Marc Forgione's Advice to the New Iron Chef Contestants

By: Sarah De Heer
marc forgione

The countdown to the premiere of Next Iron Chef has officially begun (Sunday, October 30) and who better to kick it off than season three winner Marc Forgione? Nobody knows the stresses of the competition better than he does and with 10 new super-chefs lined up for season four, we asked Marc to share his lessons learned with the new contestants.

1. Do not underestimate any of your competitors.

2. Taste your food.  Sometimes, in the heat of battle, you get caught up in the craziness and forget the basics like tasting your food.

3. Be fair.  If you need a small amount of parsley, take a little and leave the rest for the others.If you're going to win, you want it to be because you're the best, not because somebody didn't have something.  Plus, it's good karma.

4. Don't cut yourself. A cut really sets you back when time is of the essence.

5. Follow your gut.  When the battle begins, your first instinct is usually the right one. I never second-guessed anything I thought of last season. You need to trust yourself.

Marc Forgione competed on and won season three of The Next Iron Chef in 2010, beating out some of the country’s top chefs for the ultimate culinary title – Iron Chef. Chef Forgione began his career at the age of 16, joining his father, culinary legend Larry Forgione in the kitchen. Years later, he opened up Restaurant Marc Forgione in the New York City neighborhood Tribeca, which has received a two-star review from the New York Times.

Keep Reading About Next Iron Chef:

  • The Complete List of Season Four's All-Star Chefs

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