All Top Chef Interview with "Top Chef Just Desserts" Season 2 Chef Melissa Camacho

Tell us about your family.
I’m an only child and lived in Haiti until I was 18. We’re all close, but my creativity comes from my family. Also, my sassiness. My husband is also a chef, and fantastic, so he always understands what I go through. We just found out we’re pregnant, so maybe another chef on the way? Future cheftestant?

Where are you working now?
I had joined the team at ilili Restaurant just before leaving to film, so it felt great to dive into my job there after leaving LA. Working with Lebanese and Mediterranean flavors has been a great challenge, though nothing like Top Chef. It’s also been fun getting to know diners who watched the show, they’ve been so supportive!

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Thank you Chef Melissa!
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Bravo Exit Interviews - Craig Poirier and Melissa Camacho

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ATC Love to Chef Melissa Camacho

Chef Camacho had her ups and downs this season. Her highs were very high, but her lows...well, this week's was enough to get her eliminated. While her idea of creating "cactus" out of donuts with green glaze seemed fine, she wasn't able to produce a light and fluffy confection that would wow the judges. Her other dessert, whoopie pie sunflowers with chocolate leaves, was delicious, but unfortunately not enough to save her this week.

Chef Camacho - we loved your lively personality and are sorry to see you go! We wish you much success in the future.

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Congratulations, Team Amanda!

Amanda, Carlos, Melissa, Katzie, Megan, and Chris - you did a fantastic job with your dessert table for Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Lisa Vanderpump's restaurant party!  Your desserts and decor were impressively sophisticated, despite the rampant use of pink. ;)

Some of you are definitely looking like folks to beat. Will any of you make it to the top? We'll see!

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Meet the Pastry Chefs - Melissa Camacho

HOMETOWN: Port-au-Prince, Haiti
RESIDES: New York, NY
PROFESSION: Pastry Chef, ilili
CULINARY EDUCATION: Institute of Culinary Education
FAVORITE SIMPLE FALL DESSERT RECIPE: Classic apple pie with miso caramel and smoked vanilla ice cream.

Melissa was born and raised in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, before moving to New York City at the age of 18. She has loved baking ever since she was a young girl, and while in junior high, would make homemade caramels, candies and lollipops for her classmates. When she arrived in NYC, she attended the Institute of Culinary Education where she graduated with honors with a degree in Pastry Arts and Baking, and went on to work there after graduation. Before landing at ilili where she is currently the Pastry Chef, Melissa helped create the dessert menu at Stephen Starr’s acclaimed restaurant Buddakan and went on to help open Tipsy Parson. What Melissa loves about pastry is all the endless possibilities. She loves taking a classic dessert and giving it a unique and tasty twist. She has a weakness for Little Debbie oatmeal crème pies, and if she could have her last meal with anyone, it would be designer Diane von Furstenberg, and she would make her a strawberry and chocolate macaroon ice cream sandwich.

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