Cooking is an art. Delicious cooking needs the successful teamwork of all our five senses. Our senses need to be tuned into a perfect rhythm to result in fine culinary artistic recipes. Christine, the winner of the competitive amateur cooking television show, “MasterChef” Season 3, amazed the world by her extraordinary culinary creativity and plating. Even the absence of sight, one of the most important senses, she defeated over 30,000 home cooks across America and proudly became first blind contestant to win the “MasterChef” title. Her first cookbook, Recipes From My Home Kitchen: Asian and American Comfort Food was a New York Times best seller. Christine has numerous achievement including the prestigious Helen Keller Personal Achievement Award at 2014.

Can you tell us more about your experience and challenges at Master Chef cooking show? Did you ever imagine that you would win? Do you remember any funny comment you received from the judges?C: MasterChef was one of the most exciting yet stressful experiences of my life. I never thought I would even last past the initial top 100 auditions, let alone win the whole thing. I remember in one instance, during the team challenge when we had to cook in the kitchen of Hatfield, an acclaimed restaurant in L.A. It was three of us girls against three of the guys. Gordon Ramsay called Becky, Monti, and me over to the pass window to yell at us for something, and then when he was done, I said, “Chef, may I go back into the kitchen?” And Gordon said, “Christine! You’re already IN the kitchen!” I laughed then, and I could tell he was trying not to laugh, too, especially because he’d just lectured us. It was funny because it was a poke at my vision impairment.

According to you what is the most important factor for good cooking? Did you take any formal training for cooking? Which of your mom’s recipes do you love the most?C: MasterChef is a competition for amateur home cooks, so no, I did not have any formal culinary training, and I still haven’t had any to this date. I think the most important elements of being a successful chef is to: (1) eat everything, taste everything; (2) travel everywhere in order to accomplish #1; and (3) don’t be afraid to make mistakes in the kitchen. Also, I think it’s important to understand that food can be very subjective in nature: what I like may be disliked by others, and vice versa. But believe in what you cook and be proud of what you serve. Like with all art, your creation may not be for everyone, but it WILL be for someone. Some of the most memorable dishes my mother cooked were the braised pork belly that I made in the finale, her pho (beef noodle soup), and egg rolls (the recipe can be found in my cookbook).

If you are asked to cook something out of your comfort zone, what will be your first step to execute the recipe? How much innovation do you usually like to put into cooking?C: I would think about other dishes I know from which I could transfer knowledge. What’s a similar dish or similar technique from which I could apply?That’s why I think it’s important to keep learning and try to have a wide breadth of culinary knowledge. If it’s my first time cooking a dish, I like to cook the traditional version first so I can get a good understanding of how the dish is supposed to taste. After that, I will apply my own unique spin on the dish to modernize, elevate, or make it according to my own preference. Innovation can only happen after you master the tradition first. It’s the same rule that applies to writing: you can break the rules once you know and understand them first.

What is your favorite dish? What is your least favorite recipe and why?C: I don’t have a favorite dish to cook. I am happiest when trying something new in my kitchen. I am still learning, and will forever be learning. Some of my favorite foods to eat, though, are sushi, French fries, pizza, southern fried chicken, my egg rolls, and noodle soup. I am not a fan of cooked salmon.

Who is your favorite celebrity chef? Which of his/her cooking technique would you like to follow and why?C:  I don’t really have a favorite celebrity chef, but I admire many for different reasons. I like Jamie Oliver for his clean, simple recipes, Alton Brown for his scientific knowledge behind cooking, David Chang for the Momofuku empire he’s managed to build, Stephanie Izard of Girl and the Goat for her culinary creativity, Carl Heinrich who is my co-host on “Four Senses” for his food philosophy. The cooks I most admire, though, are the home cooks, the ones with generations of tradition behind them—I find those most interesting.

How many cooking shows have you judged so far? What is the best recipe you have ever tasted while judging?C:  I’ve been a guest judge on two seasons of MasterChef U.S. and a guest judge on two seasons of MasterChef Vietnam, and then a full-fledged judge of season 3 of MasterChef Vietnam. One of the most memorable dishes I tasted while judging was during a team challenge on MasterChef Vietnam season 3 when the two teams of two had to recreate a Singaporean menu after visiting the hawker stalls in Singapore. One team recreated some amazing fish that was perfectly cooked in a light broth. I remember the presentation was simple, too, but it really could’ve come out of a professional kitchen. I was blown away by the skill level.

What is your favorite place to visit? What do you love about that place?C:  Much like my philosophy with cooking, I thrive on new experiences, so I love to travel to new places. That being said, some of my favorite places I’ve visited include:

• Vietnam because the culture is so different from what I’m used to having been born and raised in America, yet it’s so familiar because I’m a first-generation Vietnamese-American, and there’s so much delicious food.
• Japan for its careful preservation of culture and tradition. Plus I love how the Japanese are so efficient in everything they do from transportation to queuing up to serving ramen.. I also admire their artisanal nature.
• Paris for just being French, where great culinary minds were born
• Barcelona because of their laid-back Latin attitude and wonderful seafood
• Canada—it’s familiar like America and very friendly, and yet there are lots of European influences
• New York City for the food—you can find just about everything in the world here
• L.A. because that’s where I was born—I love the weather and the relaxed beach culture

What are your other hobbies?C: Traveling, reading, taking in the arts (whether in the form of music, film, television, books, etc.), trying new foods and restaurants, learning about cocktail culture.

What is your favorite restaurant? What do you prefer home food or restaurant food?C: I don’t have a favorite restaurant, and I love eating both restaurant food and home-cooked food because both have their place in this world. I guess if I absolutely had to choose, you learn more about a region and culture if you eat in someones home.

Any special message for our community?C: Don’t be afraid to dream big. Everyone in life is dealt a different hand, but it’s how you play that hand that determines your character and outlook on life. We all are a lot stronger than we give ourselves credit for; it’s often just a matter of surrounding ourselves with the right people and community, being proactive in seeking out support and resources, and figuring out creative solutions in order to adapt accordingly.