Stefan: No Regrets

Bravotv.com: OK, cook the meal of your life: What was the inspiration behind each dish?
There are some issues with cooking the meal of your life. There was not enough time to produce the meal of your life. The kitchen is not yours and the produce and proteins are not the ones you were thinking all along. And they give you four-inch plates to plate it on. I truly believe, if you ask Hosea or Carla they would answer the same.

Bravotv.com: Did you know before you came what you would cook?
I had no idea what i was going to cook. Top Chef is different then anything I have ever done before and like you have seen last night alligator. Ha! We don't have alligators in Finland, Germany, or anywhere else i have lived. Oops!I had one as a child, but it was rubber.

Bravotv.com: Of course there was a twist (there always is), were you kicking yourself that you let Hosea choose his knife before you?
No — why would I kick myself? He is a great guy. I thought I was just beeing respectful and let him pull first.

Bravotv.com: Were you worried about cooking the alligator?
Did I look worried? I swear when I cut the tail off, the meat looked like seabass, tasted like chicken, crumbled like tuna, and the skin could be a purse or a pair of Fabio's shoes.

Bravotv.com: Were you happy you got Marcel to help you? How much influence did he have on the meal?

It was my meal and not Marcel's meal. I picked Marcel because I looked in Carla's eyes and she was freaked out if she would have been paired up with Marcel. And let me tell you one thing, and that is to all the Marcel haters out here that he is maybe a little wierd sometimes but the guy can cook and I'm happy I had him as a sous-chef. Thank you Marcel.Bravotv.com: What did you think of the other chefs’ menus?
Can't really say but believe me we all could have cooked a much sexier meal.

Bravotv.com: What was it like cooking for that table of esteemed chefs and others?
All season we have cooked for people I respect and admire and that just made everybody's day.

Bravotv.com: You and Hosea got into a bit of a scuffle over the foie gras, etc. What happened?
The problem with the foie gras was that he took all of them and I said it would be nice to share some of the proteins.

Bravotv.com: Do you actually like Hosea because sometimes you seem actually kind of playful.
I love Hosea. He is a sweet guy and I can't wait to kick his ass skiing or do a cook-off in his restaurant. Hosea, get ready for Boulder mid-March and get all the things ready we have talked about.

Bravotv.com: Did you agree with the judges’ comments about your dishes?

Can you disagree?? We all know how that goes sometimes. Ha!Bravotv.com: They seemed really stuck on your dessert. Do you wish you had done something different?
Honestly when I walk in a kitchen and I see four-inch plates I'm f---ed off, lost my creativity. I was bored by Top Chef in the last episode.

Bravotv.com: What went through your mind when they announced Hosea’s name instead of yours?
I was happy for him. He deserved it. He made one better dish. I won 10 challanges and people will always remember that. The winner gets a 100K egg. The runner up lays eggs. That is a Richard Blais saying. Thank you Richard. Cockychefclothing.com and my book Dirty Dishes will be coming out in May.

Bravotv.com: How would you describe your experience overall? Would you do it over again?
If you tell me today to go right now and do it again, I would say absolutely NOT. But ask me again in a few months when everything is relaxed, absolutlely. I had a great time on TC5. The peeps I met were fun and I made great friends.

Bravotv.com: What was your best/worst moments from the season?
Best Moment on TC5 besides all the great chefs I have met: I got to talk to Padma and Gail after the finale and shook Tom's hand.

And no regrets — hold on, I have one: My WORLD DOG was great. Ha!

Thank you to all of my fans and friends and TC cast, producers, sound guys, PAs, camera guys and the last but not least HOGAN the man (TUI DIRTY PEOPLE ). That is an inside joke. Thank you to Bravo, the Elves and whomever else wants a thank you.