The Real Reason You'll Probably Never See Frankie Celenza On Chopped

Frankie Celenza is an NYU Tisch grad, who has garnered so much success since his 2009 graduation that they've immortalized him on their site. According to their overview, he is a "mastermind" and "star of the New York Emmy Award-Winning series 'Frankie Cooks'" who got his start in cooking while reconnecting with old family during college and hosting dinner parties for his classmates. And while he went to school for recording music, he said it instilled "the entrepreneurial spirit in me from day one," teaching him how to get heard.

According to his own website, he's always wanted to "get as many people in the kitchen as possible" and this drive has taken him to "the Obama White House, paired him with Sesame Street's Cookie Monster and given him the opportunity to nourish Novak Djokovic during the 2019 & 2020 U.S. Open Championships." But despite all these accomplishments and visits, there is one kitchen you may never find him in — the "Chopped" kitchen — and here's why.

"Chopped" is a Food Network show that pits chefs against one another in a fast-paced competition of drama, characters, and some out-of-the-box ingredients. And despite his clear skills, which have been honed since that 2009 graduation over 10 years ago, when pressed as to what competition show Frankie Celenza may want to be featured on, he admirably replied (via The OC Register), "I understand the sport and gamifying of cooking, but my goal's always been to get the people that aren't super comfortable in the kitchen and let them know that they can do it."

So while he notes there may be other plans in his future, like a cookbook to share what he has learned from chefs with his friends, family, and fans, it doesn't seem like he'll be donning his competitive boots anytime soon. In the meantime, here's hoping this means Frankie will continue to do what he does best: making cooking less daunting for the masses who massively need help conquering their cooking cowardice.