CHEF TINI discovered HER LOVE OF COOKING AS A TEENAGER AND never looked back
The Next Level Chef breakout star quickly won over fans (and Gordon Ramsay) with her bold flavors and calm confidence, but it was her ultra-creamy mac and cheese that turned her into an internet sensation. The recipe, which took four years to perfect with her husband as the official taste tester, has become a holiday staple for her millions of followers.
Now, Tini shares feel-good recipes on social media, proving that anyone can make unforgettable food with the right guidance—and a little smoked paprika. Her videos are equal parts comforting, craveable, and genuinely useful, whether she’s breaking down the secret to a silky cheese sauce or convincing nervous cooks that steak is actually pretty easy. Read about Chef Tini’s journey in her C&C 100 interview below.
What are some of your earliest memories of food that still bring you joy? Was it around the holidays or cooking with your family?
Yeah, so, I mean, I never cooked. Like, I was never in the kitchen when I was younger. It didn't happen until I was 17, 18, because that's when I found cooking through the culinary program at my high school. But one of the memories that really sticks out with food is cooking for my husband for the first time. I mean, I love just cooking for people who I love, and we weren't even dating yet. We were still in the talking stage, and that was when I started to learn how to cook, too.
The first thing I ever made him was chicken Alfredo. And still to this day, I mean, he has like 10 favorite recipes, but that's one of his favorite recipes, and that's something we do on special occasions, like on our anniversary. I'll make chicken Alfredo because that's both of our favorites. And I feel like that's also the dish that made me think, okay, I'm good at cooking, because he devoured it.
And when did you realize your calling was to be a chef?
Yes, I would say when I learned my calling was to be a chef, or just cook in general, was again in high school. I was always a bad student, never got good grades, and I found cooking, and it was something that I could finally focus on. I can't sit at a desk and learn math, and I could learn pretty much all subjects in school through cooking. I can learn history through cooking, math, English, and it was like everything clicked.
It was like a nice gear going, and it was something I was good at, and it was something that I wanted to keep investing in myself in. And I wanted to get better at it. Like, with math, I'm like, I don't really care about math. I'll just get it done. But with cooking, it's like, I want to keep going and keep learning.
“I was always a bad student, never got good grades, and I found cooking, and it was something that I could finally focus on.”
And so, a lot of people, even before TikTok, knew you from your work with Gordon Ramsay on Next Level Chef. And so how did working with Gordon Ramsay influence how you think about growing your personal brand outside of the show?
Growing my brand outside of that is kind of, I think, having the credentials of Gordon Ramsay tasting my food, and he liked it. He was giving me my flowers. Again, one of the most memorable things is when I made a beef tongue taco. It was my first time making beef tongue. And Gordon Ramsay was tasting it, and he loved it. He said it tasted very authentic. And so I think that was kind of when I was like, okay, I can build my brand outside of this. I have the credentials of Gordon Ramsay. And just everything that I learned from the show as well.
I learned how to cook a bunch of different things. I learned business aspects from different social media influencers or different social media chefs that were on the show. And then I learned more business from professional chefs that were on the show as well. They had their own food truck or they were their own private chef.
From the outside looking in, when we see a food creator's work, many of us might think, okay, they experiment with recipes and eat delicious food all day. But what's a surprisingly challenging aspect of your work?
I would say creating the recipes. Because it's like my name is on the line with these recipes, as people will kind of automatically name the recipes like Teeny's Mac and Cheese, Broccoli Cheddar Soup, Teeny's Turkey. So to me, it's really perfecting these recipes and really making it step by step, not just being like, okay, throw some chicken broth in there. I really try to get the measurements in there so people who don't know how to cook feel like they know how to cook. And I would just say that perfecting the recipes and making sure people understand them at the same time. Because when they try it, even if it's user error, I still don't want it to come back on me. And then also, I just want people to have good food at the end of the day.
How do you know what brand partnerships feel right when brands approach you wanting to collaborate?
Yes. So everything I do for my brands, I want it to be authentic. So if it's something that I already use. So with the evaporated milk, I use Carnation. So it's very authentic. I don't want my videos to feel like ads because, I mean, I don't think people like to just look and watch an ad. So I try to keep my ad or my brand deals the same: something I already use. So right now I have a current brand deal with Ninja. I use Ninja products all the time. If it's something that I can get behind and if it's something I can authentically suggest to someone, then that's kind of how I go about my brand partnerships. And if it's a brand that I haven't heard of, then I'll politely ask for a sample product, and if it's something I like, then I'll move forward with it if it's something I see myself using in the future. And if it's something that doesn't work, then I'll just politely decline.
What is a go-to ingredient in your pantry or fridge that you have to have on hand at all times?
So of course it's smoked paprika. I love smoked paprika. I just love smoky-flavored things. So that's why it's in the mac and cheese, too. Antoine [my husband] loves smoky-flavored things. I'm about to make lunch after this call, and I'm going to pull out my smoked paprika. And that's something that's in my pantry. I can use it really for anything. And then in my fridge, I find myself always using Dijon mustard. It's in my mac and cheese, but I also have it in my turkey recipe. I have it in my ham recipe, and it just has that nice tanginess.
And then finally, what's a date night dish that looks like you tried and know what you're doing, but is secretly very simple?
Honestly, steak. Steak is so easy. I feel like a lot of people are intimidated by steak just because of the temperature and the doneness. But it does not take long to make steak. I mean, it depends what cut, but it's like max 10 minutes. Okay, I would say max 20 minutes to prep and do everything, and then it tastes so good. At the end of the day, steak with a sauce. There's cowboy butter. Chimichurri is definitely my go-to because it's so herby and aromatic. So yeah, steak, and then just throw a starch and vegetable in there.
Speaking of your mac and cheese, that's one of your most viral recipes. And so many people have tried it, have discussed it, have put their own spins on it. A lot of people love that recipe, but there was also some talk and controversy about the origins of mac and cheese in general, and people comparing it to their grandmas or their aunts. How does it feel to receive so much praise and at the same time be the subject of controversy for a viral recipe like that?
Yeah. I mean, at the end of the day, I focus on the positives. Of course the negatives are annoying, but I know why I made the mac and cheese. I originally made the recipe because it's based off my husband. He loves mac and cheese and he's kind of the taste tester for why the mac and cheese is the way it is. It took me like four years to create that recipe, and it was all his tasting, and it took four years for him to finally be like, okay, this is the best mac and cheese ever.
I've had so many people come up to me in public and only give me positive feedback. I've never had anyone in public give me anything negative about the mac and cheese. So that's why I also don't care about internet negativity. I've just had so many people come up to me and say, you taught me how to cook. I've never cooked before, but I made this really good mac and cheese. Or I made the mac and cheese for my family. Again, I don't cook and I loved it. Or I've had so many people say, my 8-year-old made the mac and cheese. So if I can get more people to just get in the kitchen and cook with their family, that's all I really care about.
How do you want people to feel when they experience your recipes and try your food for the first time?
I guess I just want people to make their own memories. I cook because, again, it's just something I love to do. But I feel like cooking is so rewarding because even if you're cooking for yourself, your reward is you get some really good food. And then if you cook for other people, I think that's why I love cooking: the compliments that I get from it and also the critique that I get from it too. The criticism. But also cooking brings everyone together, different cultures and all. Yeah, I just want people to make memories with my food and just get in the kitchen more.
Rapid fire POP QUIZ:
The first thing I do when I wake up in the morning is:
I brush my teeth. I have to brush my teeth.
If I had one more hour in the day, I would:
Probably take an hour to relax for myself.
A song that describes the era I’m in right now is:
“Believe” by Justin Bieber.
My current obsession is:
probably fruit. Pineapple, watermelon, and mango.
Three words to describe the legacy I want to leave behind…
Impactful, inspiration, and fun.