Bri Baker shares her thoughts on returning to the MasterChef kitchen

In the second mystery box challenge of the season MasterChef: Back to Win, it was all about creating Vietnamese dishes. And for some chefs, that was a real challenge, especially when combined with everyone having to use all 11 ingredients in the box.

Unfortunately, one of those leaders was Bri Baker, who had previously struggled in the Southern Fusion Challenge when she pulled the flag of Vietnam. Unfortunately for Bri, this time around, she couldn’t save herself with her dish or plate, and in the end, she was the eliminated chef from the competition.

While we’re sad to see Bri go, we were also thrilled to have the chance to chat with her about her return to the MasterChef kitchen and what’s next. Of course, it was also an opportunity to reflect a little on this last challenge. So if you’re as much a fan of Bri as we are, find out what she had to say in our post-elimination interview.

MasterChef’s Bri Baker shares thoughts on returning for Back to Win season

Guilty Eats: What was your favorite part of your return to MasterChef?

Bri Baker“I think one of my favorite parts of being back was reconnecting with the other contestants, especially Fred. Fans of the show know we’re close friends, thanks to our original season together. , season 10. So that was one of my favorite parts.

And then I would say my other favorite part was really showing off the growth I’ve achieved in such a short time. Because season 10 wasn’t that long.

GE: What do you think was the hardest thing about being back?

BB“The hardest part of being back was the pressure of knowing that no one wants to hear that you’re on the same level, or even worse, that you’re worse than your original season. So there was a lot of pressure to demonstrate growth, especially in apron bottles, because they judge you based on that dish. So I would say the apron battles were probably the biggest pressure I felt all season.

GE: With last night’s mystery box challenge, what did you think when you saw what your ingredients were, and that you had to make another Vietnamese dish?

BB“Well, that’s really funny. I mean, I don’t think I’m someone who hides his emotions on his face very well. And knowing me, I think if you look at him, you can kind of to see the disappointment and sheer terror that was on my face when I saw the Vietnamese ingredients because I had just been down for Vietnamese fusion. This is the flag that I drew. So it was really bit of PTSD when I saw the ingredients.

GE: Do you wish you had made a different dish or is there anything you wish you had done a little bit differently last night (or whenever the actual challenge took place)?

BB: “I try not to think that way. Because he should have, should have, could have, but I mean, it’s impossible not to rectify. So, of course, I say to myself, if only I had done this or that or XYZ. And what a lot of people don’t realize is that not only is it difficult to use the ingredients in the Mystery Box, but also that we don’t know what there will be in the pantry. So even if you immediately think, like oh, this would go great with scallops or sea bass or whatever, they might not have this in the pantry. And that’s kind of what happened to me. I was originally thinking of doing a steamed white fish, which really would have been more Vietnamese, but they didn’t have white fish. So the sequence the closer was either catfish, which I didn’t really want to work with, or salmon, so I went with salmon.

GE: Moving away from last night’s challenge, what was your favorite challenge this season?

BB: “Without a doubt the Horse Town USA challenge where we cooked at the rodeo. Obviously, we won with me as captain, but that’s not even the reason why it was my favorite. It made me feel like I was back home in Texas. We’re filming in California, we’ve been there for a while so of course everyone is a little homesick. So that was really, really nice. And also, as stressful as they are, I love team challenges because it’s a truer environment to how you would really cook in a kitchen. So I loved that day.

GE: What do you hope viewers take away from watching your return to MasterChef?

BB“I hope viewers have noticed not only my culinary growth, but also my personal growth. I was really ridiculed my first season for not being able to handle the criticism the best I could. It always really upset me and i cried many episodes really it was just because it meant so much to me not that it didn’t mean so much this time around but i really worked to handle the criticism with a smile and to see the positive in everything.

GE: Would you do this again?

BB“I would absolutely do it again. It was so much fun. And I mean, who wouldn’t want to cook with Gordon Ramsay, Joe and Aaron and be a part of all these amazing experiences? »

GE: There are so many cooking competitions, are there any others you would like to participate in?

BB“You know, if they did it again, I would definitely want to be the Next Food Network Star. I think that would be so much fun because I love the aesthetics of food. And that translates really well into Currently, I do a lot with social media, but having my own cooking show would be like the ultimate dream, so it’s a show I would really love to do if they ever bring it back.

GE: Is there anything you would like to do next, like some kind of challenge for yourself that you have?

BB“I really want to learn more about Vietnamese cuisine. It’s such a beautiful kitchen, and I don’t feel like I’ve done it justice in either of the show’s apps. So I’m definitely planning to maybe eat at a few local Vietnamese restaurants, get some inspiration there, and maybe try to recreate some of these dishes just for my own sake.

GE: What is your favorite dish to prepare and eat?

BB“It’s tough. I like a good modern French style when it comes to specific food. My favorite dish to cook is scallops because I feel like they’re an amazing blank canvas. You can really do a lot with them. So whenever I have people over and want to make them a nice dinner, I tend to do scallops and then with some sort of modern French application.

GE: And a question we have to ask ourselves: what is your favorite favourite?

BB“Well, being a Texan, I love my fried chicken. So I would say fried chicken is definitely one of my culprit dishes or really something really southern like sweet tea, fried okra, something like that.

To follow Bri beyond her MasterChef journey and maybe catch a glimpse of some of her friends from the show (like Fred), check her out. instagram. You may even find some veneer inspiration while you’re at it.