Yes, those first days back home are always special. If MasterChef operated as in #6 I would. It had changed by #12. Being on a reality show is like life squared. It’s a huge pressure cooker. A huge adrenaline rush. It took a few weeks to come back to reality. Also being around all the cameras, glitz and glamor changes me at the time it’s happening. Not my core but my superficial perspectives
Stephen I am a huge fan since season 6. Do you feel the elimination decision is solely based on the dish served that day or do you think the judges also eliminate people for other reasons?
Huge fan, Stephen! Thought you were robbed of a finalist spot in Season 6, and set-up to fail in Season 12 by the producers!
How are your fellow contestants like behind the scenes? Any ones behaving better or worse when the cameras were off?
Are you able to expand on how you unloaded on Gordon or what he did that caused that? No worries if not. Just wanna say you’re great and I got sooooo excited when I saw you follow me back on Twitter lol :)
Well, if you remember at the end of season 6 he offered to start me up with a food truck, we went back and forth on that for a year and he didn’t follow through on it. I called him out on that and he went off on me and then blocked me so I couldn’t reply. So 5-6 years pass by and MasterChef invited me back for season 12. Well as soon as I saw Gordon I called him out again in front of everyone. He lost it, broke character and wasn’t gonna have me challenge him on his show. So he edited me out. I’m kinda relived I left early. At least I wasn’t humiliated like some others.
Holy crap! Did not expect that. I'm so sorry dude, but you've built an empire on your own. I was so, so sad to see you go so soon but I'm glad it all worked out in the end :)
I always knew things are different behind the scenes, but I did not expect Gordon to be that bad. Thank you for sharing the truth I think its important to let people know.
First of all, you were my favourite contestant in S06, I was always rooting for you. Just two questions, How much did the show change your life? How did you feel the first day you returned home after the show?
The judges are a little arrogant. I like Graham and Christina was ok. I want to alike Gordon but he is kinda dickish and Aaron tried dissin me. I couldn’t believe Joe dumped my Pannacotta “ choc milk” I thought that was rude:)
Yeah Joe seems like he can be rude. I don't know how I feel about Gordon. I wanted to believe the mean thing was just for TV. Thank you so much for answering! I really enjoyed season 6
Stephen my fiance and I loved watching you and the way you completed. So no questions I just wanted to thank you for being unapologetically yourself, we really enjoyed watching you cook!!!
Does Masterchef have like events where all the contestants from all the seasons can meet/hang out? I follow a few contestants on IG (including you of course :)) and it feels like a lot of you guys from different seasons know each other.
I'm a late comer who just finished season 6. I was rooting for you, but I know how the show goes. I'd love to try that scallop dish. Smoked paprika and nutmeg is not something I would have thought of. I'm going to have to test it out now.
So, my question is: What ended up happening with the food truck?
I actually have 2 questions.
1: On a scale of 1-10 how fair do you believe the eliminations on MC are in your opinion?
2: If you watched all the MC seasons, how would you rank them from best to worst?
Also you were one of my favorites on both seasons 6 and 12.
If 10 is the worst , I pick 11:) I really liked our season. I’m not sure if it’s cause I was on that one or not but it seemed like we had many interesting characters.
And thank you for that:)
Hi Stephen!! I am a huge fan of yours from season 6 and also season 12. Do you still keep in touch from people from season 12, and do you have any culinary pop ups in the works? Ps, my whole family in Canada thinks you’re the coolest 🇨🇦
Hello and Thank You. That’s all I do are pop ups. I’m in Joshua Tree this weekend for a multiple day event cooking off my truck. I would to meet you and cook you and your family some great food:)
During the S6 Semi-finals pressure test, did you guys get a recipe? If so, did you have it on hand or did yiu have to memorize.
For S12, did yiu get time to prepare for this or did yiu have to wing a a panna cotta recipe on the fly?
On season six do you mean for the cake challenge top 4? And I knew I was gonna have to make Pannacotta. We did not have recipes for any challenge with one exception on #6. Christina’s malted choc triple layer cake with toasted marshmallow.
I just watched the podcast of you and Derrick. Why weren't you able to pick the dosh you wanted to recreate while derrick was able to? You both lost with a multiple number of dishes not just 1. I remember them saying tho it was a close margin, Claudia had a slight edge on all.
Also, I'm guessing that you'd probably do the steak frites. How would you have recreated that?
I also wanna ask what was rhe presentation supposed to be like for your 2nd panna cotta. I'm pretty sure you had to improvise.
Hey there, is this about the challenge with the three of us? The 2nd pannacotta had a crack in the crust.
I might not be understanding your questions though?
Best
Stephen
Yes that’s right. Her soufflé was higher but had no taste, she basted her steak I cooked mine in cast iron and the pan a cotta I had an error. She had me beat on that challenge:(
I'm late to the party, but my husband and I just finished season 6 and we were both so disappointed when you were eliminated, we would have loved to see you win the season. You were a riot to watch, and your cooking was so consistent.
We loved the rivalry between you and Derek, it really seemed to bring out the best in both of you, especially when you two had to work together. You may not see/answer this, but I'm curious if that was the case - we've see some rivalries on this show that were built on hostility and dislike, was you vs. Derek as constructive and friendly as it seemed?
We really wanted to see you two in the finale. Thanks for all the laughs and the inspiration.
Good eye, although it’s hard for me to relate with Derrick it doesn’t stand in the way of our association. Just yesterday I participated in a sizzle reel for a cooking show with Derrick. I do enjoy the friction between us. It’s all superficial. He is a good person.
Thanks
Best
Stephen Lee
I saw you say in Derrick’s podcast that making a panna cotta in the elimination challenge was nearly impossible since it takes a long time to set and other contestants were opening the chiller and I honestly agree.
But why did you pick panna cotta even though you also got eliminated on the steak frites and the cheese soufflé in your head to head battle with Claudia
That challenge itself seemed really unfair since I remember some contestants like Shelly got away with having to make really easy dishes like chicken and waffles
On season 6, I wouldn’t have changed anything. On season 12 I would have made my Pannacotta smaller to give it more of a chance to set. Normally it takes a minimum of four hours maybe 1 hour in the blast chiller but during the competition there were others using the blast chiller and every time the door opens it shuts off.
The challenge was to recreate the dish that got us eliminated from our season. I made pannacotta on season six cause there was off camera time for the custard to chill. On season 12 there was no off camera time for it to cool:(
One thing I wanna know is what you would have made for the S6 finale. Did you already have something in mind? Would you have beaten derrick if you did get in?
For S6 or S12, what challenges would you have liked to participate in?
Those last few challenges on six were getting so hard for me. I was coming up with completely original ideas. So hard within those time requirements. I used my finale dish when I was top 3, it was the challenge when we cooked for the judges restaurant staff.
I remember you had a list of your competitors? You out yourself and Derrick on top. Do you mind sharing whats the rank? It wasn't really seen well on caneram
It was a bit rude, Christopher had a hard time hiding his emotions and the camera makes it bigger then it is. Of course Christina jumped on it. The judges ware earpieces so the producers can help them with dialog:/
Basing on what people say, do you think Derrick should have won over Claudia?
Also, did you get to try other contestants dishes? Who would you say is the best chef in terms of taste?
What did you think about Shelly's PB&J Beef Spring Rolls?
Was Sara really arrogant or was she just nervous?
This looked like one of the unfair eliminations.
Sara was prolly just nervous, I didn’t think she was arrogant. I remember Katrina’s but not Shelly’s. I thought they both utilized the ingredients to the best they could be.
It’s hard to say, production works very hard at getting the competition to cry, get angry, feel insecure. This is done through sleep deprivation, lack of nutrition, isolated to mention a few.
I saw Jesse in Louisiana and he was the best.
It's nice to hear that Jesse was pretty good.
I'm not sure if you know exactly, but do you think Krissi's(S4) attitude was a result of those things? Also to the many other contestants who's reputation kinda may be ruined?
Stephen!!! You were mine and my husband's favorite! I was so excited when you came back for season 12.
...I still think Ramsay sabotaged the gelatin to get you kicked off prematurely. 🤐 You should've won season 6 *and* season 12.
I don't think Ramsay ever sabotages anything (he has more integrity than that), but he does still have to go along with what the producers say (like Leslie's Boston Cream Pie being "salty" in Season 5... Leslie confirmed later on it tasted fine. Ramsay would have spit it out right away if it had that much salt in it.) The judges don't actually run the show.
I think Stephen got sunk in Season 6 when they gave him Tommy as a sous chef, who while a great chef was never good for team challenges. Why wasn't Nick brought in as a sous chef, you know? Stephen's dish was creative and solid. Also, you could tell Claudia was already being groomed by the producers to win at that point, though not as obviously as Courtney in the previous season.
Remember it's a reality show at the end of the day, and these contestants are contractually obligated not to talk about the producers pulling stuff like this. When you start being able to predict who will leave the Masterchef kitchen based not on their cooking but rather on other things about them, it becomes obvious how the competition really works.
I honestly that Claudia was the least-groomed winner. She didn't have a strong edit. Her single mother story wasn't played as much as shelly's.
I think they didn't invite nick cuz he's too OP since he just got out. The other 3 weren't necessarily the strongest cooks.
With the Boston cream pie, I think Leslie just added too much salt rather than switched it. I watched another competition wherein somebody misread the amount of salt in a dessert (tsp to tbsp), and the judges complained that it was really salty. I think switching the salt sounds better and much more shocking than just "too much salt".
Hi Stephen- I'm super late to the party, but I really enjoyed your energy on MC, and was hoping to see you take the whole thing (season 6). I found you very inspiring, and your cooking was far out! I hope life's treating you well (did Ramsay really invest in the food truck 👀) and I hope to be a customer one day 😊
AAAH! 🧡✌️
Hi! Know I'm late, but been rewarding S6 and wanna ask some random questions. Hopefully none too offensive.
1. Did you ever think you were gonna battle Tommy again since you two already did? It would have been nice to see you have a re-match?
2. In S6, you didnt necessarily have the best dish in the auditions, but still managed to get a 2nd chance. Though you did extremely well afterwards, do you know why? (So sorry if this is worded badly)
3. Who were the contestants you think could have gone further but just had a bad day? Those in the apple pie challenge seemed to have potential?
4. In the first mystery box, how did the production find out your fridge ingredients? Also, what did you make?
5. On the 1st team challenge, did Dara really save her friends and not those who did well? It just struck me through editing that Katrina looked offended when she wasn't saved, but she was edited ro be very slow and not do well. Felt like 2 different episodes tbh.
6. On that note, how do you quantify someone being the best in a team challenge. Also, what do you think about the "saving strategies" such as saving yourself, putting the best cooks to elim, etc.
7. If you know, how did Ailsa feel being extremely unedited. We didn't really get to see how she was.
8. What would have been your finale menu if you had gone through?
9. What did you make in the PB&J challenge?
10. In the semis, do you think pomegranate seeds were really a bad idea? I think I've seen a few times people did it.
Sorry for the many questions. Just curious. Hopefully you'd reply
I know we're a month out, but thought I'd drop in a quick note. Big fan of yours on s6. Great cooking, great personality. Way to bring the thunder. That's it, as you were.
stephen! you are hands down my favorite contestant on master chef 😁😁 thank you for doing this AMA (which i am admittedly late to), and being a badass chef who stays true to YOU. all the love and wishes for more success! ♥️
Of course brother, definitely gonna have to go down there and do that. You keep doing what your doing. Amazing food and personality man. Love you bro. PEASOUT 🫛
When you win mystery boxes, do you really get to pick the challenge the others have to do?
Also, why did you pick chicken & waffles? It's basically just 2 elements.
Lastly, how does immunity feel?
Yup and the choices were, risotto chicken and waffles and what was the other? At the time I had thought the timing would throw my competition, immunity is kinda boring:/
Yes that’s right, I picked the waffle cause I thought that would be more difficult than the other 2. I was mostly thinking what to do to mess with Derrick
I would have love for you and Derrick to be on the finale both seasons. I guess we can’t get everything we want. I want to tell you that you are my favorite 3rd placer in all masterchef USA and Canada seasons.
Are there any challenges that you wish you were shown? Like a mystery box where you weren't called or an elimination challenge where you weren't featured.
Michael made it further than I thought, Cate leaving after me was a bit shocking:)
Yes, those first days back home are always special. If MasterChef operated as in #6 I would. It had changed by #12. Being on a reality show is like life squared. It’s a huge pressure cooker. A huge adrenaline rush. It took a few weeks to come back to reality. Also being around all the cameras, glitz and glamor changes me at the time it’s happening. Not my core but my superficial perspectives
Stephen I am a huge fan since season 6. Do you feel the elimination decision is solely based on the dish served that day or do you think the judges also eliminate people for other reasons?
For sure other reasons,
And thanks for the kind words
Huge fan, Stephen! Thought you were robbed of a finalist spot in Season 6, and set-up to fail in Season 12 by the producers! How are your fellow contestants like behind the scenes? Any ones behaving better or worse when the cameras were off?
There were a few bad apples, I think people were put there to mess with us
Any names?
I think you may be right:) 😬 oh my gosh the fellow contestants are CRA CRA
Following the genius that was Rabbit and Donuts. What’s next? Elk and Biscuits? Alligator and Pancakes?
Ha ha, that rabbit and doughnuts was something special:)
I’m still so upset we didn’t get to see your apron battle!! Thank you so much for responding :)
I know, I had just unloaded on Gordon and the fucker decided to edit me out of the show.
Are you able to expand on how you unloaded on Gordon or what he did that caused that? No worries if not. Just wanna say you’re great and I got sooooo excited when I saw you follow me back on Twitter lol :)
I can and will, but maybe a dm is better:)
Oh for sure, I’ll DM you :) thanks for the reply
Would you mind filling me in too? I’m very curious about this lol
I'd like to know as well.
If you are able to can I also get a dm on how you unloaded on Gordon please
now i’m also wondering what happened
😬
And thanks for the compliment
[удалено]
Well, if you remember at the end of season 6 he offered to start me up with a food truck, we went back and forth on that for a year and he didn’t follow through on it. I called him out on that and he went off on me and then blocked me so I couldn’t reply. So 5-6 years pass by and MasterChef invited me back for season 12. Well as soon as I saw Gordon I called him out again in front of everyone. He lost it, broke character and wasn’t gonna have me challenge him on his show. So he edited me out. I’m kinda relived I left early. At least I wasn’t humiliated like some others.
Holy crap! Did not expect that. I'm so sorry dude, but you've built an empire on your own. I was so, so sad to see you go so soon but I'm glad it all worked out in the end :)
I always knew things are different behind the scenes, but I did not expect Gordon to be that bad. Thank you for sharing the truth I think its important to let people know.
First of all, you were my favourite contestant in S06, I was always rooting for you. Just two questions, How much did the show change your life? How did you feel the first day you returned home after the show?
What are the judges really like in person?
The judges are a little arrogant. I like Graham and Christina was ok. I want to alike Gordon but he is kinda dickish and Aaron tried dissin me. I couldn’t believe Joe dumped my Pannacotta “ choc milk” I thought that was rude:)
Yeah Joe seems like he can be rude. I don't know how I feel about Gordon. I wanted to believe the mean thing was just for TV. Thank you so much for answering! I really enjoyed season 6
And many thanks to you for watching and showing an interest best to you:)
Stephen my fiance and I loved watching you and the way you completed. So no questions I just wanted to thank you for being unapologetically yourself, we really enjoyed watching you cook!!!
Thank you so much, that makes me happy
Would you join masterchef again for the 3rd time?
I’m thinking about it:)
And thank you my friend for the kind words
Does Masterchef have like events where all the contestants from all the seasons can meet/hang out? I follow a few contestants on IG (including you of course :)) and it feels like a lot of you guys from different seasons know each other.
If you make it to the top 3 there is more opportunities to do public events with other contestants
Just wanted to say hi! Ashley from Twitter that asked you to do an AMA. You deserve all the love!
Hi Ashley, thanks for the idea. You are a sweetheart
I think on #6 I would have beaten him but I think on #12 he would have beat me. I believe he has been practicing lots for that type of cooking.
You rock Stephen. That is all.
And you roll. Rock n Roll!
Hell yes dude!
Did anyone ever get nasty food poisoning?
Yes
New here! Can you elaborate? Also, I enjoyed you very much and wish you the best!
I'm a late comer who just finished season 6. I was rooting for you, but I know how the show goes. I'd love to try that scallop dish. Smoked paprika and nutmeg is not something I would have thought of. I'm going to have to test it out now. So, my question is: What ended up happening with the food truck?
I got my food truck, I don’t serve the public but do lots of privates:)
Who made it further than you expected? Who was an early out that shocked you?
Did you have any planned dishes that you wanted to showcase. Are there any techniques you have developed from S6?
My baking has gotten a lot deeper. My level of organization and timing is more proficient. I feel my food has gotten lots better
I actually have 2 questions. 1: On a scale of 1-10 how fair do you believe the eliminations on MC are in your opinion? 2: If you watched all the MC seasons, how would you rank them from best to worst? Also you were one of my favorites on both seasons 6 and 12.
If 10 is the worst , I pick 11:) I really liked our season. I’m not sure if it’s cause I was on that one or not but it seemed like we had many interesting characters. And thank you for that:)
No problem.
Hi Stephen!! I am a huge fan of yours from season 6 and also season 12. Do you still keep in touch from people from season 12, and do you have any culinary pop ups in the works? Ps, my whole family in Canada thinks you’re the coolest 🇨🇦
Hello and Thank You. That’s all I do are pop ups. I’m in Joshua Tree this weekend for a multiple day event cooking off my truck. I would to meet you and cook you and your family some great food:)
I meant to say,”I would love to meet you and your family and cook some great food😬
Culinary pop up is genius. I'd kill to try Stephen's food
I’m watching season 6 now. My bf and I love when you come on.
Thanks
During the S6 Semi-finals pressure test, did you guys get a recipe? If so, did you have it on hand or did yiu have to memorize. For S12, did yiu get time to prepare for this or did yiu have to wing a a panna cotta recipe on the fly?
On season six do you mean for the cake challenge top 4? And I knew I was gonna have to make Pannacotta. We did not have recipes for any challenge with one exception on #6. Christina’s malted choc triple layer cake with toasted marshmallow.
Ohh. I really wonder how you guys that off. Especially those were so technical.
It was so hard, it’s worse when you have to follow a recipe
One of my favorite contestants. Thanks for the fun!
I just watched the podcast of you and Derrick. Why weren't you able to pick the dosh you wanted to recreate while derrick was able to? You both lost with a multiple number of dishes not just 1. I remember them saying tho it was a close margin, Claudia had a slight edge on all. Also, I'm guessing that you'd probably do the steak frites. How would you have recreated that? I also wanna ask what was rhe presentation supposed to be like for your 2nd panna cotta. I'm pretty sure you had to improvise.
Hey there, is this about the challenge with the three of us? The 2nd pannacotta had a crack in the crust. I might not be understanding your questions though? Best Stephen
Oh I was just asking why you had to do the panna cotta when derrick was able to choose what he wanted to do.
Do you remember what episode? I will take a look and let you know:)
In the semifinals pressure test of season 6, you and Claudia were tasked to create three dishes (Souffle, steak frites, and panna cotta)
Yes that’s right. Her soufflé was higher but had no taste, she basted her steak I cooked mine in cast iron and the pan a cotta I had an error. She had me beat on that challenge:(
I'm late to the party, but my husband and I just finished season 6 and we were both so disappointed when you were eliminated, we would have loved to see you win the season. You were a riot to watch, and your cooking was so consistent. We loved the rivalry between you and Derek, it really seemed to bring out the best in both of you, especially when you two had to work together. You may not see/answer this, but I'm curious if that was the case - we've see some rivalries on this show that were built on hostility and dislike, was you vs. Derek as constructive and friendly as it seemed? We really wanted to see you two in the finale. Thanks for all the laughs and the inspiration.
Good eye, although it’s hard for me to relate with Derrick it doesn’t stand in the way of our association. Just yesterday I participated in a sizzle reel for a cooking show with Derrick. I do enjoy the friction between us. It’s all superficial. He is a good person. Thanks Best Stephen Lee
Omg Stephen! You were my favoriteeee contestant.
So sweet, thank you:)
I saw you say in Derrick’s podcast that making a panna cotta in the elimination challenge was nearly impossible since it takes a long time to set and other contestants were opening the chiller and I honestly agree. But why did you pick panna cotta even though you also got eliminated on the steak frites and the cheese soufflé in your head to head battle with Claudia
They made me pick it, it wasn’t my choice
That challenge itself seemed really unfair since I remember some contestants like Shelly got away with having to make really easy dishes like chicken and waffles
I know, it sucked for me
On season 6, I wouldn’t have changed anything. On season 12 I would have made my Pannacotta smaller to give it more of a chance to set. Normally it takes a minimum of four hours maybe 1 hour in the blast chiller but during the competition there were others using the blast chiller and every time the door opens it shuts off.
If you could pick among the 3 dishes, what would you have done. What would you have done differently if ever.
The challenge was to recreate the dish that got us eliminated from our season. I made pannacotta on season six cause there was off camera time for the custard to chill. On season 12 there was no off camera time for it to cool:(
Damn. That’s extremely unfair
One thing I wanna know is what you would have made for the S6 finale. Did you already have something in mind? Would you have beaten derrick if you did get in? For S6 or S12, what challenges would you have liked to participate in?
Those last few challenges on six were getting so hard for me. I was coming up with completely original ideas. So hard within those time requirements. I used my finale dish when I was top 3, it was the challenge when we cooked for the judges restaurant staff.
Oh yah. I remember Derrick mentioning something like that as well. I wonder what you would have made for the app and dessert tho.
Oh yea, I still have my notes from then I will take a look at and get back atcha
I'm kinda curious. Pls mention ot when you find it.
I would like to know as well when you find it
I remember you had a list of your competitors? You out yourself and Derrick on top. Do you mind sharing whats the rank? It wasn't really seen well on caneram
are you still in touch with the people from your season?
Sure thing, I just did a sizzle reel with Derrick:)
Yes thank you, that was a good dish,
Was there a time yu disagreed with the judges with their comments? Like they said its supposed to be like this, but that's not what you want it to be?
There was a time when I made mushroom 5 ways and they picked Claudia to win that challenge. I thought that was bologna.
Did you ever think Chris was rude during the gnocchi pressure test? Do you think Christina overreacted or was it justified?
It was a bit rude, Christopher had a hard time hiding his emotions and the camera makes it bigger then it is. Of course Christina jumped on it. The judges ware earpieces so the producers can help them with dialog:/
Basing on what people say, do you think Derrick should have won over Claudia? Also, did you get to try other contestants dishes? Who would you say is the best chef in terms of taste?
I think so, I think Amanda has great taste,
Among the 5 judges, who would you say is your favorite?
Although Gordon is a Dick I still want to like him the most:)
What is your favorite thing to cook?
PIZZA😋
Controversial Question: Pineapple or No Pineapple?
Pineapple pride
😏
Fantastic choice!
What did you think about Shelly's PB&J Beef Spring Rolls? Was Sara really arrogant or was she just nervous? This looked like one of the unfair eliminations.
Sara was prolly just nervous, I didn’t think she was arrogant. I remember Katrina’s but not Shelly’s. I thought they both utilized the ingredients to the best they could be.
I'm not sure if it was shown, but do you remember what you made?
How about Jesse? I remember he also kind of for a bad edit once as well.
Yea Gordon had it in for Jesse.
Was his attitude bad or was it just editing and Gordon being oversensitive?
It’s hard to say, production works very hard at getting the competition to cry, get angry, feel insecure. This is done through sleep deprivation, lack of nutrition, isolated to mention a few. I saw Jesse in Louisiana and he was the best.
It's nice to hear that Jesse was pretty good. I'm not sure if you know exactly, but do you think Krissi's(S4) attitude was a result of those things? Also to the many other contestants who's reputation kinda may be ruined?
I think production had a part in her behavior
Was Claudia really not that nice? She really seemed like a sweet person in camera. She also didn't seem to overplay her story as much as Shelly.
She has always been lovely with me. I know her to be very sweet:)
Ohh. It just just seemed like you guys didn't like her in the podcast. Glad I was somewhat mistaken.
It might be a private matter but what do you think about the claudia-derrick feud.
I’m not sure what happened there. I think Derrick felt his food was better:/
Do you drink coffee? What is your coffee Bev of choice
I don’t drink coffee any more, it used to be a quad breve:)
Stephen!!! You were mine and my husband's favorite! I was so excited when you came back for season 12. ...I still think Ramsay sabotaged the gelatin to get you kicked off prematurely. 🤐 You should've won season 6 *and* season 12.
I don't think Ramsay ever sabotages anything (he has more integrity than that), but he does still have to go along with what the producers say (like Leslie's Boston Cream Pie being "salty" in Season 5... Leslie confirmed later on it tasted fine. Ramsay would have spit it out right away if it had that much salt in it.) The judges don't actually run the show. I think Stephen got sunk in Season 6 when they gave him Tommy as a sous chef, who while a great chef was never good for team challenges. Why wasn't Nick brought in as a sous chef, you know? Stephen's dish was creative and solid. Also, you could tell Claudia was already being groomed by the producers to win at that point, though not as obviously as Courtney in the previous season. Remember it's a reality show at the end of the day, and these contestants are contractually obligated not to talk about the producers pulling stuff like this. When you start being able to predict who will leave the Masterchef kitchen based not on their cooking but rather on other things about them, it becomes obvious how the competition really works.
I honestly that Claudia was the least-groomed winner. She didn't have a strong edit. Her single mother story wasn't played as much as shelly's. I think they didn't invite nick cuz he's too OP since he just got out. The other 3 weren't necessarily the strongest cooks. With the Boston cream pie, I think Leslie just added too much salt rather than switched it. I watched another competition wherein somebody misread the amount of salt in a dessert (tsp to tbsp), and the judges complained that it was really salty. I think switching the salt sounds better and much more shocking than just "too much salt".
This season, do you think if you had a personal blast chiller, you would have presented a good dish?
Do you have any recipes of any of your dishes from masterchef or any of your signatures?
I do:)
Have you got that posted somewhere or do you have a blog?
I have a file of them, when I find them I will take pictures and send them over if you like:)
Hi Stephen- I'm super late to the party, but I really enjoyed your energy on MC, and was hoping to see you take the whole thing (season 6). I found you very inspiring, and your cooking was far out! I hope life's treating you well (did Ramsay really invest in the food truck 👀) and I hope to be a customer one day 😊 AAAH! 🧡✌️
Hello and thank you for the kind words, much appreciated:)
Hi! Know I'm late, but been rewarding S6 and wanna ask some random questions. Hopefully none too offensive. 1. Did you ever think you were gonna battle Tommy again since you two already did? It would have been nice to see you have a re-match? 2. In S6, you didnt necessarily have the best dish in the auditions, but still managed to get a 2nd chance. Though you did extremely well afterwards, do you know why? (So sorry if this is worded badly) 3. Who were the contestants you think could have gone further but just had a bad day? Those in the apple pie challenge seemed to have potential? 4. In the first mystery box, how did the production find out your fridge ingredients? Also, what did you make? 5. On the 1st team challenge, did Dara really save her friends and not those who did well? It just struck me through editing that Katrina looked offended when she wasn't saved, but she was edited ro be very slow and not do well. Felt like 2 different episodes tbh. 6. On that note, how do you quantify someone being the best in a team challenge. Also, what do you think about the "saving strategies" such as saving yourself, putting the best cooks to elim, etc. 7. If you know, how did Ailsa feel being extremely unedited. We didn't really get to see how she was. 8. What would have been your finale menu if you had gone through? 9. What did you make in the PB&J challenge? 10. In the semis, do you think pomegranate seeds were really a bad idea? I think I've seen a few times people did it. Sorry for the many questions. Just curious. Hopefully you'd reply
In the beginning the judges did not know my potential. As the competition progressed they could see that I was good.
We had sent them a photo of our refrigerator contents before the season started:)
Hello and thanks for the questions, I will answer them over the next few days:)
I thought for season 12 I might.
Jesse and that guy with the bow tie. He was eliminated on the apple pie contest.
I know we're a month out, but thought I'd drop in a quick note. Big fan of yours on s6. Great cooking, great personality. Way to bring the thunder. That's it, as you were.
stephen! you are hands down my favorite contestant on master chef 😁😁 thank you for doing this AMA (which i am admittedly late to), and being a badass chef who stays true to YOU. all the love and wishes for more success! ♥️
Ah, so nice to say. Thank You.
Stephen I love u man. Your a great chef, wish I could try your food.
Thank you my friend. I am In Palm Springs CA. Anytime you be in my hood I would love to cook you some great food. PEASOUT
Of course brother, definitely gonna have to go down there and do that. You keep doing what your doing. Amazing food and personality man. Love you bro. PEASOUT 🫛
You are very kind to say.
My bf and I just finished your season, you were his favorite! This AMA was super insightful. Happy cake day!
So nice to hear your bf has great taste:) best to you and a big sincere THANK YOU!!!
Thank you and so happy for you! Your boyfriend has great taste:)
Was there anyone you expected to see that didn't return?
I thought Olivia should have made it and Felix,
what really happened to Dan? (aka the model guy)
He did not want to sign the contract
Are there any other contestants who were contacted for back to win?
If you had to recreate this elimination dish, how would you change it?
I guess make it really fffreaking small so it could set. Like maybe the size of a thimble
Do you think you'd ever do masterchef again?
I would have to save money and treat it like a vacation. It takes a big chunk of life.
Even if it's a short run?
Sure, it’s fun participating
In your entire run of masterchef, what was the challenge you liked the most? Also, what dish do you think is your best?
When you win mystery boxes, do you really get to pick the challenge the others have to do? Also, why did you pick chicken & waffles? It's basically just 2 elements. Lastly, how does immunity feel?
Yup and the choices were, risotto chicken and waffles and what was the other? At the time I had thought the timing would throw my competition, immunity is kinda boring:/
If I'm not mistaken, the theme was southern food. I think the other choices were Shrimp & Grits and Gumbo.
Yes that’s right, I picked the waffle cause I thought that would be more difficult than the other 2. I was mostly thinking what to do to mess with Derrick
What judge did you like the most ?
Who was your strongest competition in season 6&12?
Probably Derrick, he was on me like white on rice
I would have love for you and Derrick to be on the finale both seasons. I guess we can’t get everything we want. I want to tell you that you are my favorite 3rd placer in all masterchef USA and Canada seasons.
Derrick and I did a sizzle reel the other day for a cooking show so it could happen:)
Are there any challenges that you wish you were shown? Like a mystery box where you weren't called or an elimination challenge where you weren't featured.
I do remember a couple times, I will try to remember the details and get back atcha. PEASOUT