Sometimes too many cooks in the kitchen can be a bad thing. But for former Top Chef contestant Casey Thompson, it was the experience of a  lifetime.

I recently had the pleasure of getting to know one of the Bay Area’s most talented personal chefs who, it just so happens, cut her teeth at the Mansion on Turtle Creek in Dallas.

KM: When did you realize you wanted to pursue a career as a chef?

CT: Strong family influence. I was definitely pushed toward having a deep love for food and wine. My family is mostly from France. We always pulled out our best china and made different dishes. We would have things like venison and leg of lamb for Thanksgiving. My grandmother always encouraged me and I was about 20 when I realized I was going to make a career out of this. I was interested before becoming a chef was trendy and de rigueur.

KM: What was the best meal you ever had?

CT: The best was a last-minute reservation at Michael Mina in San Francisco. We came in as the restaurant was closing and were the only table in the restaurant and they treated us like we were royalty.

KM: What is your secret ingredient?

CT: Hot sauce and lemon juice. Lemon juice brightens things and lighten things like sauces and salads.

KM: Who has been the greatest inspiration in your life?

CT: My grandmother and Dean Fearing who was the former chef who helmed the kitchen at the Mansion on Turtle Creek for years and left to open his eponymous restaurant at the Ritz in Dallas. He hired me at Mansion. I had no kitchen experience. He gave me my chance. He’s regarded as THE chef of the southwest and is incredibly creative with things like venison and quail. He would season sauces with maple, jalapeno, cilantro. Growing up through the ranks of his restaurant was so memorable. He would go around to every single person in the kitchen and shake their hand or give them a hug no matter who it was – from the sous chef to the dishwasher – every single day. There was this ever-present camaradery.

KM: How did you end up on Top Chef?

CT: I had never seen the show. A lot of the servers had seen it. There was a rumor going around that they were in town auditioning chefs for the third season and everyone thought I should do it. I had no interest and they came to me and convinced me. I put up a fight but am glad I gave in.

KM: If you could have created a challenge on Top Chef, what would it have been?

CT: For season three we were only allowed to bring 12 pieces of things which included your knives. The chefs should be able to plan the best meal of their lives with their own ingredients. You should have access to any equipment and have access to all the resources you need – that would be the ultimate challenge. No restraints whatsoever and have more than just 3 hours.

KM: What was your greatest fear while on the show?

CT: Perception by my peers. The worst is being completely humiliated at the hands of a production crew. That was one of the major reasons I didn’t want to do the show.

KM: How much of the drama on the show was real and how much was scripted?

CT: After my season, they began feeding the chefs a lot of booze to get them to create “drama”. My season wasn’t so much scripted but a lot is dictated.

KM: What was a piece of wisdom you took away from the show?

CT: That you can really work under pressure and deliver more than you thought and you have more patience than you thought you had. You can get through it. I can get through any cooking situation and that is when  you know you’ve got what it takes.

KM: Who is your favorite chef?

CT: Marco Pierre White.

KM: Are you currently aligned with any causes/charities?

CT: Much of my career has been charity-oriented. I’m doing True Child, I’ve done things for the Red Cross, March of Dimes.

KM: What was your favorite experience as a volunteer/fundraiser?

CT: Cooking to feed the hungry and witnessing it first-hand – those are the most profound.

KM: What is your favorite comfort food?

CT: My absolute favorite thing to eat in the world is a cheeseburger. It’s total perfection.

Book Casey for your next event.

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1. Bon Vivant: Beauty and the Feast