the business mostly because of my family’s entertainment background in promoting celebrity events for over 28 years. After graduating from Texas Tech with a Restaurant and Hospitality Management degree, I worked in the family business. Working with your parents is tough and after three years, I knew I was ready for something else. I had grown up in the kitchen helping my mom and I thought about culinary school. I attended The Art Institute Culinary School ,where I graduated with honors and my cooking career had begun.
My favorite gig so far, has been working on private yachts all over the United States including the Bahamas, Charleston, Seattle, Canada, Florida, Alaska, and the Caribbean.
My most exotic dish and one that really sticks out was on a private yacht in the Bahamas and I scuba dived with a spear sling off the back of the platform of the yacht. We dove 40-50 feet to spear two huge lobsters that we could see from the top of the crystal clear water. I made it that night and it was awesome.
I ended up on working on a boat after one of my culinary professors at the Art Institute of Houston told me that one of the greatest jobs he ever had was when he was Eric Clapton’s private yacht chef. He said “if you can do it , do it”, so I was single , no children and ready for an adventure so off I went to Fort Lauderdale.