‘MasterChef’ exclusive: Lisa-Ann Marchesi on elimination, lobsters, standing up to Gordon Ramsay
Lisa-Ann Marchesi’s exit on “MasterChef” earlier this week was a sad one. As a viewer of the show, you want to see home cooks who know their stuff, and also know how to deliver entertainment. She brought both attributes to the table, but despite effectively standing up for herself to Gordon Ramsay, she still got the boot.
After checking out her email exit interview responses below, we have a feeling that you’ll probably wish Lisa-Ann was still around. She’s clearly passionate about what she does.
CarterMatt – When you first saw that you were going to be working with lobster when filming [this past] episode, did that excite you?
Lisa-Ann Marchesi – I was soooo excited that we were doing lobster! I make lobster all of the time! I make it broiled, stuffed, steamed, bisque, lobster roll.. you name it. I thought to myself…I got this!
In looking back, where do you think things went wrong for you in the two challenges? Is there anything you’re kicking yourself over?
In the first challenge, I did not even know there was a “proper” technique to shell a lobster… especially the legs! I am used to taking the meat out, but not so precise and careful to keep the meat intact. For the second challenge, I never thought I would have to replicate a signature Chef Gordon Ramsay dish. I’m thinking, well … I’m Sicilian, there is pasta involved and I can do this with my eyes closed, but the lobster almost killed me before so in a panic, I focused on getting the broth going before starting the pasta. I should have made the dough earlier and I began to completely unravel when Chef Gordon came over to find I did not start the pasta yet!
Do you think you would’ve had a better shot if you had a chance to do a more original lobster dish as opposed to a Gordon Ramsay emulation?
I absolutely would have nailed my own lobster dish! In fact, I had thought of the dish I was going to make, a lobster bisque that I make every year for Christmas that would have blown him away…without the use of fire techno!
You weren’t afraid to stand up for yourself when Gordon was challenging you. Do you think that passion helped earn you more respect from him?
In the end, I needed him to know how passionate I am as a home cook, in the competition and in life. This meant everything to me and I wanted him to see the best from me. I was honest about not delivering my best dish. I looked him straight in the eyes when I told him how I felt. I believe Chef Gordon Ramsay respected that and was compassionate. As we know, he can be brutally honest and we found common ground in our passion for perfection and cooking. I hope our paths cross again. He is my culinary idol.
What did you consider to be your favorite moment in the competition?
One of my favorite moments in the competition was the team challenge for Nick and Janelle’s wedding! It was exciting to be working with the other contestants because we all come from different worlds…some clash! So it was like cooking with my family in the kitchen and we put out the WINNING PLATES!
What sort of food do you wish you had the chance to make this season?
I wish I could have stayed close to my Sicilian roots and dishes inspired by my family and have Chef Gordon Ramsay and the culinary dream team of guest celebrity chefs show me new techniques to elevate these dishes.
Finally, what’s next for you? How are you going to use some of these skills you learned from the show moving forward?
In addition to being an insurance executive, I own an import company called Bella D’ Oliva USA. I import pure extra virgin olive oil and a finishing oil from Italy. The new harvest is coming this fall and I want to extend my brand. I started collecting my Sicilian family traditional recipes, coupled with my experience with MasterChef and I am working on developing a cookbook and hopefully a web / TV series to share my adventures in cooking and travel to learn new cultures and cooking techniques from all around the world!