Top chef just desserts yigit pura biography

It wouldn't have mattered whether pastry master Yigit Pura won or lost the first season of Top Chef: Just Desserts. He'd already won himself a legion of gay fans devoted to his puppy-dog eyes and sweetheart disposition. But after the 29-year-old Turkish-American became the first gay winner of any Top Chef, we caught up with him to get the dish on Gail Simmons's shoe closet, combating homophobia on TV, and his giant crush on Ricky Martin.

Out: Let's start by playing a game called Man Candy. I'll name a man and you describe what he'd taste like if he were a dessert.
Yigit Pura: [laughs] Ok.

Zac Young [friend and Top Chef: Just Desserts competitor].
[Laughs even louder] Sour Patch Kids.

Hubert Keller.
Something classic and elegant where every bite brings a little more flavor into your mouth, but it's all very gentlemanly.

Yigit Pura.
I'm going to have to leave that to your readers to decide.

Ricky Martin.
Wow, you know, I never used to be a fan of Ricky Martin, but when I saw him on Oprah a few weeks ago, I actually had some flutters. I think I fell in love. If Out could ever make that happen, I'd be more than open to it'

I'll see what I can do. How about Johnny Weir?
A good chocolate 'clair: shiny and tasty and cream-filled.

Morgan Wilson [Top Chef: Just Desserts competitor].
Oh god. He would have to be a very complex and angry dessert, so'let me get back to you on that one.

How did you react to the homophobic comments Morgan made all season, which seemed to become more numerous as the finale got closer?
He made a comment about how he felt so isolated being there. He hated it because he was surrounded by gay men and women. At that point my lid kind of flipped and I told him, 'You have no idea what it means to be isolated. Most gay youth have to go through their entire lives like this and the fact that you can'

Yigit Pura was the fan favorite and Top Chef winner of Season 1 of Top Chef Just Desserts.

Biography[]

29 year-old Yigit Pura began his culinary training at the age of four in Ankara, Turkey while helping his mom make spoonfuls of dark caramel. His official culinary training began didn't begin until the age of 20, but he soon landed a position at Le Cirque 2000 in New York City, and moved shortly after to The Four Seasons Hotel. Yigit then landed what he would call his "golden step," as the Pastry Sous Chef at Daniel, under Chef Daniel Boulud, where after working for two and a half years, he was promoted to Executive Pastry for Daniel Boulud in Las Vegas.

He has since returned to San Francisco working for Taste Catering and Event Planning. Yigit relates his philosophy on baking to Buddhism – "Enlightened desserts lie between the two extremes. You have to respect the history and heritage of food, while still feeling inspired to re-create things everyday." If he could be re-incarnated as one thing in his next life time, it would be Jamaican Lilikoi (Passion Fruit), or a green cardamom pod.

Winning Dessert[]

In the final quickfire challenge in episode 10, Yigit made Hazelnut Dacquoise, Milk Jam & Salted Caramel Ice Cream.

External Links[]

Country

United States

Birth - Death

Occupation

Chef

Description

Founder, Tout Sweet Pâtisserie, a high-end pastry shop located in San Francisco. Winner, television reality series competition 'Top Chef: Just Desserts'. Formerly worked in the kitchens of Le Cirque 2000 and the Four Seasons Hotel. Moved on to Restaurant Daniel, working his way up to pastry sous chef before moving to Las Vegas to open Daniel Boulud Brasserier as executive pastry chef. Returning home to San Francisco, joined Taste Catering & Event Planning as executive pastry chef in the spring of 2007.

See Also

Further Reading/Research

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