'MasterChef' victor dishes on her big win

CENTER CITY resident Courtney Lapresi took home the crown Monday night on "MasterChef," the Gordon Ramsay-hosted Fox competition show pitting amateur cooks against one another.

Lapresi, who majored in dance performance at the University of the Arts, said that her artistic background allowed her to take on the challenges presented to her on "MasterChef."

"Fifteen to 20 years of dance performance prepares you for high-intensity competition," she said. "I'm used to feeling nervous and jittery. In my performance past, I knew that if you're not nervous, it means you don't care. It reminded me that this is important to me and really put myself into what was on the plate."

Lapresi said that she auditioned for the show after being inspired to expand her cooking repertoire while watching previous seasons of the show.

"I walked to the audition from my house. It was only a 10-minute walk," Lapresi said. "So I put my dish [ricotta gnocchi in brown butter and sage sauce] in my grandmother's picnic basket and carried it over."

Lapresi said she never considered making food her full-time job, but she wants to continue her culinary career with her newfound skills.

A bit of controversy, including an onslaught of social-media vitriol, surrounded the 25-year-old Lapresi's win when it came out that she previously danced at Delilah's (winning their Entertainer of the Year award) and as an aerial dancer at Atlantic City's Golden Nugget.

"I've received a lot of harassment for my past decisions," Lapresi said about the intense scrutiny into her background. "It's not about what you would do in your past, but what you do in your future. I believe I'm a smart, confident young woman and I'm in control of my decision. A lot of the negativity that came from this came [from people looking] for a reason to hate. If none of this came out, they would find something else to not like about me."

How do you impress Tom Petty? Make him and the Heartbreakers a killer peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich.

But not just any PB&J - a deep-fried one.

In a Twitter Q&A session, Petty revealed that his favorite 'wich craft is the simple classic, so the fine folks at the Wells Fargo Center brought in Scott Schroeder, of South Philly Taproom (1509 Mifflin St.), to create one of his gooey, crispy confections, which was featured on an episode of "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives."

"They just wanted to pick [the sandwiches] up but I was like, 'You can, but I listened to a lot of Tom Petty when I was kid and I didn't want him to have a s---ty sandwich if that's the one thing he knows about me,' " Schroeder said, who made the sandwiches on-site.

Petty was happy with the sandwiches, nodding and smiling upon receiving the treat.

Schroeder went to the show and brought his 14-year-old son, Luke, for his first concert experience.

"He liked it but he got tired because he had school in the morning. I said, 'You're not my kid!' " Schroeder joked.

Rapper Ty Dolla $ign, chanteuse Jhene Aiko and up-and-comer Raury will play a free show in Philly on Sept. 23, courtesy of Vitaminwater and the Fader magazine, I've learned exclusively. The water brand is no stranger to working Philly talent. North Philly-born comedian Kevin Hart is featured in their commercials. To gain an invitation to the show and find out the time and location of the secret concert, follow @vitaminwater and @thefader on social media.

Penn alum Wesley E. Smith will bring "The Forgotten Four," the new documentary he executive-produced for Epix, to Philly tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. for an early screening at the Rave University City Penn 6 (4012 Walnut St.).

The doc is the story of the integration of the NFL, featuring the four players - Kenny Washington, Woody Strode, Marion Motley and Bill Willis - who broke the color line a year before Jackie Robinson joined the Brooklyn Dodgers. Former Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb served as creative consultant on the film.

WIP's Anthony Gargano will moderate a panel after the screening featuring former Daily News writer Mister Mann Frisby and Wharton's Ken Shropshire.

If you want to R.S.V.P., email forgottenfourphilly@gmail.com. Can't make it? Watch the doc on Epix on Sept. 23 at 8 p.m.

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