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Cynthia Sesito  

Chef to the Stars; Contestant on Season 1 of "Top Chef"

She is a world-class chef whose take-no-prisoners, suffer-no-bullshit attitude made her a fan favorite on the premiere season of Bravo's "Top Chef." She is a larger-than-life character who works with larger-than-life celebrities every day. Whether coordinating massive events in the Hamptons for the likes of Russian billionairess Anna Anisimova or creating culinary extravaganzas at Hamptons' hot spot, The Star Room, Cynthia can be counted on to scintillate and surprise.

As personal chef for Beyonce and Jay-Z, Cynthia has traveled the world, managing their events -- even at 30,000 feet, where she's had to whip up extraordinary fetes in the galleys of 737s. When Cynthia isn't available, Jay-Z has complained to magazines that he is miserable and forced to resort to Blimpie's. When he opened the prototype for his 40-40 nightclubs, Jay-Z brought in Cynthia as executive chef to create a signature menu -- a totally unique blending of in-the-moment international cuisine with American bar food to the extreme.

Cynthia is known for fusing the art of food, flavor and fun into a celebration of the moment. For over 20 years, she has created a constant stream of some of the most exciting and successful events and restaurants in the New York region. Her enterprises include two New York Times three-star restaurants, her successful catering organization, CYNFUL FOOD and her work as a private chef for uber-celebrities (where her food and Cynthia herself often receive a standing ovation at the end of an evening).

Cynthia's colorful events land on The New York Post's "Page Six" all summer, every summer. For several seasons now, Grey Goose has collaborated with Cynthia on a series of VIP events for such stars as Lindsey Lohan, Scarlett Johansson, Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin. When she designed a show-stopping weekend for the wrap of a season of "Gossip Girl," the cast requested carry-ons for the trip back to LA -- filled with doggie bags of "Cynful Goodies."

Cynthia continues to build on her remarkable ability to be recognized as a fan favorite from "Top Chef." To quote from a blog by fan followers titled "One Order of Crazy Rice: Hold the Rice" (named for one of her signature dishes), one wrote "I'd like to see her and Gordon Ramsay get in a friendly swear-down," to which another replied, "She'd win."

She has also played, bantered and cooked on "Access Hollywood," MTV Europe, the London "Today Show" and on a number of other network programs.

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