Kyla Curry, an eighth-grader at East Hamilton Middle/High, knows how to chop, measure, and prepare some great dishes, and her cooking ability helped her rise to the top to win the Chopped Jr. cooking reality show last night. The show aired on the Food Network series at 8 p.m. The show Kayla appeared on was recorded over the summer in New York.
Chopped Jr. is a cooking competition for young aspiring chefs where the TV show contestants prepare an appetizer, entrée, and a dessert for show judges. A contestant is chopped or exits the competition after each course until a winner is declared at the end of the show. The show Kyla participated in had a holiday theme.
Kyla took the top prize of $10,000 for showing off her cooking skills for the national audience. Kyla has been cooking since she was very young and developed her skills watching and cooking with family. She loves to cook soul food, and her signature dish is shrimp and grits.
Cooking is not her only interest and skill as Kyla is still weighing her options for a career. She certainly has culinary skills she could explore, but she is also considering using her math and science knowledge to explore careers in engineering. As an eighth-grader, Kyla has plenty of time and talent.
Photo: Kyla Curry, an eighth-grader at East Hamilton Middle/High.