A Nanaimo woman cooked for a whole B次元官网网址榳all of chefsB次元官网网址� and came out victorious.

Kenna Deo was the winner of last weekB次元官网网址檚 episode of Wall of Chefs, a Food Network Canada TV culinary competition.

Deo said it was her husband who spotted a call-out for applications for the show, and B次元官网网址渕entioned it very audibly in front of my young daughter.B次元官网网址� At the girlB次元官网网址檚 insistence, Deo applied and ended up getting selected.

Wall of Chefs involves four home cooks who prepare up to three dishes for a B次元官网网址榳allB次元官网网址� of 12 celebrity chef judges such as Massimo Capra and Mark McEwan.

The first round, in which competitors choose their own crowd-pleaser to prepare, Deo cooked Southern-style shrimp and grits with crispy fried okra and chorizo. Her dish was chosen best of the challenge.

She had practised at home and was pretty confident she could complete all the elements in the 30-minute time limit once she got to the studio kitchen in Toronto.

B次元官网网址淭he facility there is absolutely any home cookB次元官网网址檚 dream B次元官网网址� they had anything you could possibly need and more,B次元官网网址� Deo said. B次元官网网址淪o that may have even been easier than cooking in my own kitchen.B次元官网网址�

The second stage of the competition required the home cooks to prepare a dish with ingredients from a B次元官网网址渃hefB次元官网网址檚 fridgeB次元官网网址� and the items were revealed to be eggplant, green onions and fish sauce. Deo made an eggplant and chickpea curry that chef Meeru Dhalwala and the other judges deemed their favourite dish of the challenge.

Deo said cooking in front of a wall of celebrity chefs adds B次元官网网址渋ts own elementB次元官网网址� to the competition.

B次元官网网址淚 tried to focus on what I was doing and took it one step at a time,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淎t that point, youB次元官网网址檙e there and the only way out is through. So if theyB次元官网网址檙e watching, theyB次元官网网址檙e watching. YouB次元官网网址檝e just got to do it.B次元官网网址�

In the final challenge, the home cooks were tasked with preparing an entr茅e-style salad and Deo decided on a warm grilled fruit salad with scallop ceviche. The other finalist shone in that challenge, too, and Deo said as they awaited the decision, she felt like sheB次元官网网址檇 already won just by going to compete and putting herself out there.

Being announced as the winner, she said, was incredible.

B次元官网网址淚 was really honoured by the win and IB次元官网网址檓 still riding that elated high,B次元官网网址� Deo said.

She won $10,000, which she used to take her family on a trip to Disneyland that she said was B次元官网网址渞eally magicalB次元官网网址� for her daughters.

B次元官网网址淭heyB次元官网网址檙e at that great age that it couldnB次元官网网址檛 have come at a better time to build lasting memories,B次元官网网址� she said.

Deo works part-time as a server and as a health-care assistant and stays home with her kids as much as she can, and isnB次元官网网址檛 sure whatB次元官网网址檚 next for her in her cooking. Wall of Chefs might have been her B次元官网网址�15 minutes,B次元官网网址� she said, but she would be interested in doing something else along those lines. SheB次元官网网址檚 also thought about having her own little caf茅 or food truck, B次元官网网址渂ut that will come when it comes.B次元官网网址�

Deo enjoyed the whole process of competing on Wall of Chefs, where she was met with nothing but kindness and encouragement. She said the show portrayed her as more confident than she felt, edited out her more nervous moments, and made everybody look good.

B次元官网网址淚 would say if thereB次元官网网址檚 anybody out there who sees an opportunity like that, absolutely, go for it,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淚t was so positive.B次元官网网址�

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