Chopped Competitors (Octopus, Duck, Animal Crackers)

Age: 21
Executive Pastry Chef – Olana Restaurant
New York, N.Y.

At 21-years-old I'm the pastry chef at Olana restaurant in New York City. I attended the French Culinary Institute and immediately got the toughest job of my life working at Bouley restaurant — the most prestigious restaurant in NYC. My mother is very proud of me. I decided to become a pastry chef because I wanted to go home smelling like chocolate every day. Every once in a while, I'll hop on the fish or meat station to brush up my skills, even though my boss hates it. I may be young and look nice, but there is no way any chef is going to steamroll over me!

Age: 28
Cook
New York, N.Y.

I'm 28-years-old and I'm a chef at Bar Blanc in New York City, where we serve French/New American cuisine. I'm a musician, but I always thought being a chef would give me more stability. That's why I decided on culinary school over music school. My father was a restaurateur so I started washing dishes when I was 12 at family owned restaurants and worked my way up from there. I really love spicy food. My food has a lot of zip and pop. I try to keep the kitchen lighthearted, but I also like my kitchen to be a little like the army — yes sir, no sir. It's always fun to put a ton of vinegar in your buddy's water and watch him react, but not when you have to be serious and working. I bring a lot to the table with my cooking abilities and the heart and love I put into my food. I've cooked for some high-end heavy hitters and they really loved my food. And these guys have eaten everywhere — from the best of the best.

Age: 54
Chef – Union Theological Seminary
New York, N.Y.

I'm 54-years-old and I'm a chef at the Union Theological Seminary — Praise the Lord and pass the biscuits! We run the kitchen there and do catering for everyone from Liza Manelli to Barack Obama. After stints at every kind of kitchen you could imagine — including the Cowgirl Hall of Fame — I moved to NYC with only a one-way ticket and my last unemployment check. My food is Texas-French, which I'm not even sure is a category! I'll take a traditional Southern dish like deviled eggs and add caviar and capers to it. I manage my kitchen by comedy. My grandmother once told me you attract a lot more flies with honey than vinegar. I was born with a knife in both hands. I never went to culinary school, but I have 30 years of experience. I know some tricks they ain't seen before. Whatever you give me in that basket, I'll come up with something fun and win everybody over.

Age: 29
Private Chef and Nutrition Coach
New York, N.Y.

As a private chef and nutrition coach, my life is all about health. I dabbled in office jobs, dancing and comedy before deciding that I could make my love of food into my profession. My culinary perspective is focused on health. I'm all about holistic, natural, no preservatives, natural sugars, no chemicals. I do vegetarian and vegan food really well but usually I cook anything my client wants, including meat. I thrive under pressure and get into some calming trance when I'm cooking. I'd say I'm crazily, unhealthily competitive, yet can be the comic relief in the kitchen. I want my food to be the best!