'Top Chef': Stephanie Cmar says she shouldn't have served Indian food to Padma Lakshmi
Cooking under tight deadlines alongside equally-skilled (if not more) chefs and that too for food connoisseurs who have been specially called on board to critique any dish you make, can be quite an intense experience. And to go through such bouts of nervous moments frequently and yet manage to emerge out of it with a new skill, a trick or two and an extra dash of confidence is the mark of a creator. Stephanie Cmar is one of them.
The Boston-based Season 11 contestant almost got sent home after her product — S+D's vegetarian chili base — turned out to be a bit too common for the judges. "I thought it was a good chili. I didn't feel like it differentiated itself as a base from so many other tomato sauces that I've had before," judge Gail Simmons said, to which guest judge Nancy Silverton added there was no surprise element in her work.
But, she carries all of that in her stride — no complaints. In an email interview with MEA WorldWide (MEAWW), Cmar shared how the one advice that the judges had for her, which was constant, and will stay with her forever was: "Make it work". And why wouldn't it? The contestants had to deliver dishes in limited time but that was the fun bit of it, Cmar recalled.
"I honestly think cooking in such wild conditions was the most memorable moment. A crocodile farm, fancy restaurants, and a Halloween themed ballroom!" the chef shared and spoke on her favorite contestants, which were all of them. "I feel like I made much closer relationships Season 17 vs Season 11. Love everyone, but this season is just so special," Stephanie added.
This 'Top Chef' contestant trusts her instincts but this one time, she may have gotten it wrong. Looking back, Cmar said, serving Padma Lakshmi Indian food could have been done away with.
For the second elimination challenge, Cmar had created a grilled naan with curried peas, crispy lamb, carrot relish and cheese. On the surface, the menu sounds elaborate and a refreshing combo, but the judges craved for flavor. "It just didn't taste of anything. I thought it lacked salt. I thought it lacked acid. And I thought it lacked a point of view," Padma had commented.
Cmar had realized she could have taken a different route. And weeks later, as she chatted with us, she shared how she "would NOT have made Padma Indian food!"
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