Tomorrow night TV sets will heat up with the season four premiere of Top Chef: Chicago. As usual, personalities - and pans - will clash, and tempers will flare. Hosts Padma Lakshmi and Tom Colicchio gave the dish, so to speak, on what their experience has been like working on the show, which foods gross them out, and some scoop on the new Windy City season.
Padma on what interests her about working on Top Chef:
Well I’ve been doing it for three seasons, but I just love food. You know, we’re surrounded by people talking shop and, you know, I’m the kind of girl that talks about dinner as I’m finishing up lunch. So it’s the perfect job for me.
Tom on the caliber of chefs this season:
I think what happens is as the seasons go on, we’re getting better chefs applying. This season you’re not going to find a first year culinary student. You’re not going to find a housewife who can cook. You’re going to find professionals. In most cases, they are running kitchens, are at a sous chef level, chef level, chef cuisine level. Some own their own businesses.
Both on the biggest mistakes made by new chefs:
Tom:
I think they try to do too much. They need to edit or if they removed a few of the ingredients from the dish, the dish is actually a stronger dish. And I think that only comes through - I know I did it in my career. It just comes through experience and confidence. And I think the older you get and the more confident you are, you don’t need to rely on the bells and whistles.
Padma:
I agree. And also, the better the chef the less ingredients they actually use because they know what flavors they want. They know how to achieve that and the flavors are strong and clear, and come through, and aren’t muddled.
Padma on what skills she thinks it takes to be a Top Chef winner:
I find that people who think clearly and don’t try and be all over the place, and just do their job really well and put their head down, are the ones who have an edge sometimes.
Padma on one contestant’s less-than-satisfactory shrimp dish in tomorrow's premiere:
It was so salty. I mean, honestly I could feel my fingers bloating as I was eating the food. And I just looked around - I felt badly for her because I thought it is so over salted that I would have sent it back in a restaurant for sure.
Padma on the worst TC meal she’s ever had:
So far on my time at Top Chef, the worst thing I ate was the chocolate truffle with a morsel of liver in it [from season 2].
Padma on whether or not she gets to know the contestants:
You know, I don’t care about their personal lives. I don’t care where they’re from. If they want to tell me anything, they should tell me whatever they want about themselves through their food.
Both on their favorite guest judges:
Tom:
You know what? Most of the chefs - most of the guest judges, I say most, are people I know - people that I’ve known over the years. So it’s always fun to have any number of people. Alfred Portale is a very good friend of mine so it’s always great to have him on. Anthony [Bourdain] is always a kick to hang out with.
Padma:
I like Eric Ripert.
Tom:
Eric - yeah, Eric’s a fun guy. You know, Rocco [DiSpirito], he used to work for me three years ago. So it’s always nice to have him. You know, it’s just always nice to spend a little time together.
Both on foods they can't stand:
Padma:
Tom doesn’t like skins on bell pepper.
Tom:
But I’ll eat that. I will not eat okra. I don’t care who makes it. You can fry it. You can do whatever you want with it. You can keep it. All the okra lovers out there, there’s just more for them because I don’t want it.
Padma:
I really am not into raw onions - not on my burger, not on my salads, not on anything. It’s too pungent for me.
Padma on whether she’s ever been inspired to make a dish based on something
a contestant created:
I haven’t gone and made a dish, but I will say that Elia -- when she came back to do the charity show and she made this beautiful scallop with a grapefruit marmalade, I did go home and make a marmalade out of grapefruit and tangerine. You know, and then I put my own spin on it. But that was an idea that came to me because of what I tasted from Elia.
Padma on the secret success of the show:
People often ask me like what is the secret to the success of this show? And I say well there are many secrets. But I said one of the secrets to the success of the show is my digestive tract because, you know, everything goes through my pipes.
Comments (2)
In my opinion, I think that Padma is nothing more than a
prude and a genuine snob. She needs a reality check.
Where on earth did they find that woman?
Posted by Robert Zemanski | March 12, 2008 6:52 PM
Posted on March 12, 2008 18:52
I disagree with the comment Mr Zemanski made.
I don't find her at all snobbish, just sophisticated and proper. A rare quality these days in many mainstream public persona. Now really you must admit she cuts a better jib than Tom or Anthony in drag.
However she could be just a token anorexic so that segment of society is represented:)
Posted by Vic Ladd | March 19, 2008 10:12 AM
Posted on March 19, 2008 10:12