Listen up, foodies! In case you haven’t realized it by now, local chefs have been showcasing their skills on just about every guilty pleasure reality cooking show on TV. We caught up with nine past contestants who duked it out on Hell’s Kitchen, Top Chef and Chopped. Successful, innovative and down right ballsy: they gave us the dirt on their TV experiences. Some hungry to prove their talent, others hungry for the money, and the rest, well, just hungry. Our Q&A session was raw, literally cutting the tension with a knife.

By Hannah Hoffman

Michael Schlow
Top Chef Masters Season 1
Radius, Via Matta, Alta Strada,

Executive Chef and Owner to some of Boston’s most elite dining hot spots; Michael Schlow is no schlub! With achievements including the James Beard Foundation award and recognition by Food and Wine Magazine as “Best New Chef in America”, Schlow is a force to be reckoned with. This world-renowned chef worked his magic on Season 1 of Top Chef Masters and he’s here to fork over the facts.

Why did you go on Top Chef Masters?
Why did I go on Top Chef Masters? Well, aside from thinking it might be fun to be part of a show with a bunch of my chef buddies from around the country, it was an excellent chance to win some much needed money for the Cam Neely Foundation…The show was smart, it offered a lot of cash and prizes – all for charity – and that’s why I agreed to be a part of it. My only regret was that I wasn’t able to make the foundation more money than I did.

Were you a fan of the show before you became a contestant?
I’m a fan of anything involving the Pope of Greenwich Village, Tom Colicchio.

I heard you traded in your baseball scholarship, along with a 92-mile an hour fastball pitch for a set of knives and a place at the Academy of Culinary Arts. Rumor also has it you’re a Yankees fan. What’s your favorite game-time snack?
Best game time snack?  It’s a toss up between a rockin’ bacon cheeseburger and a spicy sausage and pepper sandwich with mustard on a sub roll. 

At home, do you whip up five-star meals or stick to the basics like the rest of us?
People think that because I’m a chef I must be whipping up soufflés, eating caviar straight from the tin, drinking champagne. In reality, I’m making spaghetti with tomato-basil sauce, quesadillas and grilled chicken – all while downing a cold beer, just like everyone else!  I do try to make everything - even the basics - taste like a 5 Star meal.  Just because it’s simple, doesn’t mean it shouldn’t rock your world and be ridiculously delicious.

Nelson Paz
Top Chef Just Desserts season 2
Mandarin Oriental Hotel Boston

Three years into his career at the Mandarin Oriental, Head Pastry Chef Nelson Paz still has the same ambition he came to Boston with. Sharing a family-wide passion for food from a young age, he found that cooking made every day a special occasion. Applying that to his life now, Paz finds the beauty of pastry a way to bring people together for a joyous occasion.

When did you find yourself gravitating toward pastry? I was working in a French bistro as a line cook. It was exciting but I always found myself wanting to assist the pastry chef. I was drawn to the creativity of pastry, and the measurements and technical side of finding the right combination of ingredients.

Are there current trends in pastry? If so, what are they now? Are you using them?
I think molecular gastronomy is popular. I want my guests to appreciate everything; appreciate that it looks good but tastes good as well. Many times the fashion of the dessert is put first but people care about the taste more.

What seasonal ingredients do you like to incorporate into your dishes?
Spices can remind a person of a certain season; cinnamon for fall, lavender for spring, mint for summer. I am inspired by seasonal and local products. I do not like to compromise on the quality of my desserts.

How often do you re-vamp/create new dishes?
I love to change the menu, try new things and keep it updated. I also like to try and modify recipes to make them healthier. A European chef started this idea; you have a product, make it taste better and just use less butter for example.

What is something an amateur baker could make to impress guests at a house warming party?
The actual action of baking for your family and friends makes any dessert the best because your intentions of baking are for good reason. Time, effort, detail and delivery make the best desserts; it could be lavish or could be as simple as a scone. Desserts are all about appreciation.

Chris Coombs
Chopped Season 4
Deuxave, dbar

As Executive Chef at dbar in Dorchester, Massachusetts, Chris Coombs is a qualified cook. This East Coast kid has an impressive resume; graduating from the Culinary Institute of America in New York, experience cooking with Ming Tsai at Blue Ginger, and cooking for Laura Bush at the White House. Coombs competed in the Season 4 premiere episode of Chopped, and he almost won!

How has being on TV changed your career?
TV has a mystique. People look at you differently. The identity of a chef is very different when he’s hiding in the kitchen vs. when he’s in the spotlight on TV. My role as a chef changed a little bit, people ask for me. They [people] used to come into the restaurant and after a meal they would say “Is the chef here? We want to thank him for the meal.” Now people come in and ask for me right away!

So, you’re opening a new restaurant in Back Bay. Tell me about it.
The restaurant is named Deuxave, meaning “two avenues” in French. (The restaurant is located at Commonwealth Avenue and Massachusetts Avenue). The food is Nouvelle French cuisine and there’s nothing like it in the Back Bay. There are the high-end restaurants like Clio and L’Espalier; but the concept of my restaurant is delivering excellence on every level in a less high-end atmosphere. I started developing the concept two years ago when I first found the space. Throughout the process I have worked with top chefs and culinary experts from all over Boston to complete my vision. I want the comfort feeling and quality food of the North End in Back Bay.

What is the best cooking advice you can give to someone trying to get started in the industry?
You need to know it’s a tough business. It’s grueling on your personal life, so make sure you have a life partner who is very understanding! You must be driven for the passion you have. The financial reward is little and the hours are long.

Tania Peterson
Top Chef: Just Desserts Season 1
Max Ultimate Foods

Tania Peterson is making her TV debut on the first (and current) season of Top Chef: Just Desserts. This Boston born girl attained a degree from NESOP – specializing in Food Photography – but later switched her career path to becoming a pastry chef. Currently Peterson is the Executive Pastry Chef at prestigious catering company, Max Ultimate Foods. Don’t be fooled by her sweet smile, she’s not afraid to brûlée your behind!

We know you’re talented and you can satisfy any sweet tooth. What’s one sweet treat you crave but can’t make?
A croissant. I make my grandmother’s brioche sometimes but I don’t make a lot of bread. This is something you have to make a lot of times before it comes out perfectly. I would eat one everyday because they’re so good! I know they’re made with so much butter but I would slather butter all over it. I’m
a purist- croissant and coffee.

Many people joke that once you become a pastry chef you gain 15 pounds. True or false?
I’m a skinny pastry chef (but not right now because I have a baby bump!). I can’t eat a whole cake! In my pregnancy I have no sweet tooth, things taste too sweet because my sugar levels in my palate are all messed up right now.

What are your “guilty pleasures” when it comes to food?
I am a huge fried chicken fan, I make my own. Down Home Delivery has delicious food and I highly recommend it. And I’m crazy about Ritz crackers.

What is the best cooking advice you can give to someone trying to get started in the industry?
The best cooking advice for someone getting started just coming out in their first job: pay attention, be professional, be passionate about food, be respectful and always be a good team member.

Ana Sortun
Top Chef Masters Season 2
Oleana, Sofra Bakery

Cookbook author, James Beard Award Winner, and La Varenne Ecole de Cuisine de Paris graduate; Ana Sortun is no newbie in the kitchen. Originally from Seattle, Washington she has made her mark on the East Coast, proudly running restaurant Oleana and Sofra Bakery in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Sortun participated in Season 2 of Top Chef Masters, and Bravo had to beg before they got this Cambridge cook to finally say “yes.”

In 2005 you were awarded “The Best Chef: Northeast” by the James Beard Foundation. We know you’re good at what you do. Why did you go on Top Chef Masters?
I wasn’t going to do it! They asked me the first season and I said no. It’s not something that I crave doing and I don’t know much about it but, um, they asked me to do the second season and I thought I was going to say no- and then I thought about it. My staff was disappointed! One of my staff members wrote me a two-page email about why I should go on, and they convinced me to do it. My cooks are big fans of the show and I thought, why not, it’s going to be a good experience regardless of the outcome.

Looking back, do you wish you did anything differently on the show?
I don’t think so, no. What amazed me about it was what I could pull off given the circumstances and the challenges. And if someone would have told me what I was going to have to do ahead of time, I don’t know if I could have pulled it off! It’s amazing what you can accomplish when you’re challenged.

Tell me about one of the challenges you faced on Top Chef Masters.
One memorable challenge was when we had to shop at a gas station mart and then cook the meal there! We had to produce a gourmet meal with only 10 minutes of shopping.

What’s next?
I’m working on a book for Sofra, lots of traveling and NO MORE TV!

Ben Knack
Hell’s Kitchen Season 7
Sel de la Terre

From New York to Boston, Ben Knack certainly has a “knack” for cooking. Executive Chef at Sel de la Terre, Knack has worked in acclaimed Boston kitchens and has also helped culinary students pursue their own dreams at the New England Culinary Institute. This passionate chef competed on Hell’s Kitchen Season 7 and promised Chef Ramsay that he would “never give up.”

During your departure from the show, Chef Ramsay asked you to make a “promise to never give up.” Tell me about this.
Chef Ramsay spoke to me a lot. He said, “Being an instructor in school is a waste of your talent and you’re a better chef, so stay in the kitchen.” This was my first time cooking in two years! In my debut on national TV Gordon Ramsay was yelling at me, “Don’t leave the kitchen!”

Why do you think winning a reality TV show is seen as such an accomplishment to chefs today?
Being a chef you don’t make a lot of money and it’s hard to break through in this industry. Some people make the best vegetarian food; some chefs aren’t good cooks but good chefs. Going on TV you need to know it all. You must understand ingredients, how to cook and develop a culinary idea. I know construction workers who make more money than I do; winning helps with the cash!

What are your “guilty pleasures” when it comes to food?
My father used to work for Breyers! I like ice cream, the hard-packed kind. My daughter, Ella Maria loves ice cream and I like to take her out and see her smile.

At home, do you whip up five-star meals or stick to the basics like the rest of us?
The most important thing for me is spending time together with my family when we cook and eat meals together. We create this world where mom cooks for the husband and kids, but the truth is, if we all cook together then we have a strong union. On my day off I like to create an adventure with my family. We will go to a farmers market and I let my daughter pick out food, (then we stop for ice cream on the way home!). And we prepare a meal together; kids should understand food.

Andy Husbands
Hell’s Kitchen Season 6
Tremont 647

As an honored chef of the National Pork Board and the Dairy Council, this “Fearless Chef” has been cooking up a storm since age 14. Andy Husbands, Executive Chef at Tremont 647 and Sister Sorel, is a charitable chef involved with Share Our Strength and the Boston Operation Frontline. Husbands took on Gordon Ramsay in Season 6 of Hell’s Kitchen, and he’s back from the fire to tell his story.

Was this the first time you ever sliced off your fingertips on a potato slicer?
No, I’ve cut myself a ton of times but this is the first time I ever did it on national TV. I’ve been a chef for a long time and I’m not a big fan of the ER. I try not to go, usually a little duct tape, but I had to go.

On the show you said this regarding Chef Ramsay’s kitchen manners: “You don’t have to be a douche-nozzle to run a kitchen.” How did you possibly handle his temper tantrums?
I have worked for guys like this. It’s like an abusive parent, hear what they mean not what they’re saying. He has a colorful way of saying things. You just need to filter out the f-bombs!

Were you a fan of the show before you became a contestant?
I actually had never watched it until I was casted for it. It’s what I do for a living, it’s like watching a train wreck, and it’s not pretty. Kitchens can’t run like that. No chef would ever shut down his or her kitchen like Chef Ramsay. My kitchen wouldn’t make good TV because we run smoothly.

Looking back, do you wish you did anything differently on the show?
No, I’m not a guy who looks back at much. I would have liked to do better but that wasn’t in my control. I had so much fun; it was a wild experience.

What are your “guilty pleasures” when it comes to food?
Kraft macaroni and cheese and General Tso’s chicken. I probably shouldn’t eat either of them, but I do.

Has being on TV changed your career?
No. We’re busier but that’s it.

Rebecca Newell
Chopped Season 5
Beehive

Nicknamed the “Queen Bee of Comfort Food,” Executive Chef at the Beehive Rebecca Newell goes straight for the honey. This New England Culinary Institute grad has stung the North East, being at one of Boston’s favorite homey restaurants. Newell competed in Season 5 of Food Network’s Chopped, and she won!

Your appearance on Chopped as a successful female chef was intimidating! Tell me about cooking against the boys on national TV?
I thought it was a good experience. I was a swimmer for many years and went to the University of Maine on a swimming scholarship so I think I’ve always been competitive. When I was asked to cook in a competition, I thought let’s do this!

How did you feel when you watched the show?
It was an amazing experience and it was fun, but I wasn’t expecting the editing. They interview you for so many hours and they like to make you into a character. I was like wow, whoa crazy!

Looking back, do you wish you did anything differently on the show?
No, I’m pretty happy. People need to remember that this is reality TV, it’s made for drama.

Why do you think winning a TV reality show is seen as such an accomplishment to chefs today?
Cooking competitions are so explosive right now. Its like you can’t turn on the TV without seeing some reality cooking show on. It’s something to do and it’s good to get your name and restaurant out there. But I would never do any of those crazy long series!

What’s next?
I just got married and I want to move out in the suburbs with a yard. I want a grill in my house!

Tiffani Faison
Top Chef Season 1
Rocca Kitchen and Bar

Executive Chef at Rocca Kitchen and Bar, Tiffani Faison pioneered a reality-cooking show phenomenon, participating in Top Chef Season 1. This talented and traveled chef has worked with Todd English, Daniel Boulud and even Will Smith. Faison competed in Top Chef All Stars and the Top Chef Holiday Special; you better watch out because this fiery redhead brings the heat!

Top Chef is about cooking your own food regardless of the wild “catch” introduced. You grew up an army brat, traveling and tasting cuisines from all over the world. How would you say your upbringing has contributed to your ability to flex with all the surprises they throw at you on top chef?
I definitely think there’s an adaptive quality to kids who are army brats, they figure out how to get by. I’ve never been nervous about change, I can always find a layout.

Tell me about making history on Season 1 of Top Chef.
Being on the first season we had no idea what we were walking into! We made history in that first season- from drawing knives to the famous Restaurant Wars.

What has been your biggest culinary accomplishment to date?
That I’m still standing! I just took over Rocca in the South End and I put my own name on it. I’ve been busting my ass to get where I’m at and when people want to learn from me, that’s surprising and incredible – they put their careers in my hands.

What are your “guilty pleasures” when it comes to food?
Flaming Hot Cheetos. I need to buy the small bags because once it starts I’m terrible. Gummy bears are my jam.

How has being on TV changed your career?
The exposure level is incredible. What I am really proud of and guarded around is the fact that I didn’t ever let being on a TV show change me. I wanted to get from point A to point B learning everything along the way. I have a whole staff and their careers are in my hands, so I needed a solid foundation to begin with.

Jason Santos
Hell’s Kitchen Season 7
Gargoyles on the Square

Culinary professor, charitable cook and gastronomic genius, Jason Santos is the full package. Currently Santos is the Executive chef at Gargoyles on the Square, an iconic restaurant living up to its name. This blue-haired badass competed on Season 7 of Hell’s Kitchen and he isn’t afraid of going to Hell!

Top Chef or Hell’s Kitchen?
The day I left for Hell’s Kitchen I made it on Top Chef and I had to make the decision. I chose Hell’s Kitchen because it has more viewers. Some say Top Chef is more respectable in the bigger picture, but my goal in life would be to have my own show one day!

What would you call your show?
22 Black and Blue. I would get another chef to come on with me and have him do home-style blackened BBQ while I whip up mac-n-cheese with liquid nitrogen.

Were you a fan of the show before you became a contestant?
Absolutely I was a fan. I’ve seen all the seasons.

Do you make for good reality TV?
I make for good TV because I make for good life! Boring people don’t make good TV. Having blue hair and being in the hot tub makes for great TV!

What are your “guilty pleasures” when it comes to food?
I’m a huge fan of steak. A bone-in-rib-eye dry-aged, that will make me cry.

Is Gordon Ramsey really that hot headed of a guy or is it all for show?
Yes, I think he’s pretty nuts. I would tell him “I’m going to have a heart attack if you don’t take it down a notch.” He’s great in the kitchen; he’s the wittiest charismatic person. But the second you set foot in there he’s like Satan with a knife. I would say to him “Yes Chef, thanks Chef, I suck at life Chef.” The sous chef [to Chef Ramsay] was no joke either, he’s scarier than Gordon!

What’s in you refrigerator right now?
I have a six-pack of Miller High Life, butter and Crystal Light in my fridge right now. I enjoy cooking for others but I don’t cook for myself.