First lady judges 'Top Chef' for schools First lady Michelle Obama was in Dallas Friday to tape a segment of a TV cooking show, "Top Chef," the White House said. Jan. 17 file photo. WASHINGTON, Feb. 10 (UPI) -- First lady Michelle Obama was in Dallas Friday to tape a segment of a TV cooking show, "Top Chef," the White House said. Obama was a judge in a competition on the Bravo show in which three teams -- "Top Chef" contestants and student sous-chefs -- participated. The appearance was to promote the first lady's goal to make school lunches more tasty and nutritious using fruits and vegetables. The contest ended in a tie. Wow! Wasn't that fun?" the first lady told students at the Kleberg/Rylie Recreation Center. I think the point in our decision is that when you've got great chefs paired with kids that are enthusiastic, and you've got schools that care, everybody is a winner. I think every single one of those meals would be something that school kids would love, they would get the kind of nourishment they needed. And we sent the signal that good food doesn't have to cost a ton of money. Obama said the HealthierUS Schools program -- bringing healthy meals to schools -- is now in more than 1,500 schools.