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Hurricane Nilka Hendricks
Contested on Hell’s Kitchen
The temperature raised in Hell’s Kitchen last week with a shocking leave from Nilka. As Nilka fought back to regain her position in Hell’s Kitchen her exiting comment "I am not ready to go Chef Ramsay" is a line all contestants can relate too. Chef Ramsay’s sensitivity side was shown in the goodbye scene when he advised Nilka to keep following her dreams and not to stop. In one line Chef Ramsay gave America an insight to Nilka’s personality.
Starting out as a medical assistant, Nilka’s cooking talents emerged from home cooked meals to a contestant on Hell’s Kitchen. Nilka is a single mom of three daughters, who are 12, 8 and 5, that are spoiled by her cooking.
Having a mother like Nilka, who would want McDonalds when they can have a five star meal at home? The amazing story of Nilka’s cooking started with a dream that she shared with three of her girlfriends and from wanting to own her own restaurant. Nilka knew that the only way to be successful in the restaurant industry was to go to culinary school and to start working in the industry.
Her cooking career started in the catering business. Nilka’s drive for wanting more landed her the position of head chef at Vegan Café in Brooklyn NY. When she auditioned with Fox for Hell’s Kitchen she was working at Empire Hotel in Manhattan NY. Was it Nilka’s ambition for wanting more that led her to audition with Hell’s Kitchen? We may never know, but after speaking with Nilka you quickly realize that she does not take anything for granted and strongly believes there is a reason for everything. Nilka’s experience on Fox’s show Hell’s Kitchen by no means was a losing situation. Nilka walked away with the confidence that she can cook and she is a marvelous cook at that. Her proudest moment on the show was cooking her sautéed steak with mushrooms for Chef Ramsay’s wife and mother. Chef Ramsay's mother labeled her steak as first class.
Nilka is a very unique person that is not satisfied with being second best. She strives for a dream in hopes it will come true. With Nilka taking on a new position as an Executive Chef, I would not be surprised if we see her in a new position as a restaurant owner. Nilka has the heart, the drive and most importantly the dream to accomplish her goals. Nilka walked off the show with the lesson "Nothing is impossible." This can be a lesson all of us can learn as we reach for our dreams. The perspective that I took away from the interview is Nilka did not use any excuses for not reaching her goals or not getting what she wanted. She knew everything was timing and that we are presented with opportunities. It is what we do with the opportunities we receive that get us where we are in life.
You can find Nilka at www.chefnilkahendricks.com
Special thanks to Frank Arena with Project Backstage and Nilka for her time.
Interview Courtesy of Project Backstage and Scantlin Entertainment
Author MissC