MasterChef Junior interview: Sophia Stark on show experience, hopes to return
Below, you can see what Sophia had to say about joining the show, whether or not it met her own personal expectations, and also what she is hoping to do in the realm of food next.
CarterMatt – What made you want to be a part of the show this season?
Sophia Stark – I wanted to be a part of MasterChef Junior this season because I wanted to have the experience showcasing my talents in the kitchen and meeting kids from all over the country who love cooking as much as I do. Of course, having the chance to meet Gordon Ramsay was a huge incentive as well.
Was this competition everything you expected it to be?
Honestly, I didn’t know what to expect from the competition. I knew it was going to be hard work, but I never realized how much I would grow as a young chef. The support from the judges, staff and the other contestants was incredible. It was an amazing experience that I will never forget.
How much fun was it for you to represent Hawaii this season?
Being able to represent Hawaii this season was a huge honor. At the request of the other contestants, I danced hula, sang, and shared a few laughs over pronouncing difficult Hawaiian words such as humuhumunukunukuapua’a. Being able to share my “aloha spirit” in the kitchen and with my newly formed friends made me feel as if Hawaii wasn’t so far away.
Is there any sort of food that you wish you had a chance to make this season?
While I was able to make many different foods this season, I wish I could have made my Macadamia nut crusted opah with roasted carrots. I also would have liked to showcase my gingerbread cookies, world peace cookies, various pies and pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. My herb butter popovers would have been fun to make as well.
What was the most helpful piece of advice you received from the judges?
Although the judges always gave us constructive criticism and advice, I think one of the most important pieces of advice was to not be afraid of trying new techniques, styles of cooking and putting your own spin on existing recipes. Even if you make mistakes, just keep on cooking and learning…that’s the makings of a good chef.
Following the show, what are your food dreams now?
I dream to return to the MasterChef Junior kitchen, maybe in a special MCJR season that features past contestants! I think that would be an amazing opportunity for past contestants to have a second chance to show the judges what we have learned and how we have improved in the kitchen. For now, my food dream is to study more techniques from French pastry chef, Pierre Hermé, and my home cooking inspiration, Julia Child.
Related – Check out some more interviews with MasterChef Junior contestants!
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A very special thanks to Sophia Stark for speaking with us about her time on the show.
Want to camp with MasterChef this summer?
If you are between the ages of 8-16 and want to know a little bit more about cooking — or are a parent to a kid in that age — you may want to check out the link here for some more information about Camp MasterChef. It’s happening this summer, and it is going to feature notable contestants both from the flagship show as well as MasterChef Junior. The camp includes daily cooking lessons to go along with chances to hear from real-life professional chefs working within the industry. It may be worth a look!
If you do want to get even more news on MasterChef Junior…
Don’t worry! We’ve got episode reviews coming your way every week coupled with some more news and interviews in between episodes. We do our best to be your go-to source for both everything when it comes to this show and then also MasterChef proper in the summer.
For now, we suggest that you like CarterMatt on Facebook in the event you want some other updates when it comes to MasterChef Junior. (Photo: Fox.)