Gail Simmons: What’s in My Fridge?

July 15, 2013

When I’m filming Top Chef, my fridge is empty because I’m not around to fill it and my husband doesn’t! When I am home, though, there are a few things I always have stocked:

Two or three kinds of hot sauce (Sriracha, Harissa and Tabasco, usually)
Two kinds of mustard
A big piece of parmesan
Lots of lemons and limes
A bottle of champagne
A dozen eggs
Milk

Lastly, I always have a lot of fruits and veggies because when I cook for myself, I try to cook almost vegetarian — though I do cook with dairy. I eat so much rich food when I’m working and dining out that I like to keep it simple at home, especially in the summer. I’ll keep it simple and light with salads, grilled veggies and lots of whole grains.

Gail Simmons is a trained culinary expert, food writer, and dynamic television personality. Since the show’s inception in 2006, she has lent her extensive expertise as a permanent judge on Bravo’s Emmy-winning series Top Chef. Now entering its eleventh successful season, Top Chef is rated the #1 food show on cable television. Gail is also the new head critic on Top Chef Masters, airing this summer, and was previously host of Top Chef Just Desserts, Bravo’s pastry-focused spin-off of the Top Chef franchise.

Born and raised in Toronto, Canada, Gail moved to New York City in 1999 to attend culinary school at what is now the Institute of Culinary Education. She then trained in the kitchens of legendary Le Cirque 2000 and groundbreaking Vong restaurants, and worked for esteemed food critic Jeffrey Steingarten at Vogue. Gail joined Food & Wine in 2004 and directs special projects for the magazine, acting as liaison between the marketing and editorial teams on magazine events and chef-related initiatives, working closely with the country’s top culinary talent.

| The best piece of advice I ever got was: keep your mouth shut so you learn how to listen, but open it enough so you learn how to taste.