Top Chef's Tom Colicchio and Padma Lakshmi

Top Chef’s host Padma Lakshmi and judge Tom Colicchio (both pictured at right) are out stirring up interest in the fourth season of Bravo's hit food show  because it begins on Wednesday night. This season it's based in one of my favorite cities, Chicago, and Colicchio says they have the best talent pool yet. The duo handled a press conference call and our intern Dana Kinker listened in.

“As the seasons go on we are getting better chefs applying," says Tom.  “You aren’t going to find a first-year culinary student or a housewife that can cook in Season Four." I should hope not!  "In most cases, the 16 contestants are running kitchens, probably as a sous-chef or at chef cuisine level, and some own their own businesses.”  Accompanying Padma and Tom at the judges’ table for another season will be  Gail Simmons of Food and Wine Magazine and  Ted Allen, an Emmy-award winning cookbook author known for his time spent on the Bravo series Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. 

Colicchio says, for the judges, “nothing but food comes into play.  In fact, all the reality stuff that happens behind the scenes we don’t see. We try to stay as objective as possible.  We also are not allowed to interact with  the contestants at all.” Padma says she has no interest in the personal lives or where the contestants came from.  “They can tell me about themselves through their food.”

Now that would be a challenge. If I had to tell Padma about myself through food, I'd present her with a warm Lean Cuisine. How about you? What would you cook? Tell us by posting below.

(photo by Chuck Hodes/Bravo)