Top Chef Exit Interview: Episode 3

In this week’s Top Chef we saw chefs who couldn’t bake or grill and geese shitting on the elimination challenge, literally! But most importantly, the producers pimped out Gail Simmons’ upcoming spin off show, Top Chef: Just Desserts, with pastry chef and Elvis impersonator Johnny Iuzzini as head judge.

After the jump check out what the losing chef’testant thought of his/her short time in DC.

Endless Simmer: You talk to yourself a lot in the kitchen, which didn’t go down too well with the other chefs. Do you have anything to say to that?

Tracey Bloom: I was having a good time. I understand it is a competition but there is a lot of stress and stress does funny things to people. I don’t normally talk to myself in the kitchen but I was having a bad day and trying to make the best of it.

Did you get a chance to taste any of the dishes from the other bottom-placed chefs?

Without calling anybody out on the bottom… I didn’t care for Arnold’s, who ended up winning the challenge. Tim’s was flavorless: he took salad greens out of a bag for his side. And as far as Steven goes, I thought his fish was good. I didn’t taste Kevin’s dish.

Tom commented harshly, “When something goes wrong your job is to figure out how to fix it.” Do you think you had a reasonable fix for your sausage problem?

I thought I had enough time to make the sausage links. When that wasn’t possible I made it into a slider, took the vegetables and made a relish. It was tasty and I was thinking on my feet. Tom’s comments were hard to swallow. It was easier watching than actually standing there in front of them listening to it– editing did good things for me!

Have you ever used a charcoal grill before?

I had used a charcoal grill, but never in that capacity. I’ve never done well on a charcoal grill before. I was very serious when I asked how do I turn this down—that grill was too hot!

Your bio says you were the opening pastry chef of the award winning Sia’s Restaurant, but you clearly struggled with the pie challenge. What happened?

I was a pastry chef ten years ago, kind of embarrassing. And I didn’t use a recipe. I was acting like a chef, I was going with flavors and I put too much butter in it so I had to start over.

Episode two’s school lunch challenge brought out your emotions about you and your family’s eating habits. Have there been any changes?

Absolutely. Since coming home from the show my girlfriend and I have changed our eating habits, we’ve joined a gym and made a pact to not take our daughter to any fast food restaurants. We try on a weekly basis to plan our meals so there are healthy options in the house to eat.