Gail Simmons on Paying Tribute to 'Willy Wonka,' Sweet 'Desserts' and 'Top Chef Texas'

Filed under: TV Previews, Celebrity Interviews

'Top Chef: Just Desserts' is not a new show. However, Season 2 feels like a completely different program compared to the first season. Nobody can attest to that more than 'Just Desserts' host Gail Simmons.

"The first season of a show, you want to test the waters and it's always a bit of an experiment to see what works and what doesn't," Simmons told AOL TV. "I think, as with 'Top Chef' the original show, we learned that we wanted to up the ante every season and that's what we did."

Compared to last season's wide array of dessert makers -- from more basic bakers to quirky pastry chefs -- Simmons said the Season 2 contestants are more focused, high-level pastry chefs.

"It's not so much about getting desserts onto a plate, or plating desserts," she said. "It's about constructing imaginative masterpieces that are edible. So it's much more architectural and it's really about the highest level of skill that a pastry chef requires. So much more than just a piece of cake."

On this week's episode (Wed., Sept. 14, 10PM ET on Bravo), 'Top Chef: Just Desserts' pays tribute to 'Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory,' something Simmons said got quite emotional.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

David Archuleta Portia de Rossi Tori Spelling David Letterman