2011: "Chopped" Up close and personal

Ah, shucks! Oysters in the first basket cause some problems, leading up to an emotional ending to the round. Then the competitors gain momentum in the entrée round when they're challenged to work with two Japanese ingredients. And the judges have to say sayonara to one last chef, after tasting the finalists' passionately prepared passion fruit desserts.

  

 Early June 2010 I had started school at the CIA and As I was accessing the student website I noticed that they had an advertisement for "Chopped".  The T.V. show was looking for contestants from the School to participate on the show.  So I applied.  It turns ouot that I was the only student who applied!? Can you believe that?  After applying I forgot about it for a while.  In September I received an emial from the Notional studios.  They had scheduled a time for me to go into the city and take a promotional photo and do a taping.  I had never been into New York City before so I was excited.

     I took the train into Grand Central station and caught the 6 line subway down to Canal Street.  I got off near China town.  It turns out I needed to be on the other side of the Island by Avenue of the Americas.  So I walked across New York.  Through parts of Tribeca and the Soho district.  PAst shops people and all manner of sights.  Every New York sterotype passed by and then some.  IT was around 98F the car fumes mixed with the smell of urine and sweat.  Ah New York.  I made it to the appointment with minutes to spare.  Dripping with sweat they had me stand against the wall for my photo.  Oh joy.  They sent me downstairs to the taping area.  That went really well.  It must have because when I left they told me "No news is no news"  Will contact you when we do.  So I left not knowing if anything would come of this.   In late September they contacted me and wanted to set a Bio shoot at the school and I had to get releases signed and jump threw a few hoops, but it was well worth it.  They showed up I spent the morning being interviewed and taking footage in various situations around the campus.  I asked when I would find out if I was going to be on the show.  The reply...We are here doing this.. You WILL be on the show.  That was a spectacular moment.  Fireworks were going off above my head.
     I had to wait another month before I got my show taping date.  I had to be in Long Island city at 5:30am for the casting call.  So I came up with a plan.  A friend from school (Mike) let me crash at his place.  So after school I drove to Mameranack and crashed on his hide-a-bed.  I arrived around 10 at night and got up at 4am to drive into the city.  It was a good thing I left early.  As I was heading into Long Island I was on 31st and should have gone straight.. A erong roght turn and I'm crossing the Queensboro bridge and rush hour had swung into full bloom.  So i mad a left
U-turn over the mediun to get back to Long Island.  I called and got the location of the Diner where we were meeting.  Imade it with about 6 minutes to spare.. To close for comfort.
     Walking through the streets we passed through several other stage companies setting p to shoot a film of TV shoot.  The excitement was rising.  Then through the doors of a townhome and there were the orange and dark brown walls that started my heart pounding.  I had arrived!

     So we entered a secure room.  You see the group there on TV.  And the producers gave us the run down.  All four of us were so excited.  The other contestants seemed really nice.  But after all we all wanted the money, who wouldn't.  Everybody had a good use for it.  They gave us a tour of the facilities, the set and the pantry.  They explained the general procedures we would be going through during the day and then sent us back into the secure room with a small breakfast buffet.  I ate others didn't.  I personnaly can't cook on an empty stomach.
     The door opened and we headed for the stairs to get set for our entry.  And we could hear Ted Allen's voice.  Our first chef, our second chef, our third chef and our fourth chef Shawn Dickensheets... Zingo Zam I was standing behind the basket.  We had to turn around right before we opened them.  I was not sure why.  But after we opened the basket and I saw the oysters I realized they had placed oyster knives on our stations while we wee turned so that we would not have any idea what the ingredient was.  The oyster knives were placed in a not so noticable spot.  At least on my station.  The other chefs seemed to have seen theirs.  BUt I didnt at first.  So I thought to myself. "No way I'm using a regular knife to open them".  So I have to bake them.  That gave me plenty of time to make my mignonette sauce and get the salad ready.  I could hear the judges talking and got my plates early.  20 minutes goes by in the blink of an eye when you are under pressure like that.  For wayne to have friend them really was an achievement.  When I felt the surface of the "Luffa"  I knew immediately that it needed to be peeled.  The rest as they say is first round history. 
     The time was up and after seeing the plates I knew I would make it to the next round.  Poor Ros, she was crushed.  They separated us and asked us questions about the other contestants.  I tried to keep my answers truthful yet professional and respectful. About an hour later, after they had cleaned and reset the kitchen they called us out and Faster than we could think we were starting the second round.  The extra ten minutes would be needed by all of us. 
     When I opened the basket I saw the duck.  I LOVE duck so I was super excited.  The brussel sprouts and tea were ingredientes I thought I would have no problem with and I pulled out the beans and set them aside.  I have eaten a lot of Japanese sweeets and I know know that they are usually filled with sweetened adzuki beans.  I ran back to the pantry and picked up some purple potatoes, and the caraway.  Then I returned quickly to my station to get the duck rendering.  These were not the small Maple brand breasts these were magrete breasts with a thick layer of fat and it would take some time to render right.
     I Peeled some of the brussel sprouts and blanched them.  I had seen this done in several magazines and I figured that the leaves would be the sweetest and most succulent.  The center reminding me of dirt I just couldn't serve it.  The potatoes were cooking well, but oh my goodness I need to use the beans not potatoes!  So I open the beans, drain them and eat one.  Almost rock hard.  So I think I need to puree them.  Darn Wayne has the blender, so I get the food processor. and start to chop them.  They are still too hard.  So I think macaire potato (potato cake) and get some flour and eggs to make them.  I season with caraway trying to go for a German flavor in the cake to go with the baby cabbage leaves.  I pull the breast off the pan and cook the cakes.  While they sear I rush over and get ingredients for the persillade crust.  The stovetop just didn't want to get hot enough with all the burners going and the pans were not getting hot enough.  Into the oven to finish.  Wow just a few minutes left... I grabbed plates and strated to plate.
Sauce....Damn.. gotta run back and grab some liquor... I deglazed the duck pan and spooned the fond onto the duck. I wish I had grabbed butter bo thicken the jus, but no time left.  PLating done.  Wow My plate looks great the duck is crisp and I am sure I have a winner.  Then I raise my head look down ant Adam and Wayne's plates and I think oh no.  I saw creativity and color.  But what about flavor, what about the burnt skin, what about the blood. 
     We had a two hour lunch break before we went before the judges.  So tension was high when we reviewed our dishes.  After the judges critique I really thought I was back in the ruinning.  Darn my instincts.
After I was chopped I went to the secure room for my exit interview while the last two had the dessert round.  When I left they were standing in the hallway waiting to find out who won.  So I did not know until the show aired who took the win. 
     It was a great experience that taught me my efforts at school were worth it.  My basic techniques had been honed. The judges appreciated those aspects of my dishes.  My creativity was a little stifled due to the classes at school and my lack of working in a restaurant for the last year.  But I know that That will return and the juices will flow and I will be an even better chef than before.  They way I see it I was a winner the moment I stepped in the door early that morning.
     I got home that night around 10 pm.  What a day.

Thanks to Mike E for the couch to crash on.
Thanks to the CIA for the rights to film the bio there and for the upgraded skill set.
Thanks to my wife and mom for the mental support.
Thanks to all my friends for the positive comments.
and special thanks to God for all the opportunities in life that have made me who I am.
   
The Vagabondchef!