Tuesday, June 19, 2007

A Reality Check With ... Joanna Dunn (FOX's "Hell's Kitchen")

Joanna Dunn, 22, is a chef's assitant from Detroit. She was sent home last night for attempting to serve rancid crab (unbeknownst to her). She takes some time to tell the readers of RealityCheckByGina why she shouldn't have been the one to go & why the customers of Hell's Kitchen can't get a meal to save their life.

RC: What is your background in cooking?
Joanna: When I was in high school, I graudated a year early. There was an odd year before college so I took ProStart which is a culinary program offered in high schools. I got certified & moved to Louisiana to start my career. I had experience - my dad was a regional produce manager & my grandmother owned a produce store.

RC: What made you a good candidate to win Hell's Kitchen?
Joanna: I have a really non-traditional background working for Viking Appliances. I've had exposure to different cooking techniques & styles. When you work in a restaurant, you see the same menu every day & work with the same people every day. I have experience with working with a wider variety of foods & that gives me a 1-up on people. I've worked with all different kinds of chefs, including celebrity chefs, and people.

RC: I've asked Eddie, I've asked Tiffany, now I'll ask you. What was Aaron's deal?
Joanna: Aaron is a really good person with good intentions. I think he was overconfident in his skills & what he could do. You have to take care of yourself or you can't succeed. You have to live what you do - put good food in your body, stay hydrated. You have to live it or not do it.

RC: You ultimately were sent home for almost serving rancid crab? How does rancid crab make its way into the kitchen? Don't you trust the ingredients you're given to work with?
Joanna: You have to go in & do quality control. On the shows I've worked on, when the chefs come in, it better be right. It's my fault for not double checking, though.

RC: What's worse: serving rancid crab or picking spaghetti out of the garbage to serve to customers?
Joanna: The rancid crab was an unconscious thing. I didn't realize. Jen consciously threw out the spaghetti & consciously washed it off. You can't pull a Paris Hilton & say you were psychologically impaired! I didn't think I was going home.

RC: What does the women's team need to do in order to continue winning?
Joanna: They need to make a team effort. They need to have communication, confidence, and get it done. The best experience I had was learning to work as a team.


RC: Why can't anybody get a dish out in Hell's Kitchen?
Joanna: It's quality controlled. Chef Ramsay tastes every dish that goes out to customers. In a restaurant, they're not doing quality control of every plate. If they did, imagine how long it would take you to get served!

RC: What chefs are you rooting for?
Joanna: I like everybody! You'll have to tune in to see who wins. This is the who's who of the culinary world, the best of the best.

RC: What does the future hold for you?
Joanna: I'm shopping around, there are some people who want me to come in about my own cooking show. I'm still teaching in Atlanta.

A new episode of Hell's Kitchen airs Monday nights on FOX at 9pm EST

Get your Hell's Kitchen links, you (bleep), at sirlinksalot.net!

1 comment:

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