Neptune native Warren Coleman is cooking his way through 'MasterChef'

A plate of chicken piccata was all it took to win Neptune native Warren Coleman a spot on "MasterChef."

Well, chicken piccata and a great personality.

Coleman, a retired flight attendant who now lives in Rio de Janeiro, is one of 20 home cooks competing on the 14th season of the FOX cooking show, which premiered in late May.

This season's contestants are divided into teams based on their generation — Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X and Baby Boomers — and their cooking is judged by Gordon Ramsay, Aarón Sánchez and Joe Bastianich. They are competing for $250,000.

Coleman, who at 70 is a member of the Baby Boomers team, served his chicken piccata with pureed potatoes, roasted asparagus and lemon-fennel vinaigrette.

"I picked it because I knew I could make it within the time limit," he said of the dish. "I wanted to do something obviously impressive."

Chef and restaurateur Lidia Bastianich, one of Coleman's favorite chefs, was a guest judge on that episode. She enjoyed his dish, and he was star-struck.

"That was an honor," he said. "When she came up to my station, I lost my brain. I said 'I can’t believe I’m sitting here looking at you.' She was a huge highlight."

Another highlight of his experience was bringing his family — two nieces and two grand-nieces — to his audition.

"Just to be my age and to try something new and to have them there, I had already won at (that) point," he said.

Lifelong love of cooking

Coleman's passion for food and cooking began when he was a child.

"My grandmother just made magic. She was a child of the Depression, so she knew how to make everything stretch," said Coleman, who at family gatherings preferred being in the kitchen over watching sports on television with "all the guys."

"Then my mom took the baton, and she entertained a lot. She would have a card party, and it was eight ladies (who) would go from house to house," he said. "When it was her turn to entertain, I would make canapes."

Coleman loves to bake, a skill he hasn't yet had the chance to show off on "MasterChef."

"I love making beautiful things," he said. "I love baking, absolutely adore baking."

Coleman spent several years as a dancer before working 30 years as a flight attendant, and both jobs led to living in Italy, France, England and Puerto Rico.

"Everywhere I go, there seems to be a kitchen," he said, "and I seem to be in it."

On television

Coleman's career in the air connected him with the mother of a past "MasterChef" contestant, and she encouraged him to try out for the show.

Filming took place last fall in Los Angeles.

The most challenging part of the competition, he said, was "creating your dish in your mind."

"You basically find out what you're going to create, and in 20 minutes, you're doing it," he said. "I did have certain things go wrong ... you would line everything up to plate (and realize) you forgot to put something on. I was never flustered. Once you're at a certain age, you’ve done everything, you’ve had so much failure, you take it in stride."

During filming, Coleman said, "you're so focused on your plate, you don't see what other people are cooking, the tips other people are getting (from the judges)." Now that he is watching the show, "I'm getting all the good stuff now. (The judges) impart so much information, they are so generous with their knowledge."

So far this season, the home cooks were tasked with transforming a comfort food from childhood into a restaurant-worthy dish (Coleman made macaroni and cheese with pancetta and lobster) and cooking with aged foods (he made aged New York strip steak with cauliflower puree and arugula salad).

"In 70 years, I have lived in Europe. I was a dancer. I worked in advertising in New York City. I worked as a flight attendant," he said. "All the amazing things that I did, this was right on top. This is the most fun, and it’s something I will take to my grave."

"MasterChef" airs at 8 p.m. Wednesdays on FOX.

Sarah Griesemer joined the USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey in 2003 and has been writing all things food since 2014. Send restaurant tips to [email protected], follow on Instagram at Jersey Shore Eats and subscribe to our Jersey Shore Eats newsletter.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: MasterChef: Neptune NJ native cooks on Fox show