Talent alone can take you only so far. Same thing goes for hard work. But put them together and you’re practically unstoppable. Chef Tiffany Derry, the subject of my latest USA Character Approved Blog post, proves that.
Some time ago, I went to see Anthony Bourdain do a reading from his then new book, Medium Raw. Seated next to me was a young woman very excited to be seeing him speak. We had a long wait and so struck up a conversation that took the usual “and what do you do” path. She was a student at one of the pricier private universities in Chicago. She had just switched her major to something writing related that wasn’t actually journalism plus some culinary stuff (I wept inwardly for her parents).
When I asked what she wanted to do, she pointed at Bourdain’s picture on the cover of the book I was holding and said, “What he does.” Being both a parent and a former teacher, I launched into talking about things she could do, such as starting a food blog to develop her writing chops and build a portfolio. She was polite, but less than enthusiastic. Turns out she didn’t actually want to write—she wanted to be paid to be on TV, travel to exotic places and eat cool food. You know, what Bourdain does. Only without all the years of insane long hours in the kitchen—or at a laptop, for that matter.
Tiffany Derry’s approach to work and life is the polar opposite. Working in the kitchen of the International House of Pancakes in her hometown of Beaumont, Texas at the age of 15 was what made her decide she wanted a career in food. To pursue it, she first worked her way through IHOP’s kitchen, ultimately becoming the youngest manager in company’s history. Then she paid her way through culinary school by winning cooking competitions, a testament both to her talent and her work ethic.
Yes, Derry has had some lucky breaks along the way. Being cast on the seventh season of Bravo’s Top Chef, for instance. I’m guessing hard work and talent had something to do with that too. Ditto for her being invited back for Top Chef All-Stars the very next season.
To see where all this has taken Derry, check out my latest post on the USA Character Approved Blog, as we continue our month-long celebration of Black History Month.
She was one of my favourite contestants on Top Chef. Her food looked simple enough and yet complex at the same time and most importantly she seemed much more pleasant than the other contestants!
Amrita—I’ve been slow on keeping up with comments lately. Thanks for adding your voice here. You’re right, Tiffany’s personality was one thing that made her a fan favorite. Of course, cooking interesting, approachable food doesn’t hurt either!