Spotlight on: Eli Kirshtein

epicure: What is it really like behind the scenes of Top Chef?
Eli Kirshtein: It’s really bizarre! I was totally disconnected from my friends and family and found myself in a whole different world. It was a constantly hyper-competitive environment with a roomful of strangers but it allowed me to focus a hundred percent on the one thing I love the most—food. Many people didn’t like the way they came off after the show had been edited but the reality is that you say what you say, and you do what you do.  You can’t blame other people for how else you come across.

What was your lowest point on Top Chef?
It was the elimination challenge in episode seven where my teammate Ashley Merriman went home. We were teamed up in a blind draw and received random ingredients from dinner guests who are noted chefs. We made Grilled Spot Prawns with Red Beet Creme Fraiche Sauce, Gnocchi and Kale but lost to Jennifer and Kevin who served a BBQ Kobe Beef with Cardamom, Tomato and Ginger Broth. I didn’t mind losing but we were in it together and Ashley just happened to take the sharp end of the knife. I felt really guilty about that for a long time.

Do you think Michael Voltaggio deserved to win?
Yes. Any of the chefs could have won on any given day and Michael simply had the best meal during that final challenge. He made elaborate dishes such as Dashi-glazed Rockfish with Sweet and Sour Crab Salad and Meyer Lemon, Fennel-scented Squab Breast, Pistachio Cassoulet and Textures of Mushrooms with much finesse. He is a very deserving winner.

Did growing up in Georgia (Atlanta) hinder or spark your culinary path?
Coming from Georgia was a tremendous opportunity for me. The city’s cuisine is a fusion of many distinct influences, some from West Africa and some Native American. Foods like fried green tomatoes, peach cobbler, grits and catfish can only be found in the south and serve as great inspiration for many warm, hospitable dishes. Many people look to big cities for spark but I feel like you really can find it anywhere, you just have to know where to look.

Tell us more about your feature in a Marvel digital comic as the chef that helped Spider Man with his culinary expertise.
C.B. Cebulski, the senior vice president of creator and content development at Marvel Comics is a huge foodie. He and I had become good friends, and when out having drinks one night I suggested the idea of being in a comic to him. The more we explored the similarities between art and food worlds, the more we discovered overlapping connections between chefs and comics, especially on a creative level. He loved it and we just made it happen!

5 things you didn’t know about Eli Kirshtein:

If I had to go back on Top Chef, I would:
Train a lot harder and get more mentally prepared.

My favourite judge on the show:
Tom Colicchio and Gail Simmons.

The creation I am most proud of:
Devising entire menus. Most cooks can come up with one great dish; a whole menu is about creating many.

One piece of advice I would offer to future contestants:
Know you are going to be under great deal of stress and honestly ask yourself whether you can handle that tremendous load of pressure before you decide to embark on the show.

On life after Top Chef:
I have returned to my hometown of Atlanta and I’m working on opening my restaurant by the end of the year.