Chef Ronny Miranda surprised Yes, Chef viewers week after week. Although he lost a head to head battle to Chef Julia Chebotar, the chef and culinary instructor looks back at the culinary competition with no regrets. Having been given two nicknames by his fellow chefs, Chef Ronny believes that his knowledge and demeanor served him well on the competition.
As Yes, Chef viewers have come to appreciate, the food television show is more than just executing a perfect plate that impresses Jose Andres and Martha Stewart. The program tackles an issue that is slowly getting traction in the restaurant industry. How and why a chef acts and reacts is just as vital as his culinary creativity.
During an interview with Chef Ronny Miranda, the first question that I asked was, why did you want to join Yes, Chef. His answer was simple. “The biggest thing that really drew me to this show and really sets it apart from other shows is the emphasis on mental health.” It is more than being open about struggles or controlling anger. Many of the discussions outside of cooking address the stress, pressures, and even burnout that affect chefs.
Similar to the comments from other chefs on the program, Chef Ronny appreciated the community that this group created. He mentioned that they all still chat, and he still appreciates the two nicknames that he was given, the “Professor” and “Zen Master.”
When asked about his nicknames, specifically the “Professor,” Ronny explained, “from day one, anytime there was a question about a technique or a weird ingredient, I could explain it. I was coming off as a professor because I was giving mini lectures about different ingredients. At first, I thought that it was funny. Then, I chose to embrace it. Now, I even make content as the ‘Professor.’”
Chef Ronny used that knowledge to his advantage. While everyone else ran for the proteins, he started with the dry goods and produce. He “let the ingredients speak” to him. He never had a preconceived idea about what to make. Instead, it was seeing the available products and making them work.
Although his final cook against Chef Julia caused his elimination, the dish was not bad. Chef Ronny admitted his issue was not about mastering the flambe technique, it was his approach to the dish as a whole.
He said, “I went away from how I cooked and leaned into a dish that another chef would make. That was a mistake. If I had stuck with my own style and personality, I might have beat Julia.”
“My style is more rustic and simplistic. I do not usually make purees. I should have left the roasted vegetables on the plate and served the flambe steak and salsa matcha on top of those ingredients. I should have kept it simple.”
Looking back at his time on Yes, Chef, there were plenty of highs and some less than stellar moments. For him, Chef Ronny will always cherish Jose Andres’ feedback on his Spanish dish cooked in his grandmother’s style. He recounted, how Chef Jose wished for a piece of bread to soak up every list drop of the sauce on the plate.
Overall, Chef Ronny proved to be the most versatile chef in the competition. As fans of food television competitions appreciate, dessert is often a savory chef’s nemesis on these shows. Chef Ronny proved he can succeed in that category.
Recalling his dessert dish in the first episode, that pan perdue with the goat cheese and fluff was a statement to start the competition. It had sweet and savory notes. Overall, it was a whimsical, thoughtful approach to combining beets into a dessert dish.
The Professor’s course on Yes, Chef has finished its term, but what is next for Chef Ronny Miranda? He is working at the Culinary Institute of America at Copia in downtown Napa and the restaurant at the school is open to guests. Additionally, he can be seen at charity events and on his social media channels, Ron_the_Cook.
Yes, Chef airs new episodes every Monday night at 10 p.m. ET/PT on NBC. Episodes can be streamed the next day on Peacock.