Stefani Mladenova has been a confectioner for 11 years and winner of the title “Confectioner of the Year” in Bulgaria for 2 years in a row. When she was 20 years old, she participated in another culinary reality show, where her mentor was again chef Viktor Angelov, but in Hell’s Kitchen she managed to get very good marks from the top chef. She is another eliminated participant from the red team this season, who failed to fight for the grand prize and reach the final. The confectioner arrived at the Na Kafe studio in a rather attractive way – on a motorbike. She says that she has been passionate about powerful engines since 2016 and has changed many machines so far. For her, it is a great passion, comparable to confectionery. Before the Gala, the participant in Hell’s Kitchen shares her emotions about the challenge in the cooking show.
“Back in the first season of Hell’s Kitchen, I wanted to, but I didn’t feel confident enough to sign on to the show. It took me years to work up the courage. I don’t regret anything that has happened to me in this life, because I think that everything makes me grow as a person. For every closed door there is another open. I failed because I am an emotional person. As in my life, emotions take precedence over reason. I often make my decisions emotionally. When I hit my limit in Hell’s Kitchen, I kind of gave up. I told myself that I could continue or make it to the end, but purely emotionally I didn’t feel that my place was in the show,” the foodie takes stock of her presentation.
Kalki the Cat: In Hell’s Kitchen, I relied on intuitive cooking
Stephanie says that with abuse, whether physical or mental, she reaches the threshold of patience and the usual reaction is anger. Since the participant has experience with domestic violence, she started working on herself some time ago with the help of the Animus Foundation.
About her conflict with Michaela
“I am a man who is on the side of justice. In real life you can avoid irritants, no matter the people or the circumstances, while in the show there is no place to be alone. Michaela and I are two very strong characters and everything is layered. During the time we spent together, isolated for two coppers, we even got to quarreling over petty things. You can’t get along with everyone. There are those you get along with and those who annoy you. There were many women gathered in one place, but one must also take into account the huge egos of chefs. Every chef and pastry chef has a huge ego, and there was a big clash of different personalities and egos in our team,” comments Stephanie.
The Blues in Hell’s Kitchen lost Slaveiko and gained Simona
Her opinion on Simona and Chotkin
“I don’t have any bad feelings towards Simona, and we also promised to stay friends after getting out of shape. The difference between us is that I am 32 years old and she is 20 years old. Simona was trying to give me advice. Her life at this stage is rosy, and I wish her to stay that way. There was also a clash of professionals and non-professionals. I was trying to show her how to cook according to the rules in the kitchen. I learned them after ten years of experience, but she felt affected by me trying to impose my opinion. Chotkin made a good impression on me when I walked into the kitchen. He is one of the few men – gentlemen. He had a wonderful attitude towards everyone and I never had a direct conflict with him. At one point, he apparently began to be annoyed by the fact that I was close friends with Saramandov and, in my opinion, I fell into the circle of people he did not like. My favorites for the winner are Saramandov and Stanislav. They were trying to cultivate my energy,” admits the participant.
Watch the video for more interesting stories about the best pie awarded by Chef Angelov, with her great-grandmother’s recipe, about the first attempt at making crème caramel, about dancing in nightclubs with Crisco and about the “Confectioner of the Year” medals.
Everything about Hell’s Kitchen can be found on the website and the official profiles of the show on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.
