Interview: Gail Simmons
Danielle Cantor for JW magazine, Spring 2011
The 34-year-old host of Bravo’s spin-off Top Chef: Just Desserts gets to taste, examine and judge every conceivable kind of pastry on what is arguably America’s most mouthwatering reality competition.
Before she was a TV food critic—starting as a judge on the original Top Chef and on Top Chef Masters—the Toronto native began writing restaurant reviews in Canada, then moved to New York City to attend culinary school. There, Simmons trained in several legendary restaurants; worked for esteemed food critic Jeffrey Steingarten at Vogue; managed special events for Chef Daniel Boulud’s restaurant empire; and ultimately landed at Food & Wine magazine in 2004, where she is still overseeing special projects like the annual Food & Wine Classic in Aspen.
Simmons is widely and frequently featured in magazines, on television and at fine culinary festivals nationwide. She was also chosen as one of The Forward’s 2010 Forward 50. Her memoir, Talking With My Mouth Full, will be published by Hyperion in early 2012.
What’s in your fridge at home?
It depends on the time of year. I travel probably four to five months of the year these days, so there are long periods when there’s very little in my fridge. But I can tell you that there’s always a good bottle of Champagne, a big hunk of Parmesan cheese, at least three different kinds of mustard, and harissa. And if I’m home and have time to cook, I fill the fridge with as many fresh fruits and vegetables as I can, depending on the season.
You told E! Online that “[Pastry chefs] are a totally different brain—a totally different species, almost.” How are they different than chefs?
When you’re making pastry, you don’t have the luxury of tasting as you go, so you don’t have the ability to improvise as much. It always has to be planned in advance. Before you make a batter or a dough and put it in the oven, you have to make sure your ratios are exactly right. So pastry chefs have to be far more patient, more precise; they’re incredibly meticulous, down to the microgram. They’re much more scientist than an artist. The finished product looks more like art, but you have to have a strong foundation in science and chemistry.
Sweets can be divisive, with preferences for creamy or tangy or doughy or nutty. Do you have a favorite genre of dessert, and is it hard to push your own preferences aside when you judge?
I don’t have a favorite, although I’m certainly a big chocolate fan—everything in that family, which I think of as caramel and coffee. Rich, strong flavors. But it’s not hard to push those preferences aside. You’d think that deliciousness is subjective, but it’s not. I can always tell if something is made well and the result is pleasing and balanced. There is a certain level of objectivity and science that goes into judging.
Do you ever tire of eating sugar?
I certainly take breaks, but in the long run, no. I wouldn’t do this job if it wasn’t something I was fully behind.
What have you learned about food since you started working as a culinary judge?
I’ve been working in the industry for 15 years and I learn every single day. That’s what I love about it. There’s always something I’ve never tried, always a chef who can teach me something. I’m lucky to work alongside some of the most gifted people in this industry. I’ve worked with some of the greatest pastry chefs, who teach me not just how to make pastry but how to eat it and appreciate it. I think of myself as a translator between the chef and the everyday person who wants to know how they do their magic. Right now I’m in the Cayman Islands for the Cayman Cookout with Eric Ripert. And just yesterday, a local food lover was doing a cooking segment with me and he pulled out a wing bean—something I’d never seen before. It was so exciting to see an ingredient I’d never experienced. I learn every single day; there’s always more to taste.
Can you empathize with the competitors on your show and imagine being on the other side of the judging table?
I do think I can empathize. Long before I was a judge, I went to culinary school, and I worked as a line cook for some great chefs. I don’t think I could do this job if I hadn’t had that job. I’ve felt that pressure. I understand what it’s like to be in the heat of dinner service and something goes wrong and you have three minutes to figure it out. I would never consider myself a professional chef, but I can understand their passion.
How do you manage to keep your weight steady while you’re eating carbs and sugar all day?
It doesn’t stay totally steady. But we learn to taste—you never need to finish your plate. You have two or three bites of everything in front of you, and that’s it. You also learn to adjust your eating habits accordingly; I’ll eat a good breakfast and then wait awhile if I know I’ll be eating more later in the day. And exercise is important. There’s no secret about it. I run on the treadmill; I stay active. My husband and I like to exercise together. I always say if I didn’t live in New York City I’d weigh 10 pounds more, because I don’t have a car and I walk everywhere. But if I have to hit the gym a little extra, it’s a small price to pay to be able to do my job.
Did moving your career to television change the way you see yourself?
Well, I have to look at myself a lot more. I didn’t plan to be on television; it happened organically. And sure, you pay attention to a lot of physical details you wouldn’t otherwise. It taught me how to speak differently, how to project myself. I’ve developed a bad shoe habit. You certainly have to be more self-conscious when people are watching you, commenting on your hair and your clothes. I can understand how actors and actresses can become self-conscious. It’s also given me a certain confidence that I don’t need to listen to the chatter out there. I have great friends and family to remind me that it’s not the most important thing in life. I still go to my day job at Food & Wine magazine every day.
Do you read—or care—what bloggers and journalists write about you?
It depends who they are. There are a billion of them. If I had a nickel for every person who started a blog and wanted to write about other people, I’d be a rich woman. I care about publications that I respect; I care about food writers who are writing for the right reasons, with objectivity and understanding of what we’re trying to do. I read less of the bloggy stuff these days, because I don’t have time, and it’s not always productive. But I am interested in people who share my passion, so I want to keep up on everything.
What is your favorite ingredient for each season?
I think I’ll have to name a fruit and a vegetable. It’s hard to narrow it down. For fall, mushrooms and pears. For winter, kale and squash. And citrus—I love grapefruit in winter. For spring, peas and ramps and strawberries. And in summer, corn and peaches.
Do you think growing up in a Jewish household gave you a closer relationship to food? Did it influence your career choice?
I grew up in a traditional Conservative Jewish home, and food certainly played a major role. At holidays and every Friday night we ate a lot of traditional foods, and I was excited to make them with my mother, to learn them and to pass them on. I still make them today. My mother is an amazing cook; she ran a cooking school out of our house and was a food writer herself. That influenced my career choice. We ate well and ate together, and holidays always were, and are, important times.
What are your most memorable family recipes?
Easily my mother’s latkes, which she says are my Aunt Sue’s recipe. They were always the exact same every year, and it’s the exact same recipe I use today. My father makes the most amazing applesauce, so we always eat them together—the perfect marriage. My mother makes the best haroset; it’s more chunky and sweet and wonderful. Brisket. Chicken soup. I love kasha varnishkes. My grandmother made amazing cabbage rolls. My mother makes killer chopped liver.
Is there anything Canada has to offer in the culinary arena that the U.S. does not?
Canada is such an incredible country in terms of the expanse of land and farming. From seafood to beef to peaches in the summer, and Ontario corn. Ice wine is special in Canada. Game is done really well in Canada—venison, pheasant, buffalo. It’s about freshness, and all over Canada you have access to such great produce. Maple syrup is one of my favorite ingredients ever. And then of course there’s poutine, one of the greatest junk foods ever: French fries with gravy and fresh cheese curd.
Can you get a good bagel in Canada?
The only bagels, I believe, are in Montreal. Nowhere else compares to Montreal. I don’t live in New York for the bagels; I’m Canadian first. Montreal bagels are denser, much smaller; they have no salt and usually just sesame seeds. They come in regular and whole wheat—that’s it.
Dessert is a celebratory ritual almost by definition. How did you celebrate when you got your own show about desserts?
I think when I found out I was hosting Just Desserts, I celebrated by stopping eating dessert for a while, because I knew I’d have to eat it hours a day for weeks on end. But you’re right—there’s no major milestone in anyone’s life that doesn’t have a cake or other celebratory dessert. When the show was done, we had some amazing pastry chefs on hand and made some incredible desserts. And of course, always Champagne to drink with it.