Chef Alex Guarnaschelli’s Daughter: Her Best Quotes About Ava

Working as a critically acclaimed chef and Food Network star is only just half of Alex Guarnaschelli’s huge accomplishments. The Chopped judge is a proud mom to her daughter, Ava, whom she shares with her ex-husband, Brandon Clark. Ava, born on September 24, 2007, has already developed a passion for cooking just like her famous mother.

When Ava was just 4 years old, Alex shared that she had already started joining her in the kitchen. The Alex’s Day Off host told Food Republic in May 2012 that her daughter was “a little scared of the oven” but was really enjoying learning new cooking skills. Ava is now shaping up to be a pro in the kitchen, expanding her culinary vocabulary and learning all of the old-school techniques.

“My daughter and I cook dinner together quite often. We usually will make pork chops and a side,” Alex told USA Today in June 2019. “She and I also enjoy getting up early on the weekends to make a killer breakfast! Pancakes, eggs, bacon … the whole nine yards.”

At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Alex shared that Ava decided to take on her own pickled vegetable project. The teen shared an array of pickled vegetables and her latest creations on her Instagram account. Alex is always sure to keep a stocked fridge and pantry to allow her daughter to experiment with new recipes. Even though her mom is one of the most famous chefs in the entire world, Ava is also a huge fan of one other celebrity chef.

“She only has one cookbook — Gordon Ramsay’s last cookbook. She’ll say, ‘Let’s make chicken parm’ and I’ll say, ‘Great. I’ll get out Dione Lucas’ book,'” the restaurant owner told Associated Press in March 2019. “She’ll say, ‘no, we’re gonna do what Gordon says.'”

Seeing Ava blossom as a chef in her own right is similar to the way Alex learned to cook. Her late mother, Maria Guarnaschelli, was a cookbook editor who loved bringing her daughter into the kitchen to taste test her recipes.

“The food we are exposed to during childhood can have a profound effect on our cooking (and eating) choices when we become adults,” she continued. “My mother would whip up a soufflé from scratch on a weeknight and my father would stir fry some Cantonese food the next.”

The Worst Cooks in America mentor is always encouraging parents to make their kids “seamlessly part of the cooking process.” She told Newtown Moms in August 2020 that she and Ava “bond” while doing small tasks like filling donuts and making soup.

Scroll to see the sweetest things Alex has said about being a mom to her daughter, Ava.

On Cooking With Ava

Whether they are making a delicious pasta dish or searing up some steak, nothing beats mother-daughter time in the kitchen. Alex spent a lot more time cooking with Ava in her stunning 1925 Bridgehampton farmhouse in New York during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I love watching Ava some to look at what was bubbling on the stove. Very rewarding. We’ve done a lot of bonding through cooking,” Alex told Newtown Moms. “It made our home warm. Dinner hopefully makes it a place where Ava always feels safe.”

On a Sweet Gesture

There are times when Alex’s schedule could get a bit busy, juggling her career as a restaurateur and a television personality. She makes sure to appreciate all of the little moments that she has with Ava and focuses on making memories together.

“As a parent who figures I’ll have this whole parenting thing figured out by the time my child is grown, I’m a big fan of lunchbox, ‘mom thinks you are fantastic’ love notes,” the Iron Chef alum wrote in a January 2019 tweet.

On Their Nightly Ritual

At the end of a long day, Alex likes to unwind by spending time with her daughter. In addition to watching television and making TikTok, the pair love to have chill nights in.

“If I’m not reading or we’re hanging out and she’s finished her homework, we really like our bath time,” the doting mom told The Newsette. “My daughter likes to fill the bathtub with bubbles until it almost overflows? I was the same way as a kid … Sometimes a great bubble bath can take most of the day’s stresses away. She sits in her bubble haven and we go over the day.”

On Ava’s Career Path

Even though Ava loves to cook, Alex is not pushing her to pursue a career as a chef. Instead, she wants Ava to find her own path and take on whatever job she wants in the future.

“Ava is at an age where her career choices change every couple of weeks. She really seems to love any line of work that requires creativity with your hands,” she said. “Whether it’s sewing clothes for the runway, cooking food for dinner or drawing buildings from various neighborhoods in NYC, Ava is an arts and crafty type. I just leave her room to meander and wander and wonder. I want her to love whatever work she pursues.”