When Delilah Flores and her uncle, Danny Flores, stepped onto the set of “Top Chef: Family Style,” a spinoff of the original show featuring young chefs teamed with adult family members to compete for a $100,000 prize, they admit they were nervous.
“I was so intimidated by everyone else because a lot of them have had coaches to help them learn more in the culinary route, and me, all my learning is from Danny,” said Delilah, a freshman in the Anaheim Hills area.
“I was nervous myself,” said Danny, “because I was seeing such top-notch people.”
The duo said they both learned most of what they know about cooking by watching other family members.
“I first got into cooking by Danny teaching me ever since I was little,” said Delilah, “and him teaching me new things got me more interested in cooking as I got older.”
“And I learned everything from watching my aunts cook,” said Danny. “So it is basically like a ladder. I learned it, then Delilah learned it. We are passing it on.”
Danny and Delilah said they felt so intimidated, they were just hoping to make it on the show.
“Our goal was just to make it onto the first episode,” said Danny.
In order to stay in the competition, they knew they needed to make a dish that was impressive, complex and authentically them.
“Me and Delilah would talk for hours, like what can we make that will wow these judges and set us apart from the other contestants?” Danny said.
There was one family recipe they knew wouldn’t let them down: mole.
“We grew up on mole. We make it just on special occasions, like birthdays because it is tedious,” Danny said.
“I think it is so amazing to bring our family heritage and all our recipes into ‘Top Chef: Family Style,’” said Delilah. “Back at home when we watch the episodes everyone is like, ‘Oh, my gosh, we make that at home’ and it is so cool to see that can be a winning dish on top chef.”
Making many dishes derived from family recipes, the Flores’ eventually won the top prize on the show’s inaugural season, which streamed on Peacock back in September.
They made bunuelos on the show, which the Flores family traditionally makes at Christmas. They also made tres leches cake for the show’s finale.
“It is a celebration cake that we are accustomed to and so we were celebrating making it on to the season finale,” said Danny. “Whether we were going to win or lose we were going to go in there representing our culture. That was how we entered and how we were going to leave.”
Since their victory, Danny has launched a brunch catering business called Let’s Brunch with his girlfriend, Valerie Valenzuela. Delilah helps with food prep.
“We specialize in anything brunch, whether it be French toast, waffles, mimosas — and we also do lunch service as well,” said Danny.
Let’s Brunch Catering has provided breakfast bars for weddings, bridal and baby showers.
Delilah and Danny collaborate on dishes for Let’s Brunch’s menu too. A recent afternoon was spent doing research and development for a new stuffed French toast dish.
“We really wanted to make a classic French toast but elevate it and put our own heritage into it,” Delilah said.
Inspired by cream cheese and marmalade-stuffed French toast, the duo stuffed raisin brioche bread with arroz con leche and topped it with candied orange peels and piloncillo syrup.
“Delilah, people are going to love this!” Danny said after they both took a few bites of their work.
Both said being on the show gave them a boost of confidence in their cooking abilities and encouraged them to continue pursuing the culinary arts.
“I am luck enough to continue to cook,” said Danny. “One of my goals after the show was to become self-employed, and I am fortunate to say the dream that I wanted, I am achieving it now.”
Delilah said she is looking forward to continuing her cooking career too.
“I am obviously still a kid so I can’t do as many things as I would like to do, like open a restaurant,” she laughs, “but I am looking forward to going to culinary school and hopefully I go on to bigger things when I grow up.”
All the latest on Orange County from Orange County.
Get our free TimesOC newsletter.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Daily Pilot.
