‘MasterChef’ season 10 participant Dorian on living away from family and learning from the best in the business
The only home cook from this season to have won two mystery box challenges consecutively, Dorian, has made a place for herself in the hearts of the viewers with her exceptional culinary skills and southern charm. She has a beautiful backstory behind almost every dish she whips up in the kitchen be it her family’s favorite drunken cake which she whipped up for the auditions or the exquisite pink champagne cake she baked in memory of her mother, it can’t be denied that Dorian is a fantastic chef who has fought her way to the top 7.
In case you’re curious to know who Dorian is, then here is a little bit about her, as told by her, “I am originally from Canton, OH. I currently live in Cartersville, GA with my husband Charles and 2 children, DJ and Meya. I have 9 brothers and sisters. I love being in the kitchen.” So how did it all begin? What piqued her interest to get into the kitchen? The 45-year-old says that she has always been fascinated by cooking as she grew up watching her mother cook. However, when she was first introduced to cook she saw it as a chore, but over time she developed a deep passion for the art of cooking.
Throughout the show, Dorian has been extremely vocal about how challenging and difficult she’s finding it to be on the show. When she first walked into ‘MasterChef’ kitchen we saw a talented cook with loads of potential but sadly she wasn’t confident about herself. But through the course of her time on the show, we saw her evolve as a confident and assertive chef, who isn’t afraid to take risks and make bold choices. When we asked her to tell us about her experience of being on the show, she tells us that it has been both “rewarding” and “difficult” being on the show. She explains “It has been rewarding because I have gotten to learn from some of the best culinary minds in the business. I have increased my ability to adapt to any situation that I have faced while on the show. The reason that this experience has been difficult, is that this is the first I have been away from my family and friends for an extended period since moving to Georgia in 2012.”
During the tag challenge, Dorian was teamed up with fellow contestant Subha Ramiah. In the heat of the moment, Dorian got a bit carried away and was rude to Subha, this drew a lot of flak from viewers about her behavior. When we asked her about what happened during that challenge, she shared her side of the story. Dorian shares, “First and foremost, I would say that MasterChef is an individual competition and not a team competition. Even when you are on a team, you are fighting for yourself. Going into this elimination challenge, I was not ready to go home. I went into this challenge knowing Subha’s strengths and weaknesses in the kitchen, and in the pressure of the moment, I felt like I had to carry us both. In the end, we pulled off a great dish despite the pressure and that was something we were mutually proud of. Since being on ‘MasterChef’ I have never gone into the competition hoping that someone does worse than me. I have always had the mentality that I will give the judges my best every day.” In case you’re wondering how her relationship with Subha is now, don’t worry all is well between the fellow home cooks. She reveals that they are on friendly terms.
Dorian has been a strong contender on the show. When she first presented her “drunken cake” to judges during the audition, Gordon had a bite and immediately declared that she was the one to “watch out for”. Apart from Gordon, she has received praise from several guest judges and fans too. We asked Dorian how she feels about such a tremendous show of love and appreciation. She expresses her happiness over Gordon recognizing and appreciating her talent and is “extremely grateful” for all the love and support she has received so far from her fans, friends, and family.
So, who does she consider her closest friends on the show? Dorian says, “The people that I connected with the most during my time on the show are Jamie, Wuta, Kimberly, and Micah.” In case you are curious about what Dorian’s plans post-MasterChef are then, she reveals, “I want to publish several cookbooks and open a fine dining restaurant featuring elevated southern cuisine.”
Tune in to MasterChef season 10, on Wednesday nights, at 8/7c on Fox.