Top Chef has made its way into our hearts as one of the best reality television cooking competition series — and so have the judges. Gail Simmons, who has been one of the faces of the long-running show since its inception, is a judge that doesn’t mince her words. We talk to her about the show and more.
“I started off as wanting to be a food writer, but understood that I had to learn how to cook, before I did anything. After joining as a line chef, I began writing for the Food and Wine magazine. Television became extremely popular after that and I was asked to be on Top Chef,” says Gail about how she steppend into the field. She goes on to talk about her apprehension of being on the show — “I was really nervous when I took this up. I thought, not only would the American audience laugh, but that people in my industry would stop taking the show and me seriously. But it turned out great!”
The show, known for being one of the few reality television competitions that focus more on the food and less on the drama, has been a turning point for Gail. “When the show began, I had no idea that it would become such a huge success. I’ve been here for 10 years now and it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that Top Chef has changed my life,” she says.
After having judged so many people and tasted so many sumptuous dishes, she must have an idea of who a Top Chef is — “I can never predict who the most talented chef is. But, a few key things that make a Top Chef would be understanding of the value of foundation and discipline. Also, if you can learn from critiques and grow from it, you can definitely be a great chef.” Talking about the 12th season currently airing in India, she says, “This season is set in Boston and it has been absolutely fantastic. We hadn’t cooked in New England before and had to learn the history of the place, which is a mixture of Irish and Portuguese culture. The talent on this leg of the series is incredible.”
She concludes by sharing her love for Indian food, “We have quite a few brilliant Indian restaurants in New York and I love the cuisine! Padma Lakshmi (model-turned-writer) also cooks delicious, authentic Indian food for me. I would love to fly Top Chef’s crew to cook in another country — India as a start would be fantastic!”
