Despite making small strides in her culinary output, Sita, a culinary teacher from New York, was ultimately sent home after three weeks in the competition, as she failed to live up to the expectations of the dinner party challenge. Browse these photos to relive her time in the contest and see exclusive snapshots inside her journal.
In her first-ever pitch to mentors Bobby and Giada, as well as the other competitors, Sita spoke of her POV, which combined classic Italian and soul-food flavors. Her fellow rival Jay deemed her "fiery." Bobby told her, "You have really good energy." But Giada stressed, "I still don't really know what soul food and Italian together is."
A Greater Perspective
The premiere's Star Challenge took the finalists out of the kitchen and into the outdoors at Triunfo Creek Vineyards, which Sita couldn't help but marvel at. "If God created this incredible mountain, then surely he can get me through this food challenge! And he did," she wrote. She called her first-ever dish for the judges an "Italian Soul Mac n Cheese."
Of Early Anxiety
"Today is the 1st elimination day and I'm sure we're all antsy about which will be going home," Sita scrawled as she awaited premiere evaluation. Though Bob Tuschman noted her "earthy, generous, momma-in-the-kitchen quality" in her video presentation, her macaroni and cheese wasn't a hit. "The herby crunch topping overpowered any of the tastes below it," Bob admitted.
Dinner, Sita Style
It was all about transforming leftovers in Episode 2's Mentor Challenge, and while Sita struggled with the food portion of the presentation — "I don't think that this crossed the bridge into Alfredo," guest judge Melissa d'Arabian told her — she began her video on a high note. Unfortunately, however, that didn't last, as she suddenly stopped talking. "It's like I'm having an out-of-body experience," she explained.
Excited for More
"I'm ready to rock out more soulful dishes that Mama Sita is known for!" she jotted down, enthusiastic about what was to come.
Talking Points
In Episode 2's baking challenge, guest judge Alex Guarnaschelli said that Sita's cupcake-turned-shepherd's-pie tasted "like someone was constrained by a certain set of ingredients," and unfortunately Sita's presentation didn't help her in that round. "Wow, that girl can talk," Giada said of Sita's lengthy explanations.
Important Plate
"My redemption is truly riding on this dish," Sita explained going into the Week 3 Mentor Challenge, which tasked the finalists with focusing on photoworthy eats in an effort to keep up with social media trends.
Critical Miss
While Sita's chicken and waffles on a stick was indeed one of the eight dishes the mentors chose to taste, they weren't pleased with its inconsistency: Bobby's plate featured some of the sauce, but Giada's did not, though she was able to sample Bobby's. "It makes a world of a difference with the sauce," Giada explained. "The chicken is just dry."
Focus on Funk
For Sita, it was all about the need for smell in the dinner party challenge, as she was tasked with bringing stink to her entree. While Bobby and Giada, as well as guest judges Sunny Anderson and Geoffrey Zakarian, found the dish to be one of the strongest on the team, they were quick to note that it wasn't stinky.
Go, Team, Go
"We rocked it!" Sita wrote, proud of her team. The ladies delivered a sensually themed performance, with Sita calling it "a classy sassy presentation." The judges, too, were pleased with their decision, as Sunny told the group at evaluation, "You guys did a really good job of theming out your meal for us."
This Is It
Well-aware of the all-or-nothing nature of this challenge, Sita admitted, "I need this win to stay in the game." Unfortunately, though, her presentation fell short. "You mentioned heart and soul a lot, but I didn't feel the plate had a lot of heart and soul on it," Sunny told her.
Sita's Farewell
After a three-week quest for Stardom, Sita said goodbye to the competition after a hard-fought journey. She reflected on the experience, "I'm disappointed because Bobby and Giada will never get a chance to taste what Sita can really do."
One-on-One with Sita
Hear from Sita in her first exclusive exit interview to learn her thoughts on the contest and what's next.
Go Behind the Scenes
Get an insider's look at the making of the show, and see how the cast spends its time between takes.
