Gilroy Reminds Celebrity Chef Angelo Sosa of Home

When celebrity chef and Bravo TV star Angelo Sosa took the stage Saturday at the 33rd Gilroy Garlic Festival in Gilroy, Calif., he demanded two things: music and energy. And he got both.

Sosa kicked off his hour-long cooking demonstration by leaping over the guard rail surrounding the Cook-Off Stage and embracing the audience in the crowded bleachers. He skillfully made his way around the room hopping from row to row, shaking hands and giving high five’s.

An out-of-breath Sosa made back to center stage and jokingly panted, “It’s time for a nap.”

Sosa starred on Bravo TV’s Emmy Award-winning series Top Chef, seasons seven and eight. The exposure launched Sosa’s career into high gear including his three-day gig at the Gilroy Garlic Festival.

“The community here is amazing,” said Sosa. “I’m from a small town, so a lot of this brings me back to my childhood.”

Sosa introduced his dish, a vegetarian Spanish-inspired white gazpacho, by sharing his feelings for the ingredients.

"I love garlic," he said. "Garlic – I'll be honest with you – garlic and thyme, the combination itself is magical."  

But before he began to prepare his white gazpacho, Sosa needed an assistant, he said. He grabbed a head of garlic and tossed it into the front row of the bleachers to his right. Two women jumped for the garlic and briefly wrestled for the opportunity to cook with the celebrity chef.

In the end, it was Amy Franklin, 26, from San Jose, who joined Sosa on stage.

“It was like a dream come true,” said Franklin, struggling to control her excitement. “I love him. He’s always been my favorite,” she said. 

A star-struck Franklin nervously co-hosted the rest of the demonstration, and at one point climbed the counter top to stomp open a head of garlic.

"I was worried that people would see up my skirt," she said. "But it was exciting."

Throughout the demonstration, Sosa and Franklin stopped to circle the room to offer eager audience members bits and pieces of the dish. Before thanking the audience for their time, Sosa made a final trip to the bleachers. This time, he poured the puréed gazpacho directly from a blender into a male audience member's mouth. 

“Everyone here has just been really genuine," Sosa said, about his time at the festival. “Gilroy is kind of like the Alba region of Italy,” he said. “There it’s all about truffles, here it’s all about garlic.”