Christina Tosi on the ‘MasterChef’ Finale and How Her Green Juice Keeps Her Balanced

Michael Logan
11 Comments
Christina Tosi, Masterchef
Fox
Christina Tosi, Masterchef

Will the best cook win? Or was she sent packing weeks ago? Season 7 of MasterChef concludes September 14 after a summer of high stress, stunning screwups and gag-inducing ingredients (chicken feet, anyone?). Judge Christina Tosi—the cool, nurturing yin to Gordon Ramsay’s hot, irascible yang—hints at the $250,000 grand prize outcome.

Will the announcement of the winner leave us satisfied—or throwing heirloom tomatoes at the screen?
The season finale is raw and beautifully intense, but then the entire season has been unusually emotional. It’s been hard on the judges because so many incredible home cooks suddenly got flighty. We had to say goodbye to [Miami college student] Andrea Galan, who I thought would win the whole thing. She was so focused that she forgot to focus, and it was heart-wrenching.\

RELATED: MasterChef: Gordon Ramsay on Guest Judges, Firefighters, and Other Season 7 Surprises

Why so many meltdowns?
It’s the pressure, the self-doubt. When we do MasterChef Junior we always tell the kids to have fun and take risks. And they do. But you can’t tell that to the adults. They’re like, “Are you ca-raaazy? I left my job to be on this show! My mommy’s not gonna tuck me in at night if I don’t win.”

MasterChef season finale

Christina Tosi with guest judge Wolfgang Puck in the Masterchef season finale.

Sometimes you love a dish and Ramsay or one of the guest judges absolutely hates it. Does that make you wonder, “Am I insane?”
Never. [Laughs] I always think they’re the crazy ones. We laugh about it off camera. I’ll tell Gordon: “Dude, your quality-control standards have dropped! Have you been eating your grandma’s porridge?” But there’s nothing wrong with differing opinions. Not everything is indisputably wonderful, even in the most acclaimed restaurants. When you try to make food people will kill for, there is always controversy and complaints.

RELATED: Curtis Stone on Making a Moveable Feast and His Recipe For Smoked Lamb Ribs

You have no problem cooking with prepackaged food—from Nutella to Froot Loops, it’s all fair game with you. Wouldn’t most other chefs be aghast at that?
Maybe, but in the food world, there’s nothing worse than a chef whose ego gets in the way. I was mentored by the great James Beard Award winner Wylie Dufresne, who is all about flavor, and I remember trying to perfect a peanut butter halva recipe. I spent months making all these different peanut butters from scratch until Wylie gave me the most powerful piece of advice. He said, “We’re here to give the people the most delicious food possible. If that means making it with Skippy, then make it with Skippy!”

Hard Body Green Juice

Tosi serves this high-vitamin, low-cal beverage in her popular Milk Bar bakeries in Manhattan and Washington, D.C. “It’s like drinking a salad,” she says. “Everyone who works with me is a crazy person in constant pursuit of balance. We’re eating cookies and house specialties like crack pie and overdoing it on pizza­—and then we counteract it with Green Juice. One serving and you are ready to crush the day.”

Makes 12 fl. oz. juice

Ingredients
½ cucumber
3  celery stalks
3   kale leaves
2   handfuls of organic baby spinach
1    apple (Granny Smith or Fuji are my favorites!)
½ lemon

Directions
Combine all ingredients in a juicer. Serve fresh.

MasterChef, Season Finale, Wednesday, September 14, 8/7c, Fox.

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Gordon Ramsay

Gordon Ramsay

Joe Bastianich

Joe Bastianich

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Foo Nguyen

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Daniel Meng

Shompa Kabir-Furqan

Jaime Tan

Peter Egede

Nora Chakris

Dave Patera

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  1. C

    CyanCoathanger

    She's really mellowed out this season. Last year, she was a real b--ch toward some of the contestants. That juice sounds horrible! Blech!

    1. C

      CyanCoathanger

      I didn't think she was too harsh last season, but now that you mention it, she has been more chill this season. Maybe she's found the right balance for her TV persona.

      IMO, nothing was harsher on the show than one of those withering stares from Joe Bastianich. Hah.

    2. C

      CyanCoathanger

      You don't remember her tearing into one young guy in particular (sorry, don't remember his name) about his attitude or his behavior almost every week? She was really harsh. And yes, Joe was a real jerk sometimes. I hated when he'd throw the whole plate in the garbage.

    3. C

      CyanCoathanger

      Was it Christopher, the steakhouse restaurant manager who couldn't properly cook a steak?

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MasterChef_(U.S._season_6)

      She should have torn into poker player David's bad attitude more this season. I know they advanced him into the finale instead of Tanorria for the drama and the controversy. IMO, he absolutely should have been eliminated because of his bad attitude and, oh yeah, because he removed his apron, quit, and walked off the set.

    4. C

      CyanCoathanger

      Yeah, it was Christopher. I really felt sorry for him. In a way, I don't blame David for what happened. That basket he got was really a bunch of crap. Everyone else had some really good items to cook. Sure, he acted like a little brat, but I think his cooking has been good enough to save him. That said, I'm rooting for the other guy to win. Oh, and don't post who won because I may not get to watch it until Friday!!!

    5. C

      CyanCoathanger

      Yeah, I'm sure David's cooking skillz are another reason why they picked him over Tanorria. I wonder what they would have done had Tanorria cooked her pork dishes well? Eh, they probably would have still picked David. They can always say the flavor was lacking or something subjective like that. That's what S3 contestant Michael Chen claimed they did during his season. I read his recaps for a while, and he would spill the beans about the kinds of things production would do to manipulate the outcome.

      I think Shaun will win, but it would be cool if Brandi won.

    6. C

      CyanCoathanger

      Yes, they always keep the more controversial contestants over some that are obviously better cooks, but the ones that end up in the finale usually seem to be the ones that really deserve to be there.

    7. G

      GoldFlame

      Terry got ROBBED! That is so unfair ~ He was NEVER in the bottom and he went home over a canned salmon dish.

    8. C

      CyanCoathanger

      I didn't even know who you were talking about and had to look him up on their site to see who he is. By my theory, that's why he's gone.

    9. C

      CyanCherries

      They probably wanted her to fill in Joe's shoes but this year she seemed more like herself. She's brought some needed fresh air to the contest and plenty of positivity. She's my favorite judge after Ramsay. Also, I'm glad they changed her wardrobe and she looks her age now, last season she was dressed like a middle age Republican wife

    10. C

      CyanCoathanger

      I hadn't thought about her clothes, but now that you mention it.....