by Michael J. Lamp

 

Top Chef: DC's youngest cheftestant is also one of its most outspoken. After her elimination from the show, courtesy of the "Cold War" challenge, Tamesha talked with RealityWanted and other reporters about her respect for Angelo, her ambivalence toward Amanda and finding her own, personal strength amidst the craziness that is the Top Chef kitchen.

 

Q. Michael, RealityWanted: You seemed pretty confident going into elimination. Were you surprised when they called your name as the person going home?
A. Tamesha: I was very surprised when they announced my name. This is a pretty hard question for me. I knew that the group didn't like my dish, but I didn't think it was bad enough.

 

Q. Michael, RealityWanted: Which challenge was your favorite and why?

A. Tamesha: The baby food. It was fun and playful. You had to make an adult dish and then still make a baby dish. You could basically do whatever you want, which was quite interesting. Give the baby something else than the normal, disgusting food out of a Gerber bottle.

 

 

Q. I'm curious what your take on your relationship with Angelo is.
A. Tamesha: My words were put together. I see him as a mentor for young cooks, not for myself. I knew of him prior, but I can't say that he's my mentor, because I hardly know the guy, personally. He had no hand in seasoning my dish at all. He had no hand in telling me how to do my dish. I'm 100% comfortable in my own skin.

Q. Are you Team Angelo or Team Kenny, now?
A. Tamesha: I am Team Tamesha! I'm doing my own thing. I am rooting for both of them.  They are both pretty strong and pretty talented.

 

Q. This episode, we heard from a couple of people that were upset Amanda had made it this far.  Do you think she deserves to still be in the competition?
A. Tamesha: Not really, but it is what it is.

 

Q. What about her specifically irked you?
A. Tamesha: Her personality and the way she works. I'm a very cool, calm and collected person. I get along with just about everybody, but there was just something about her that rubbed me the wrong way.

 

Q. If you had a chance to cook a meal for the First Family, what would you have made?
A. Tamesha: Hmm...let's see. For an entrée, probably crab chowder with crispy rockfish, with a little bit of licorice oil.

 

Q. In his blog, Tom mentioned that your scallops were only seared on one side. Can you explain how you cooked them?
A. Tamesha: Initially, they were seared on both sides and then cut in half. Instead of putting one, humongous scallop on a plate, I cut them in half. So, it was a half order of scallops on each plate.

 

Q. You cooked with a lot of ingredients we hadn't seen before on Top Chef. Can you tell us a little bit about your culinary background?
A. Tamesha: I worked at Jean Georges for 2 ½ years in NYC. I got introduced to all these new ingredients and flavor profiles.

 

Q. What's your favorite meal from back home in Barbados?
A. Tamesha: Rice and peas, with lamb stew. To die for - especially when my grandma makes it.

 

Q. Do you have any advice for future cheftestants?
A. Tamesha: My advice is to go in 100%, [be] comfortable in your own skin. Stay true to yourself. Never second-guess yourself.

 

Q. Anything you learned from Top Chef?
A. Tamesha: Here I am, the youngest, a sous chef, and the rest are either consulting or executive chefs somewhere. It just proved to me that I have the talent, the maturity. I have everything that can construct me to be an amazing chef. It proved to me that I'm stronger than I really think I am.

 

 

Top Chef: DC airs Wednesdays at 9/8c on Bravo.

 

(Image courtesy of Bravo)

 

 

Follow Michael at twitter.com/mjlamp

 

For more Top Chef links, visit SirLinksALot.net