Memories of Michael’s Personal Chef

Remi is a famous Brazilian chef who has enchanted the president of her country and Michael Jackson with her food, bringing many stars to her restaurant near Hollywood. She has now retired and lives in Las Vegas. This year, she was honored at Brazil’s 7th street carnival. In an interview with Brazzil.Com, she talked about cooking for Michael Jackson:

Question: You and Quincy Jones (producer of the Thriller album in 1982) have a special relationship. How did Quincy become a fan of you?

Remi: I’ve cooked for almost all the composers and Hollywood stars. He asked me to do something special for him. He said he wanted to be the producer of Michael Jackson’s album, but every time he invited Michael to his home, Michael wouldn’t eat. He asked me to prepare food for Michael. He said Michael is a vegetarian and is very picky about what he eats. I told him I would try. I went to Quincy’s house, and that’s where I met Michael for the first time. I pulled him aside and told him, “Let me prepare a special meal for you.” I know how to prepare very healthy Brazilian dishes—completely natural, and only vegetables. You’ll definitely like it.” He agreed. I prepared some black beans, kale, and things like that for him, and he ate four full plates!

That night, Quincy kissed me the whole time, and after that he would call me to cook for him.

Question: You were with Michael on the Thriller tour (meaning the Victory tour). Tell us how it happened.

Remi: Here’s another very incredible story. I lived in a small apartment in West Los Angeles, and I received a phone call. The person speaking to me on the phone asked me to look outside my apartment. The man said, “Do you see the limousine? Get into the car right now.” I said I can’t because I’m taking care of someone at home. They said they would send someone to my house so I could get into the car and go with them. Finally, they took me to a big building in Beverly Hills—a very luxurious penthouse. The man sitting on the other side of the table gave me a ticket and said, “You’re going to the airport right now.” I asked why. He explained that Michael Jackson had a stomachache and wanted me to be his nutrition specialist during the tour. Because of his stomachache, he had prevented himself from going on stage until I reached him and became his personal chef. They were all very worried. They said that because they had to cancel concerts, they had lost millions of dollars, and I had to leave immediately. I told them I would leave the next morning, and after a lot of arguing, they agreed to take me to the airport early in the morning. During the tour, I spent eight weeks with Michael and his family on the road. It was an unbelievable and amazing trip. I will never forget it.

Question: Did you become friends with Michael?

Remi: We became friends, and after that I met him a few more times. When his hair got burned (during the filming of a Pepsi commercial), I went to visit him in the hospital. And sometimes I would see him at award ceremonies or parties.

Question: They didn’t call you Michael Jackson’s chef. They called you Michael Jackson’s nutrition specialist. Is that right?

Remi: Yes. In Brazil, they don’t care about the ingredients used in food, or whether it could make someone sick. But when I came to America, people were very cautious about what they ate, and I had to learn these points very quickly. I know I succeeded because Michael Jackson ate my cooking, and he is very careful and selective about what he puts into his body. But since Michael is such a big person, I also received a lot of attention around the world during the tour. I made it so that during the tour he didn’t have stomachaches anymore, and he had no problems with the food I cooked for him.

Question: During this tour, is there a story about you, Quincy Jones, and salsa sauce? Tell us.

Remi: Yes, Quincy Jones loves my salsa sauce. Once, at Madison Square Garden (the venue for a concert during the Victory tour), I placed bottles of the special tea I had prepared for Michael Jackson all over the stage so he could drink during the performance. When I finished my job, I went to the back part of the hall and waited for the concert to begin. Suddenly, people went crazy and were shouting “Michael, Michael!” and screaming. Then I heard someone backstage calling my name over a loudspeaker. At first I thought I misheard, but it was Quincy saying, “Remi, go back to Los Angeles. Our salsa is finished!” Quincy always joked. It was so funny. I’ll never forget that memory.

Question: This year you were honored at the Brazil carnival—how did that feel?

Remi: It felt great. A Japanese magazine also wrote an article about me around the same time. Of course, it was more because of Michael Jackson than my cooking.

Source: eMJey / Brazzil.Com