Private Chef for Martha Stewart and Whitney Leavitt Reveals His No. 1 Tip For Newbie Cooks (Exclusive)
- - Private Chef for Martha Stewart and Whitney Leavitt Reveals His No. 1 Tip For Newbie Cooks (Exclusive)
Luke ChinmanFebruary 12, 2026 at 8:00 AM
0
Keegan McManus
@KDMKitchen
Keegan McManus, a TikTok-viral private chef, has cooked for stars like Martha Stewart and Whitney Leavitt
McManus chats with PEOPLE about his rise in the culinary world and his process for bringing on new clients
The chef also shares his best advice for newbie cooks who are looking to get a bit more involved in the kitchen
Even if Keegan McManus is only a few years into his career as a private chef, he has some pretty impressive accolades on his resume.
McManus, a native of the Jersey Shore and the man behind the viral social media accounts KDM Kitchen, made a splash online in November when his mouth-watering cheeseboard videos crossed the desk of the one and only Martha Stewart — and the culinary icon invited him to prepare one for her on her private jet.
“That was a very pivotal moment,” he tells PEOPLE in an interview.
As his follower count started to grow (he’s now sitting above 300,000 across Instagram and TikTok), so did his clientele. In January, he was approached by The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star Whitney Leavitt, who needed someone to help prepare meals for her and her family while she makes her Broadway debut in Chicago this winter.
Keegan McManus
@KDMKitchen
McManus’s love for cooking began as a little kid: He devoured the Food Network when it was on, and he adored preparing meals for his siblings. In 2023, while still working a corporate job, he started sharing videos online — mostly just dispatches from New York City restaurants and a few of his own recipes. And the next year, he made the decision to attend culinary school, heading to class at 6 a.m. every morning before working his corporate job.
For as “hectic” as his schedule was, he tells PEOPLE, the experience only solidified his “passion for cooking” as something he wanted to pursue professionally.
When he works with a new client, McManus’s top priority is always to ensure that they are “comfortable” and "relaxed.” During the consultation, he’ll often suggest a few dish options to gauge the client’s interest.
Keegan McManus
@KDMKitchen
“Saying, ‘I can cook anything’ is a little overwhelming and not necessarily the luxury or the help that this type of premium service should provide,” he says.
After McManus gets a sense of the kind of foods his clients do — and do not — like to eat, that’s where the true creativity kicks in. He’ll get inspiration from dishes passed down from his grandmother, some of Stewart’s classic recipes and even content from other chefs online.
“And then being able to add my own special touch — to add my nuance and special touch — makes it even more fun,” he says.
— sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Keegan McManus
@KDMKitchen
Naturally, McManus is an apt teacher for those who are looking to start incorporating more cooking into their daily life.
“I would always recommend you start with one or two recipes and try to perfect those,” he advises. “Don’t start with 20 recipes and get a little bit good at each. Start more approachable.”
Continues McManus: “Try a signature pasta dish. Or a signature chicken. The repetition and practice is how you get more comfortable in the kitchen. And perfecting one dish is how you get good at perfecting multiple.”
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
