Watch: Chris Cosentino On The Darker Side Of Food TV Fame

Chef Chris Cosentino (Porcellino restaurant, formerly Incanto) took to the stage at this year's Mad symposium to discuss the impact that celebrity chef-dom and television fame had on his work and true passions.

 In "Be Careful What You Wish For," Cosentino, who first appeared on television during Iron Chef America (he lost to Mario Batali in Battle Garlic by a single point), expressed his regret over later getting involved in a show that focused less on highlighting his talents as a chef than creating outlandish obstacles for him to "overcome": an eight-pound, all-meat, deep dish pizza; snakes; 10 pounds of baked beans, to name a few.  

The fame associated with Cosentino's televised antics did nothing to improve his standing amongst his peers. "I want my restaurants to be busy and I want cooks to want to come work for me," he says of his early days on Iron Chef America.

What happened instead was humiliation, physical illness, and version of Cosentino that the chef himself didn't recognize.

Watch the full video below for Cosentino's moving look back at his television fame.

Warning: this video contains strong language that may be suitable for adults only.

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Karen Lo is an associate editor at The Daily Meal. Follow her on Twitter @appleplexy.