As told to Archana Ram.

I think we accomplished exactly what we set out to do this season. We brought back 18 of the most talented chefs on the show who did not win to get them back in the kitchen to see how they did, but also we stretched the show even further — took the challenges further, made things more complicated, exciting and delicious. I’m really amazed, looking back, at how much great food there was, how much I learned about the chefs, and how much I learned about food. I think every chef on this season has a lot to be proud of. We made them work for it, that’s for sure. READ FULL STORY »

As told to Archana Ram.

Antonia, Richard and Mike had stayed consistent and strong throughout the season. Each of them had won a ton of challenges and kept moving. Each of them individually wowed us. It never plays out quite how you think, but I was really glad they were the final three.

The whole Quickfire was absurd. We knew it was absurd. We just kept piling it on to see how they’d react. They all did really well considering all the twists they were given. They all delivered edible food, which I think is a pretty big accomplishment at that stage. Mike had one pot and nothing else. You never how someone else will react to the challenge you give them, and they also never knew there would be a second twist. Cooking with one pot is a challenge but a realistic one. But cooking with one hand behind your back or tied to someone else isn’t. Simple challenges can be the hardest, and I think it’s because they over-prepare. They’re not able to stand back and simplify. They get caught up in trying to do too much. But in this case, the three of them are actually really good at restraint. READ FULL STORY »

As told to Archana Ram.

It was great to be in the Bahamas. We happened to miss two major snowstorms in New York, so that made us all very happy. Padma works a lot more than we do because she films all the Quickfires, but Tom and I definitely had some time off. I spent a lot of time on the water slides at Atlantis and Tom spent a lot of time deep-sea fishing.

We always take quite a large break between the bulk of the season and the finale. For example, the Ellis Island episode was shot in the middle of September, and then we took several months off until January when we shot the finale. We were four months older and wiser. We had watched the season and knew a lot more about the contestants. I learned about Mike’s burping habits, Richard’s self doubts and all the bromances — it’s all fun. But actually in January, the show had only aired about halfway so we hadn’t seen that many episodes. The contestants themselves also knew how they came across and how they had been received. They had time to think about their food, practice and train. At the same time, they had also been out of practice because they weren’t in the heat of competition every single day anymore. But every season, they come to the finale quite different — charged, trained and having done everything they possibly could to prepare for what they know will always be a great battle. READ FULL STORY »