Chef Sally Camacho-Mueller, former “Top Chef: Just Desserts” finalist, sat down with #SoJannelleTV and shared stories of her passion for cooking and baking, competition, and struggles in the kitchen as a Filipina and as a female.
Chef Sally fondly remembered her first taste of competing in 2002, taking part in the first all-female pastry team to compete in the National Pastry Team Championship. She mentions that it’s when she got the “bug” for competing, before taking the gold at various competitions like the Culinary Olympics in Germany, the prestigious C3 Valrhona, and C3 Valrhona World, representing the US.
Originally trained in savory, she initially wanted to become a chef at a restaurant, before falling head over heels with pastry. She knew she had a knack for cooking, but following the pastry route made her push her limits.
Being a minority and female in a male-dominated field also came with its challenges. Chef Sally recalled instances where she had to demand presence despite having a leadership position. Even though she made peace with the fact that people are going to look at her differently, she grew persistent and later, successful at proving those naysayers wrong.
Her golden advice: stay focused and stay passionate! #SoBold
This episode is aired on SoJannelleTV as seen on the following channels:
Sunday, 4:30pm – 5:00pm PT (7:30pm ET) on TFC @kapamilyatfc
Monday, 6:00pm PT on KNET Channel 25.1 (Southern CA)
Saturday, 7:30pm – 8:00pm PT (10:30pm ET) on ANC
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