When it comes to competition, the Miami food scene can be cutthroat … and no one knows that better than Chef Vicky Colas.
The SoFlo local knows a lot about food, which is why she decided to take on one of the stiffest competition cooking shows: “Chopped.”
We caught up with Chef Vicky to get the yummy “deets” and see how the Caribbean native’s experiences prepared her for her TV debut.
Vicky Colas: “We went zero to 100 real quick.”
If you can’t stand the heat, get out of Chef Vicky Colas’ kitchen.
Vicky is a triple threat: she’s a talented chef, the boss at Pro Kitchen Hub, and a professor at FIU.
Now she’s adding another title: Contestant on Food Network’s “Chopped.”
Vicky Colas: “It was exciting, it was nerve-wracking. You feel all kinds of emotions when you’re competing, so it’s because you don’t know what they’re going to give you, and when they give it to you, you have to be creative on the spot.”
The Haitian native had a big challenge heading into the competition, including Caribbean flavors, with only 20 minutes on the clock while finding a way to use the ingredients from the infamous basket.
Vicky Colas: “Opening the basket is really intense, because you don’t know what’s being given, and when you see those four ingredients, you have to think on your feet, and you gotta start marrying everything before you start grabbing other ingredients, and you have to make sure you’re not overreaching.”
But the chef’s years of volunteering at the SoBe Wine & Food Festival prepared her for this moment.
Vicky Colas: “I’ve cooked in settings of commercial, high volume, hotel, restaurants, and also teaching, so now it was time to put myself through the gauntlet and see how much I could do under pressure.”
She had to remind herself of the same advice she’s given to her students.
Vicky Colas: “Being a teacher, I always have to remind them to temper themselves in terms of when they’re seasoning things or remind themselves that they can add but they cannot remove.”
Oh, and her students were pretty hyped about the idea their professor was a TV star.
Vicky Colas: “They were like, ‘Oh, my gosh,’ but think about the degree of separation. How many times do you meet someone who was on national television? So, for them, it’s huge.”
While she wanted to push herself as a chef on the show, there was another reason why she went on.
Vicky Colas: “If they see me, thrive for the stars, reach for the stars. They too can think, ‘If she can do it, I can do it, too.'”
Chef Vicky’s time on “Chopped” premieres tonight after Deco on the Food Network Channel.
Check it out, but please, please come back to FOX.
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