by Gina Scarpa

 

Last week, on the season finale of MasterChef, Sheetal made it all the way to the final four before being eliminated in a semi-final cookoff against runner up David Miller. Today, we caught up with Sheetal in an exclusive interview about her experiences on MasterChef and her thoughts on her fellow contestants and the judges.

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: What made you make the decision to try out for MasterChef?
A. Sheetal: I had heard that MasterChef was going to provide an opportunity to learn from Gordon Ramsay and that he wasn't going to be mean! I was all for it!

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: In the first episode, when you presented your dish to the judges in order to actually make it onto the show, how nervous were you?
A. Sheetal: I was a wreck. Chef Ramsay was reminding me of his LOVE for Chicken Tikka Masala, my signature dish. I remember him saying, "This had better be good!" as I was plating up.

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: What did you feel you could bring to the table as a MasterChef contestant, or potential winner, that the others didn't have?
A. Sheetal: A knowledge of Eastern flavors and spices and a better understanding of cuisines from various parts of the world.

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: What was your best and worst moment?
A. Sheetal: My best AND worst moment were both in the same challenge, believe it or not. Here's the gist: the playful banter between me and the judges as I chose vanilla as the main ingredient. A couple of hours later, I was devastated at having one of the worst desserts in the challenge. I was nearly eliminated for it, and it was most certainly the lowest of lows for me.

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: In the semi-final round, David seemed to dismiss you as a threat in the cookoff. What was your reaction?
A. Sheetal: I wasn't concerned about what Miller thought.

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: When you were eliminated, the judges had nothing but positive things to say about you. Did being on the show motivate you to pursue a career in cooking?
A. Sheetal: Being on the show has motivated me to find a way to involve food and cooking in my career. Whether that be a cooking show of my own, or hosting a show that incorporates several of the senses: hearing, seeing, tasting, smelling, all through travel.

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: What is your advice for the home cook that is thinking about trying out for MasterChef?
A. Sheetal: You can read my blog to understand what my personal audition experience was. There are a ton of behind the scenes details of my entire MasterChef experience. Go in being true to who you are in the kitchen. As you can see in season one, the contestant pool was quite varied.

 

Check out Sheetal's blog at sheetalbhagat.posterous.com

 

(Image courtesy of Fox)

 

Follow Gina at twitter.com/ginascarpa

 

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