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Interview with Hell’s Kitchen’s Jessica Cabo

If you missed Fox’s first season of cooking reality show Hell’s Kitchen, which offered its char-broiled finale this past Monday, you missed soiled dishes, spoiled souflees, master Chef Gordon Ramsay’s blistering wrath, twelve would-be restaurant owners in a back-stabbing-but-nicely-plated cook-off for the top, and one damn fine lesbian kiss. Let’s rewind to that last part: Hell’s Kitchen‘s Jessica Cabo, who made it all the way to the final three before she was cut, may have landed the first ever open-mouthed lesbian kiss on a primetime network reality show, when she greeted her girlfriend Courtney during a suprise visit in her final episode. No Survivor-style cutaway this time!

What else was different about this kiss? No hype. No commercial after commercial featuring Jessica and her girlie leaning in, to entice the guaranteed contingent of lookieloos out for that dose of oh-so-hot, commodity lesbianism. No caption reading “Jessica, 27, Lesbian Headhunter.” The fiery, platinum-spiked Jess, who matches people with jobs by day, and her friends with fancy gourmet spreads in her Venice Beach pad by night, was neither kept in the kitchen closet by the network, nor marketed as the newest slice of lesbian-chic bread.

And this on one of the summer’s more popular TV shows–Hell’s Kitchen averaged around 7 million viewers each week–on a network not usually known for its respectful treatment of lesbians.

A few days ago, Jessica talked to me over a Rasberry Stoli and soda (or three) about last week’s smoking kiss, why she doesn’t plan to become a professional chef anytime soon, and how she got revenge on the show’s winner, Michael, with a lap dance from his wife!

AfterEllen.com: You mentioned that fans have been coming up to you constantly the last few days. What does that recognition feel like? Jessica Cabo: When it first started, it was once a week–after the show would air, someone would come by and say “Oh, weren’t you that girl?” Now it happens multiple times a day. If I’m at a restaurant especially. Yesterday we went to Jones on Third and the patrons and the staff kept coming up to me. They just want to shake your hand and say they liked you. You know not everyone likes you, but they still say “You’re my favorite one!”

AE: Have you been invited to cook places? JC: I could if I wanted to. But I’m a headhunter-that’s what I do. Cooking is my passion-I do it for my friends, I have dinner parties, I have cookbooks, I’m on Food Network all of the time, I know the name of every chef in LA-that’s my deal-that’s what I love. But it pays 9 bucks an hour, so…

AE: Did you go to culinary school? JC: I didn’t go to cooking school. No. It’s not even being narcissistic, but you know how you know what you’re good at? The things that I’m good at: sales and cooking. I love music. I’ve played drums my whole life, but was never a good drummer. I DJ now, and I’m alright. I have good records and good hair. (laughs) I get away with it. I know, though, that I have a natural ability for cooking.

AE: Were you really looking forward to the idea of owning a restaurant? Is it a dream of yours? JC: Yeah. I’ve always thought that when I make enough money, I’ll open a restaurant. Of course, I’m a realist. I know that there’s a 95% failure rate.

AE: You have to afford to lose money for awhile to make it. JC: Totally. But I’d love to invest in a restaurant, of course. I’d also do PR or marketing for a restaurant. I know someone at The Standard-he’s like “come in, you can be a pastry chef on the weekend for fun.” Because that’s my personality.

AE: How did you first get involved with Hell’s Kitchen? JC: A friend of a friend suggested that I try out for the show, because they knew that cooking’s one of the things that I do. The producers did tryouts on a Saturday morning at the Avalon and I went. I almost didn’t go. But I stayed in the night before, I got up in the morning, and was one of the first people in line, so I think I was the twelfth interview. As soon as I got there and they asked “What are you like in the kitchen?” and I joked “I run the show.”

My only real experience is that I made pizzas when I lived in New York and so when I went down to college in North Carolina, I ran this little pizza place.

AE: In terms of the reality factor of reality TV, do you feel that things were edited to portray you in a certain way? To go for a story arc? JC: You know, it’s funny because when I went in there I figured that I would be the brat and the bitch. I thought I was going to be the Amarosa for sure.

AE: Because you are so strong in your personality? JC: Totally. It’s a clichĂ© but I’m a cancer?hard on the outside and super sensitive on the inside. I cried the first few episodes but I cry every few weeks?I’m just emotional. As much personality as I have, my down time is really intense. I thought that instead, I sort of came off as the sensitive one, and I was pleased. But sometimes it’s nice to be a brat. I think I came off as one a little more at the end. It was pretty true to life.

AE: The way they cut it? JC: For the most part. There are some things that it were not exactly the way it happened. For instance, “Ralph is helping Jessica with her plating,” when really I cooked the whole thing, and Ralph went to hand it to the chef..

AE: How about that last episode when you’re hungover and you fall asleep during the breadmaking and yet at the end the chef asks you how it went and you said great. What happened there? JC: The breadmaking was probably like six hours worth…

AE: And there was like one hour or so of sleeping? JC: Yeah. I helped kneed the dough. I did the starter and I got all the stuff ready and then we had to wait for it to proof. It takes awhile for it to proof?proofing means nothing?it’s sitting around waiting for it to rise, so I was like well you guys do that and I slept, but it wasn’t the whole time. That was definitely editing.

AE: But we get that reaction shot from Michael. JC: If you look at me?I knew what went on, I knew I slept. But I was having the time of my life and that’s where my passion was. I’ve made bread at my house to make pizza, but here I am making bread for a whole restaurant. It was a first experience and that’s why in shots I was sitting there with a little smirk on my face because I was like?this is f***ing great.

AE: You react with such confidence under pressure. I don’t think we saw you crack in quite the same way that, say, Elsie did. JC: There were definitely times when it was rough. There were also things that they didn’t show that I’m glad they didn’t show. This one episode I had to clean all of these dishes in the dining hall?it was an entire room full of filth and just disgusting. I was kicking stuff. I think I pushed a producer around. I mean I lost it. I was mad. So I was a little nervous about it. We would have these dark days every sixth day or something like that they would take us out and we would stay in a hotel by ourselves.

AE: Just to get some time away, sleep, relieve the pressure? JC: Yep, but that was also when you actually had time to think and be like “oh my god!” I remember a day I woke up anxious and they sent a therapist in. They really put you under pressure. There was no contact, no TVs. I couldn’t talk to anyone?because what am I going to do-tell these people that are against me my problems? No. It’s super intense. When we first started the show, they picked you up in a car, took you to a place and you stay in the hotel for five days.

AE: Like isolation. JC: By myself. For five days. I like hip hop but I’m definitely not the girl that would go watch Honey. So there I am in my hotel room dancing to Honey. I watched some boxing movie and I am shadow boxing in my room for exercise. It totally made me go nuts.

AE: How long were you on the set? JC: Thirty days. Some people got to leave two days into it, but I didn’t get to leave till the absolute end. During the finale they call us back. So I was literally there the full thirty days.

AE: You’ve done interviews where your sexuality came up, and you mentioned that journalists are overly encouraging about the fact that they don’t have to mention it?almost politely suppressive. JC: Right. What’s funny is that with Big Brother or something like that they say “there’s a gay contestant.” Fox never said that. And so the kiss came as a surprise?it’s not like people were waiting for it. It was a whole interesting dynamic because it was actually maybe more tastefully done because it is what it is. It was not exploited, but they did put it on there. That was actually awesome.

AE: She changed her hair to be on the show? JC: Totally! So I saw her and she looked so hot?in all black?my quiet little shy girl and she had red hair and if you watch that clip, it’s almost frantic.

AE: It’s a very passionate kiss. It’s not just like a peck?it’s an open-mouthed kiss. JC: It was what it was. We didn’t want to let go.

AE: I feel like Ralph was almost trying to out do you next with his fiancĂ©e. JC: Oh really? That’s funny. We really did have a bond?me and those guys. Of course you have to be calculating, but we were always like a group of three. I think we really were showing off our girls. I think I said it in one of the clips they didn’t air?I’m hanging with the big boys.” There was a certain amount of showing off?all of our girls?Lola and Buffy and Courtney?they’re all gorgeous. I think it was a cool moment in a lot of different aspects, especially them showing a lesbian kiss.

AE: Did you talk to production about that moment?before or after? JC: No. I didn’t know how they would deal with it and they never said anything. But I knew in a way they couldn’t not show it. It’s good ratings for them too.

AE: Is there any juicy gossip about the show you can share? JC: Michael on the show–his wife Lola’s a stripper. I went to the strip club where she works for my birthday right after the episode where Michael maybe had taken my steaks and he was definitely pulling shit. He was trying to win?I’m not going to hold it against him.

AE: Do you want to explain what happened with the steaks? JC: I was on meat section, which is hard in itself, and I’m doing filets and have all of my stuff there all set to go and I open up to get the steaks out and there’s only two or three of them there?and I’m like “Shit, the steaks are gone!” I know they’re around, probably with the red team. Chef Ramsay’s like “What’s the matter Jess” and I’m like “Uh…” I was getting kind of defensive. I can’t go find them. But of course Michael comes back with the steaks right away?he he knew where they were. Someone put them there. Sometimes there would be salt and pepper shakers and all the sudden something would taste not right and the salt was now sugar. Definitely things went down. Michael ends up looking like a champ, because he finds the steaks and I’ve only got a couple there. But I held tight. One of the episodes the chef was screaming at me to no end and I took it.

AE: How much of the Chef’s anger was an act? JC: He’s really like that. He’s a perfectionist, but I actually like him.

AE: It’s tough love. JC: It’s tough love and some kitchens are like that, some aren’t. Some people would choose to work in an environment like that, some wouldn’t. Personally I don’t take that crap. I’ve had people yell at me for work and I yell right back. He’s definitely charming. He has amazing qualities: he’s brilliant, he’s really hard working, he expects a lot. If you want to work there and become one of the best that’s the way to do it.

AE: The chef seemed very impressed with you?he said you were feisty and never short on a word and that he liked that in a woman. JC: When I first went in there, because of my hair, he thought: “Punk Ass.” Everybody does. I work in a corporate environment, but I look like this. I think it took him a minute to realize that I’m serious…

So, anyway, back to the story at the strip club. They bring me to a little corner of the bar where there’s a pole and Lola gave me my first lap dance. It was inappropriate and it was definitely hot and my girlfriend and my friends were watching?she was all over me. She had hair in my face and was whispering things in my ear like “I’ve been waiting to do this for a long time.” Afterwards, I was like “I have such a crush.” I called Michael on the way home and said “Hey Michael, your wife gave me the hottest lap dance and he was like “That’s why I love her. Doesn’t she smell good?” Yeah, I kinda got him back.

AE: So you’re still friends, though? JC: Yeah totally.

AE: Did you have the feeling you were losing the challenge? JC: The guests really liked the chicken. It was good. I watched the show with my friends and when they said I got stuck making chicken everyone was like “AWWW!” Because I don’t even order chicken.

AE: You don’t like it? JC: I think there’s better things on the menu. Chicken’s a little boring. What do you do to make chicken sexy?

AE: Chicken tastes the same, basically, no matter how you prepare it. I mean you stuffed it with goat cheese and herbs, wrapped it in prosciuto. You tried. JC: It came out excellent. It tasted good?looked awesome. I actually felt confident about my dish. It was ordered and people did like it. So dinner was fine, but I was also assigned the dessert station. Since it was narrowed down to three, they had an outside person make all of our dessert stuff, so the ice cream wasn’t frozen, the berries were smushed up and looked awful. I walked back there to a disaster. With ice cream, if it’s not frozen, it’s not frozen. What do you do? That was my downfall, but that was also the time that I was like?I’m not ready. Those two guys are amazing cooks. I got voted off in the best way.

AE: You looked happy actually. JC: Chef Ramsay said, “You walk out the front door.” I was actually fine with the way it happened. Now that it’s done and I look at it?I wasn’t super calculating and sometimes think, I could’ve been more. I also think of the business side of things. The final challenge of designing a restaurant?that’s where I could’ve come in and completely excelled.

AE: What did Courtney think seeing you kicked off the show, during the moment it happened? JC: Courtney and my family had to vote not knowing who cooked what and hoped they didn’t vote for the wrong thing. Courtney knows I don’t eat chicken. Bonnie, my sister, did no wrong. And my mom really likes filets… Also, it was my time. I was having a hard time in the kitchen.

AE: You were on another reality show, called Dodgeball? JC: It was on the gameshow network?Extreme Dodgeball. It aired last summer. I got recognized after that too because on Jet Blue they play the game show network all the time. On the Fox message boards viewers mentioned it. They also mentioned this VH1 show Courtney and I were on, Totally Gay. Some people thought I was an actress. Of course I’m not. I’ve always been in plays, in rock shows. I’ve had that performative bug. I think a show on the Food Network would be awesome. I could be a female version of Jamie Oliver. I even ride a Vespa. I’m doing a website?JessicaCabo.com with food reviews. I’m a Zagat whore?they send me free copies and I write stuff for them.

AE: You mentioned the posting boards. Have you been reading those? JC: How can you not? Sometime people would say “I love Jessica!” and that would be cool. I’m on myspace and friendster and people would write me after the kiss episode to say “That was so awesome. It makes me feel like I can be out.” That was really cool. Sometimes they say cruel things too.

AE: Were there homophobic comments? JC: Some of them are rude, or disgusting… What made me feel good, though, is my sister is a born again Christian and she called me and said that she worked with two guys that were gay that said they loved me because I was a lesbian, and I know that it was hard for her to say that word, but she said she’s really proud of me. My mom, my grandparents, my entire family is behind me. It kind of sums up the way that I am, the way that Fox dealt with the subject. I wouldn’t necessarily define myself first as gay, although I definitely am. Fox didn’t make a big deal out of it.

AE: And if someone has a problem, that’s their issue, not yours. JC: Exactly.

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