Born and raised in Chicago, Valerie has worked her way around popular Chicago restaurants for the past nine years and is currently working as a personal chef in her native city. Valerie has a passion for traveling and loves to incorporate influences from all over the world in her cooking. She believes food is the most universal part of life and enjoys cooking cuisine with elegance and simplicity.

Q. Mark, RealityWanted.com: What originally got you interested in cooking?

A. Valerie, Top Chef 4: I had gone to an undergraduate university at first and had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. I just knew I wanted to do something different. I never saw myself sitting behind a desk and I wanted to try something new.

Q. Mark, RealityWanted.com: So you knew you wanted to do something different, was being a chef something you thought about years ago?

A. Valerie, Top Chef 4: I think it came to me in a dream, it really did. I started cooking right out of college, after graduation I went to culinary school, and I have been cooking for about 11 years now.

Q. Mark, RealityWanted.com: How did you end up on Top Chef, did you watch prior seasons and apply or did someone come seek you?

A. Valerie, Top Chef 4: I have been a big fan of the show and watched almost every episode but luckily someone approached me about season 4.

Q. Mark, RealityWanted.com: Did you worry about looking foolish on TV? I had a friend who is a chef tell me he would never do a show like Hell’s Kitchen, which is understood, but did you guys worry about being on Top Chef?

A. Valerie, Top Chef 4: We were all worried. We all wondered if we would be the best or the worst or the first to go home. It’s very nerve racking to give up total control of your life and on command you must perform in very difficult food challenges. 

Q. Mark, RealityWanted.com: Do you have a favorite ingredient you cook with such as saffron? I think Elan loved adding saffron to his dishes and I was curious if you had a dish or ingredient that id your favorite?

A. Valerie, Top Chef 4: My food is actually pretty simple and I think of it as simple elegance but I do like to use a lot of Asian ingredients in my food.

Q. Mark, RealityWanted.com: So I saw some chefs pick up tips from other chefs, did you learn anything new?

A. Valerie, Top Chef 4: Most of the time I was so focused on what I was doing, I didn’t have time to look at what the other chefs were cooking and creating.

Q. Mark, RealityWanted.com: Was the panel fair? I know Anthony Bourdain loves to speak his mind and tore Mark’s duck dish apart. What did you think of his comments on your dish?

A. Valerie, Top Chef 4: He wasn’t a big fan of my dish or Ryan’s dish. I am a big fan of his and it was nerve racking for me to stand in front of him and have him judge my dish. It wasn’t easy to be in front of the person you admire and have them tell you they hate your food.

Q. Mark, RealityWanted.com: Andrew didn’t seem too fond of Rich at first, did they get along and/or was apparent that Andrew wasn’t too happy with Richard and the deep dish pie pan theft?

A. Valerie, Top Chef 4: I think Andrew was just talking a lot of nonsense since at first we all got along. It is hard being with the same people 24/7 in the house but at first everyone tends to get along. I think more drama unfolds later in the season.

Q. Mark, RealityWanted.com: Let’s talk about the Zoo challenge that eliminated you. Was it the balani and could you have cooked them on the spot?

A. Valerie, Top Chef 4: It probably wouldn’t have been possible with three of us working on four dishes. It wasn’t even my idea or recipe it was Antonia’s recipe but this wasn’t shown. The three of us made a bad judgment call on this and I don’t think I should have been kicked off, I think it was surprising to the rest of the cast that I was eliminated.

Q. Mark, RealityWanted.com: Antonia seemed to want to distance herself from your dish but didn’t seem to do so with Stephanie, did you sense this?

A. Valerie, Top Chef 4:  While we were standing there I was like, “this girl is totally throwing me under the bus.” When I saw the episode at home I was surprised at how she talked trash behind my back. I think Antonia was not one of my favorites in the cast and it was hard to watch her talk bad about me, but I suppose it’s the nature of the game, it is a challenge.

Q. Mark, RealityWanted.com: Are you happy with the experience?

A. Valerie, Top Chef 4: Absolutely, it was a great crazy experience that only a few people get to experience in life.

Q. Mark, RealityWanted.com: Where can fans of Valerie and Top Chef come see you working?

A. Valerie, Top Chef 4: As of this moment I am working as a personal chef.



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