©Marianne Jackson

As a catering chef, I have cooked in all kinds of kitchens, with all kinds of equipment, and nevertheless, it is always expected that I will deliver great tasting food on a pretty plate at an appetizing temperature. In catering, there are no constants. Things are always different and often unexpected. If there is any one thing that catering has taught me, it is how to cook anywhere.

When the show this week asked us whether we could cook anywhere, I know a lot of the other cheftestants didn’t expect that to mean over a fire pit in the middle of the desert. We’d been told we would be spending a night on the ranch and that we’d have to cook a high-end lunch for the ranchers. Thinking back to it, I have to chuckle; so many people were really thrown by the change of scenery. I was okay with the plan, but I know I was one of the few who didn’t find the cooking environment and the sleeping arrangement outrageous. Having lived on a ranch in Colorado years ago, I had an inkling of what to expect and the possibility of outdoor cooking had occurred to me. I realize now how that early experience adapting to a rustic ranch kitchen prepared me well for catering, and more recently, this challenge.

I enjoy camping too, so the teepee wasn’t a deal breaker either. I was honestly happy to get out of Las Vegas, if only for a night. It was canned beer and s’mores around the campfire and then off to bed for me. Desert wind had those teepees flapping around noisily, and I don’t think anyone slept very well, happy campers or not. By morning, the wind had subsided considerably and we awoke to a cool morning and beautiful sunrise. We were able to enjoy the moment only briefly before the sun rose over the hills and cool turned to sweltering. The heat of the challenge was on.

I’ve done a lot of cooking over a fire pit and in an outdoor setting, but the 90 minute time limit was a challenge. Working quickly in that heat tested my strength as a chef and a person. When our time started, I immediately transplanted my station out of the pavilion and out near the fire to escape the chaos that was overtaking some of the other chefs. I also wanted to be near the grill so I could incorporate its charms as much as possible into my meal. Once again, I was thinking of the guests (I can’t seem to stop doing that) and found inspiration in hearty staples with southwestern flavors: corn, tomatillos, potatoes and fish, all cooked over an open flame. The potatoes finished in the nick of time and I dressed them with lime sour cream, bacon and scallions.

We served the ranchers and judges, brushed off the dust and packed up to head back to…judges’ table. Nothing ends an exhausting day quite like judges’ table. But I am my best judge, and I knew I delivered with this challenge. It felt great, as the only caterer this season, to finally finish in the top.

Catering can sometimes be looked down upon by restaurant chefs, but I had a definite advantage in this case. At its core, catering is adapting. You cater to each situation by adapting the menu, the preparation and the service while maintaining the integrity of the food. At the end of the day, can I cook anywhere? I can now say with near certainty, yes.