MasterChef Junior interview: Henry Hummeldorf on elimination, time in competition

Henry Hummeldorf was one of many different eliminations that took place on MasterChef Junior this week during what we personally consider to be one of the most eventful two-hour blocks of the show we’ve seen. He had a great run, but an egg-yolk ravioli challenge ended up being his undoing much as it was for both Sammy and Ariana. Still, he leaves with his head held high — how can you now when you think about some of the challenges he conquered along the way?

So what did Henry have to say about the competition, the egg-yolk ravioli challenge, and so much more? Take a look at the exit interview below.

CarterMatt – What made you want to be a part of the show this season?

Henry – I wanted to be a part of the show for a few reasons: I love to cook and I enjoy a good competition. I also thought it would be a once in a lifetime chance to cook for someone like Gordon Ramsay and actually be on TV. I had never been in front of a camera before and I found out I actually like it. The cameras didn’t make me nervous at all, just the judges!

What was your favorite moment from your time in the competition?

I had two favorite moments. One was when Sammy saved me. It was nice to know my friend had my back. It was also fun to win the milkshake challenge and watch Joe get dunked in a giant milkshake. But he did get me back later by dropping a giant egg yolk on my head!

Did the judges meet some of the expectations that you had going in?

I wasn’t sure what to expect going in. I thought Gordon Ramsay would be really mean and cuss a lot more. Don’t get me wrong, he is a super tough critic but he had a nice side that I wasn’t expecting. I wasn’t sure what to think about Christina or Joe but they were both much nicer than I had imagined. It was really cool to have Gordon Ramsay give me cooking advice and for Joe and Christina to talk to me and give me pep talks. I still season my food the way Joe taught me… like blessing something. I think of him every time I do that.

What was the most difficult part of the egg-yolk ravioli challenge for you?

Pretty much the whole challenge. I am confident in my cooking abilities when it comes to meats, potatoes and vegetables but pasta is just something my family doesn’t eat often, much less cook. I had never made ravioli before so adding the complexity of egg yolk to it was a bit much for me at nine years old. I am confident that if I could redo that challenge now, I would conquer it. It really wasn’t that hard, I think it was just the time pressure and knowing the other kids had been making ravioli their whole lives and I had never made it and I let that get in my head.

What was the biggest lesson you learned from being on MasterChef Junior?

I learned so many cooking tips and life lessons, not to mention how hot it is in a real professional kitchen! I guess the biggest lesson I learned is that you need to stay on your path and work hard and you can never ever give up and quit.

What do you want to do in food next?

I have lots of ambitions. Things that I love are cooking, traveling, meeting people and I love business. I’ve always been an entrepreneur. I started my own little business selling some of my specialties including hot sauce, spice rubs and sweet & spicy baked goods. I’m going to see where that leads while I finish school. Eventually I want to go to business school and afterward I plan to go to the best culinary school, hopefully in Europe. My ultimate dream would be to become a Texas version of Joe… I’m thinking Joe with a cowboy hat and boots and a lot more hair.