Okay, I did not want to tell many of you of this 'spur of the moment' activity I decided to do - audition for the Reality show Master Chef America with Chef Gordon Ramsay. The result is: I went, I auditioned but did not get a second call back for 30-min on camera interview (which I know I will kick some butts in that interview!).
You know that I take every activity seriously so auditioning for Master Chef is no exception. I saw the casting call 4 weeks ago and rigth after reading the 'criterias', I did not do anything with it. Why? The criterias are: you cannot work in a professional kitchen (I never thought Indochine is a professional place), you cannot earn majority of your income from cooking in a professional environment (canteen, restaurant, commercial kitchen), you cannot publish cook books, teaching cooking classes. I can hear your questions right at this moment: why did you audition - knowing you are not supposed to! Well, I sent in an email to ask the casting people and they said to go ahead! So, I did. My philosophy is: the worst that would happen to me is that I will not get further than the first audition and I will have some reality TV audition experience to share with my kids and grandchildren some day (Tasha and Clara, no pressure...I only want grand kids 20 years from now!).
I did not do much to prepare for the audition as you have to prepare one dish to serve the judges and then have a quick talk with the casting agents. I just did the chilean seabass with pineapple dish that I won for Asian Film Festival Taste Sensation award. I filled out the long application that took me hours and gave me a migraine at the end. It is a 'profiling' exercise - which I found interesting and entertaining. I got all sorts of advice to cry instantly the minute the casting agent comes to the table, to wear high heels and low-cut blouses...I researched and found out that Master Chef already happens in Australia and I read everything there was to read about the winners, what they get and who they are...Pretty normal folks, I would say.
Needless to say, I was a nervous wreck a few days before Saturday (1/16) but then as cool as a cuccumber Friday night and up until the actual food plating. Our friends, Jared, Yuwen offered to stand in line for me so Jared was in line at 7am! There was not that many people in Denver like at other locations. I would say there was about 100 people. Jared got us the 4th spot so I got in right away to plate my dish. I think the judge like my food but as soon as the casting agent asked me: so, you don't have a restaurant anymore, right? Of course, my answer had to be truthful and then, more questions about what I do for the restaurant...I knew then that my cook book, my 'chef-ing' at Indochine, my cooking classes will 'dis-qualify' me from going further. A little disappointed but I sort of anticipated it. Clara kept telling me that she thinks my food activities at the level that I am doing it (cooking, teaching, bottling sauces...) will be the things that they will not want. She is right....of course, she is ....it stated right on the application form.
Would I do it again? Yes - if they allow me like me to audition again and take all those restrictions away. Would I do that chilean seabass dish again? It was a lot of work for a 60 sec showing so I will do something much simpler like the Fire Cracker Shrimp. I would not have wasted $40 at Wal-mart for my three Thermos.
The best thing is: I met this wonderful Vietnamese girl. She is a registered nurse but loves to cook - much more so than I do. You can feel the cooking passion oozing out from her. She made a wonderful dessert and she got the call back. She will keep me informed as to how she is doing on her 30-min on-camera interview. I am so happy for her and do feel that she is a much better contestant since she is doing something totally different now and wanting to be a Chef!
Here are a few pics of the audition - mostly people waiting in line and when we had to 'act' for TV: yelling with our fits on the air: Master Chef! Hey, this is TV afterall (and they told you that as well! It is reality TV).
Our friend Jared - stood in line for me at 7am. Thank you Jared and THANK YOU Yuwen for offering him to do this for me. You guys are the best!
Here is when the director said for us to yell with enthusiasm: Master Chef!
Once I hear from my new friend as to how her interview go, I will post here so we all get to follow along the journey with her. I am off to San Francisco tomorrow to attend the Fancy Food Show - where I will meet all these companies and vendors with amazing products. Asian Meals In Minutes might be one of the exhibitors in the Fall at the New York Food Show. I will keep you all posted. I know, way too many things going on but I am loving it! I am glad that I did get my life back after a few days distracting with Master Chef. But I would do it all over again as it was such a fun experience to have.
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