|
Chef Beau MacMillan talks to PCM about "Worst Cooks In
America" |
|
 About
the show:
Twelve of the worst cooks in the country attempt to transform
from kitchen zeros into kitchen heroes in the new Food Network
series Worst Cooks in America. Under the tutelage of premiere
chefs, Anne Burrell and Beau MacMillan, the "recruits"
split into two teams and face a series of high-pressure challenges
that test their newly-formed culinary skills. Each week the
two teams get narrowed down until the final two recruits face
off in the ultimate challenge: prepare a three-course, restaurant-quality
meal for a panel of food critics that thinks the dishes have
been prepared by chefs Anne and Beau. On the line are the
chefs' professional reputations and $25,000 for the newly-crowned
kitchen hero!
Premieres: Sunday, January 3rd at 10pm
For
more show info click here!
PCM had the opportunity to check out the premire
episode and viewers are definitely in store for some drama
and comedy as the six contestants on each chef's team try
to reach their dream of becoming a better cook. There were
plenty of laugh out loud moments and a few that were able
to pull at the heart strings just a bit! If you are anything
like me, totally lost in the kitchen, then you will be able
to totally relate to what these contestants must be going
though and I definitely have a new found respect for the time
and technique that goes into becoming a better chef! PCM will
definitely be continuing to tune in each week as the competition
progresses, and we can't wait to see Chef's Anne and Beau
whip these contestants into culinary masters!
|
| Q:
Let's talk about the audition process for this show. We are
used to watching reality competition shows between people who
are actually good at something. Was it difficult to choose between
people who were just terrible at this? How did you decide who
was going to be on the show? |
| Chef
Beau MacMillan: Oh, that's an awesome
question! First of all, when I walked in, hats off to them,
they found who they believed were the 24 worst cooks in America
so, the day we were picking the teams, I had to taste all 24
dishes that these people made, which were supposed to be a representation
of themselves. It was probably the worst day of my life! I thought
that it was just going to get better at some point, but they
just kept getting worse and worse. So, Anne and I were talking
about this and we were going to take the 12 worst of the worst
of the 24 and we did that really solely because of what they
made and how despicable it was and they not only that, we took
the 12 worst for Anne's team and she picked my team. A lot of
smack talk going on there! |
| Q:
After watching the first episode it seems like a lot people
came in with recipes that they had just kind of made up themselves,
is there one in particular that you would say was the most outrageous? |
| Chef
Beau MacMillan: I've got to be honest with you; I still
have nightmares about Jenny Cross's peanut butter crusted codfish
with cayenne pepper! |
| Q:
I remember that one! It was terrible! |
| Chef
Beau MacMillan: Forced to eat that dish, I still wake up
sometimes, but honestly I've looked at it and there was nothing
about it that was appealing and then on top of it, it was just
so over spiced. I know what she was going for, like a replication
of a Thai dish, but man, it was brutal. |
| Q:
Wow, yeah…that sounded horrible to me too! So, what would you
say has been the most challenging part of working with chefs
who just don't know what they're doing? |
| Chef
Beau MacMillan: The most challenging part, I think, was
literally they are trying to out cook each other and I'm trying
to out teach my chef opponent Anne Burrell. You really have
to take a look at yourself because coming in with just an unrefined
product, its all about direction. I know how to motivate people
differently and I know how to inspire and coach people but really
what was tough to try to give the simplest and most specific
directions I could give to them so they could be the most successful.
It wasn't easy! |
| All
about Chef Beau MacMillan |
| As Executive
Chef of Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain and its signature restaurant,
elements, Beau MacMillan inspires his staff with his passion
for fresh ingredients. His ingenuity in the kitchen is stimulated
by his belief that food should not be overworked, but rather
appreciated for its simplicity and natural perfection. This
philosophy is evident in Chef MacMillan's innovative seasonal
menus that focus on fresh, local ingredients procured from a
network of artisans and organic farmers.
Chef MacMillan has cooked in some of America's most distinguished
kitchens. He hails from Plymouth, Massachusetts and is a graduate
of Johnson and Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island.
His culinary career began at the age of 16 when he secured
a position at Crane Brook Tea Room in Carver, Massachusetts.
Chef MacMillan spent a year under the tutelage of Chef Francios
Demueloge. Inspired by this experience, he joined the brigade
at La Vieille Maison in Boca Raton Florida, rising through
the ranks to the position of Sous Chef. Drawn to the culinary
scene on the West Coast, Chef MacMillan moved to Los Angeles
where he held Sous Chef positions at the prestigious Hotel
Bel Air, and later Shutters on the Beach in Santa Monica.
He was recruited to Arizona in 1998 to develop the cuisine
at The Ranch on Camelback, which later became Sanctuary on
Camelback Mountain. Chef MacMillan and former Executive Chef
Charles Wiley opened elements restaurant in March of 2001.
Now as executive chef, MacMillan's innovation has brought
elements national recognition and acclaim. In March 2006,
Chef MacMillan was invited to The Food Network's kitchen stadium
to compete in an episode of the hit series, Iron Chef America.
Chef MacMillan was pitted against Iron Chef Bobby Flay in
"Battle
American Kobe Beef." Ultimately, Chef MacMillan's cuisine
reigned supreme, letting him claim victory over Flay.
In addition to his appearance on Iron Chef America, Chef
MacMillan has cooked at The James Beard House and at Bon Appetit
Magazine in New York, and regularly conducts cooking classes
for the guests of Sanctuary. He is also the personal Chef
for Wayne Gretzky and his family and has cooked for such personalities
as President Bush, Britney Spears, U2, Michele Richard, Jacques
Pepin and Michele Roux, Sr.
|
|
|
|
More Pop Culture Madness Celebrity Interviews!
|
