Christopher Jackson
Age: 35
Executive Chef and Owner Ted and Honey
Cobble Hill, Brooklyn
My passion is cooking. I was always willing to do whatever it took to open my own restaurant and cook what I want in it. And it hasn't been easy. I lived in a tent for 4 months in New Orleans because I didn't have money and I wanted to work for a chef. But I worked my way up from the bottom and now, I make all my food from scratch. I make my own mustard, ketchup and mayo. I am highly competitive and always do my best. I guess you'll see what I am made of?
Klaus Kronsteiner
Age: 44
Chef de Cuisine at Liberty National Golf Course
New Jersey
I'm 44-years-old and I'm the Chef de Cuisine at Liberty National Golf Course outside of New York City. I was born in Austria and came to America while playing in a German Oompa band. I always thought I'd be a rock star or a ski racer, but I got a wife and therefore needed to get a job and fell into cooking. My culinary point of view is pretty straightforward: I just use the freshest ingredients. I call my kitchen a rainbow kitchen because I need to cook whatever the club members want, when they want it. Professional cooking is a team sport, and I'm the captain of my team. I'm crazy when I cook and there's never any reason for anyone but me to be talking. I am going to win because I am going to fight until I win.
WINNER!: Pippa Calland
Age: 43
Owner/Chef – Chef for Hire
Newville, Pa.
I'm 43-years-old and I'm the owner of Chef for Hire in Central Pa. My mother took me to numerous three star NYC restaurants when I was a kid and I've loved food ever since. After pulling years and years of 14 hour days in high-profile New York City restaurants, I moved to Pennsylvania and started my own company. I didn't want to be a general caterer — I don't do cold cut platters. What I create is as much for me as it is for my clients. I work with seasonal and local ingredients and maintain the integrity of each ingredient in my dishes. My nickname is "The Terminator" because I don't stand for nonsense and I'm very demanding. I always want everything to be just right. I'm a hedonistic, centralist chef. I expect to win. I want to showcase my ability to create something beautiful.
Raymond Jackson
Age: 38
Private Caterer and Instructor
Westchester County, N.Y.
I'm a private caterer and instructor in Westchester, New York. I grew up in Memphis, Tennessee watching the Frugal Gourmet and Julia Child and couldn't wait to get in the kitchen. My culinary style is what I like to call "luxurious peasant." I like to use expensive ingredients to cook traditional southern dishes. I have no problem holding hands and guiding people in the kitchen. I'm going to win because I love what I do and care about food. Chef Norman Van Aken once said, "You don't choose this business, the business chooses you." I know I'm a chosen one.
