MasterChef Junior interview: Anthony Martino talks time in competition, future plans

This past Friday marked a very eventful episode of MasterChef Junior — over the course of the two hours five home cooks went home, and that included Anthony Martino. He had performed very well throughout the competition and made it all the way to the top nine. Unfortunately, he was sent home after a chocolate challenge that served as a reminder for just how tough the competition is at this point.

In the interview below Anthony discusses his time in the kitchen, what he learned the most, and how he’s proud of the final dish that he made during the chocolate challenge.

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

Anthony Martino – I’ve watched the show every season and it inspired me to want to try out.

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

My favorite moment was during the culture episode when Joe called me “Tony Clams”. The name has stuck and everyone calls me that now!

What’s been the reaction to you being on the show from your friends and family?

Everyone in my family is so proud of me. My school friends and a lot of other kids said they all want to learn to cook like me. I’ve received awards from my school and the Governor of NJ even called me! It’s really great to be such a positive role model.

What inspired you to make the pastry for the chocolate challenge?

I wanted to try something out of my comfort zone. I knew it was time to take a risk. I am not a baker but I do like cream puffs so I wanted to give it a try. I was proud of how they came out.

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

The biggest lesson I’ve learned was to follow your dreams & never give up. Also, I learned to make sure I put enough cream in my cream puffs next time!

What do you want to do in food next?

Right now, I would like to keep trying to make food from different cultures. I am Italian and enjoy cook Italian food the best though. I am hoping to go to Italy soon and maybe take a cooking class while I am there. When I graduate high school my goal is to get into a really good culinary school and maybe open my own Italian restaurant someday.

Related – Check out some interviews with other contestants from this season!

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