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Top Chef: All Stars - Conference Call with Tiffani Faison

Posted on 01/13/2011 by Gina in Top Chef and Cast Interviews

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Tiffani Faisonfrom Top Chef: All Stars

 

by Gina Scarpa

 

On Top Chef: All Stars, Padma threw the contestants for a loop when she let them know that two of them would be headed home after this week's challenge. The chefs were split into teams, and had to catch and prepare their own fish for a group of hungry diners on the beach. When it came time for Judges' Table, Tiffani found herself in the bottom group for having overly "fishy" fish, resulting in her elimination from the show. Today, we caught up with the season 1 contestant in a press conference call as she dished on competing on Top Chef for a second time.

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: You caught a lot of flack with the judges for leaving the bloodline in the bluefish. Was that an intentional choice at the time and, looking back on it, is it something you regret?
A. Tiffani: I think the confusion for me was that there wasn't any bloodline running down the middle of the fish. There was a little bit of fat content. That's something that we eat all the time. That's how it's cooked typically around here. I'm a little surprised.

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: You said at the end of the episode that you were very aware of the perception of you in season 1 and wanted to show a different side of yourself? Do you feel you accomplished that and showed a warmer side?
A. Tiffani: Yeah, completely! One, I'm a different person than I was 5 years ago. One of the things form watching it 5 years ago was that it wasn't me. I was physically there but it didn't feel like me. My friends and family said the same thing. I think I came across this time, for better or for worse.

 


Q. Do you think it hurt you that Carla's dish was the best, considering that you both used bluefish?
A. Tiffani: No, not at all. I think it was two different executions with the same type of fish. Looking back, there's not a lot that I would've done differently. Carla's and my cooking skills are very different. I appreciate what she did and I'm sure it was delicious. It's not an environment that I would've made a lettuce wrap in.

 

Q. Were you worried, out in the boat, that if you didn't catch fish, you would be immediately going home?
A. Tiffani: Well, the other side of it was that if we didn't catch any fish, there was stuff available for us to use but you definitely didn't want to touch it. It was canned tuna and things like that. We weren't the team that was worried about having fish.

 

Q. When you were at Judges' Table, you talked about working in Nantucket. How did it feel to have the judges say that your dish lacked finesse and refinement?
A. Tiffani: Honestly, some of the critiques around my dish felt a little disconnected. Everything I had was completely fresh from the farmer's market. I didn't buy anything from the supermarket. It was all really beautiful produce and it was delicately dealt with. It was interesting that it was perceived as heavy handed. In New England, we tend to eat it skin on and crispy. That's not something that's culturally odd. I was trying to discern which of the critique was valid and what I'd take away and what they weren't used to the way that people in New England are.

 

Q. The judges told Antonia that she should've critiqued your dish and Jamie's dish. What did you think about that?
A. Tiffani: I'm glad you asked that. I think there was a really inherent disconnect between asking Antonia to critique our dishes. I think she's a really strong cook but I don't see her as someone who is a better chef than I am in any way. Asking her to step in and take charge assumes inherently that she's a better chef. I don't necessarily think that's the case. The other thing was that you have three strong male chefs on the other side who are all responsible for one dish. At no point were they really held responsible. We chose to do three separate dishes and somehow, Antonia was held responsible. I really did not understand that at all.

 

Q. Marcel was upset that Carla celebrated her victory last night. Is there an unspoken etiquette that, if you win, you shouldn't celebrate so much in front of the people that landed in the bottom?
A. Tiffani: I don't know if there's an unspoken etiquette. People should celebrate their victories. If it's not your day, it's not your day. To get pissed off at someone else for winning is sour grapes. Could it have been a little toned down? Maybe, but I think people should be able to celebrate their wins. I think that's inherent to the game.

 

Q. How far has Top Chef come since your first experience?
A. Tiffani: In some ways, we joke about that the other thing that's the same is the name and the fact that Tom and Gail are there. It's become a really big brand, which is really important in the industry. It's been incredible to watch it evolve. It was like Thomas the Tank Engine, the first season, just trying to get up the hill. It's definitely a lot slicker now.

 

 

Top Chef: All Stars airs Wednesdays at 10/9c on Bravo.

 

(Image courtesy of Bravo)

 


Follow Gina @ginascarpa

 

For more Top Chef links, visit SirLinksALot.net

 


  


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