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As Tom Petty so wisely deduced, the waiting is the hardest part.
I saw what he was doing and I was like,Well, he definitely took this.
I dont think any of us were waiting with bated breath.
Suffice to say, its nearly impossible to keep a streak alive.)
People will say theres an advantage in being the reigning chef ofLast Chance Kitchen, Welch says.
With each battle, it can be hard to get back in the mental game of it.
You made history inLast Chance Kitchen, tying the record for most wins.
I mean, I knew what it was, but I didnt have high hopes.
The first time I did it, I was like,Oh, this is fun.
Then it kept being fun, and I tend to do well when Im enjoying things.
My mom likes to say I have a fight the problem mentality.
Its just everything I hate about food: overworked and hypertechnical.
I think hes looking for the most technically sound dish.
The point ofLast Chance Kitchenis, can you incorporate texture into your food?
Can you season your food properly?
Can you make a base stock?
Its doing very simple things.
The challenge is, youre on the clock.
So I dont think that youre necessarily playing to his palate.
you gotta show you have the fundamental skills to return to the competition.
Top Chefcontestants who make it to the finale but dont win often return to the show looking for redemption.
Would you like another chance to compete for the title?I dont know how I feel about returning.
Ive learned so much about how to play the game, it would feel unfair, you know?
But I guess I would go back.
I dont know logistically if my life would be able to sustain that, but my curiosity certainly would.
They get sent home for not using enough salt or not cooking their protein or their pasta correctly.
Just make simple food thats well-executed and you might end up pretty far along.
But Im really happy with how I did.
I think out of everybody, I definitely had the most varied experience.
We calledLast Chance Kitchenthe Dark Side; it was just all of the people who were eliminated hanging out.
I didnt get to know people the best, but I got to know the most people.
I have Leias doughnut recipe fromLast Chance Kitchenon my menu right now.
I think people stick with you and their food goes on to inspire you.
Honestly, I wouldnt change my experience for anything.
You seemed to have a one-liner for everything.I attribute that to the production team.
My way of processing, even when Im upset, is humor.
I know some people online felt like I was uninvested, and its not that.
Its just that in the end, it is a cooking game show.
I take cooking really seriously.
I just dont take myself very seriously.
And I dont think the two are mutually exclusive.
Who made your favorite dish?I really loved the dessert that Gail made.
She made this baked peach cake and it was just incredible.
She made it in this gigantic cast-iron pan and she just wasnt sure if she could flip it out.
So there was much discussion and debate.
It was a whole thing.
Then Tom ended up flipping the cake out and it was just hilarious.
Yeah, Tom can do anything, whatever, fine, but that cake was really delicious.
I tell people all the time, garlic takes two years to grow.
Its a very butcher-shop mentality.
We pay the same for bones at Marrow as we do for New York strip steak.
They each cost us the same price per pound when it comes to our door.
You mentioned that youve been spending a lot of time on theTop ChefReddit.
I think the weirdest thing is that people cant seem to figure out when I was born.
They dont do that anymore and people are like,How old is she, though?!
Its not me intentionally pulling the Im 30 forever, its just sometimes I forget how old I am.
Its very possible Ive misspoken about that to the media unintentionally through no wickedness or malice.
Its just me being an idiot.
Hypothetically, I could just answer, but Im not going to.
Im going to keep the mystery alive.
Somebody will find my diploma and it will feel like a victory.
And you know what?
This interview has been edited and condensed.
