Asheville resident heads to reality television cooking competition, 'Top Chef'
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Rising star chefs will attempt to shine in a stellar culinary competition set in Houston, and Asheville's Ashleigh Shanti is among them.
Bravo's "Top Chef" reality cooking competition's 19th season will premiere March 3 on Bravo. Episodes will air at 8 p.m. Thursdays.
Fifteen contestants from cities coast to coast will compete.
Shanti is the chef/creator of Good Hot Fish, a local fish fry pop-up. The Virginia Beach native specializes in cuisine that pays homage to coastal Virginia and the Black foodways. Shanti's culinary expertise ranges from Northern Italian to classic French to Southern Appalachian.
Formerly the chef de cuisine at John Fleer's Benne on Eagle in Asheville, Shanti was recognized as the 2019 Eater Young Gun awardee and 2020 James Beard "Rising Star Chef of the Year" finalist.
It will be Shanti's first time to compete in a televised cooking competition.
"I decided to compete on Top Chef because I know I can level up against some of the best in our industry," Shanti said in an email. "I hope to gain the opportunity to show off the cuisine our part of the South has to offer."
The new season of "Top Chef" was filmed in Houston. Many challenges will incorporate iconic regional cuisine, as well as ethnically diverse dishes that reflect the city's culinary identity. Contestants will be tasked to prepare and present dishes popular with Houston locals, such as barbecue, biscuits, queso and Tex-Mex fajitas. Also, the chefs will create "space-friendly" dishes for former astronauts and learn to fish in the Gulf of Mexico among other adventures.
"This season of 'Top Chef' brings together a highly-skilled group of chefs of diverse backgrounds and we’re all ready to show our talents," Shanti said.
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"Top Chef" is hosted by Padma Lakshmi with head judge Tom Colicchio and Gail Simmons. Guest appearances will be made by world-renowned and Houstonian chefs.
The competing chefs will face eliminations and vie for prizes throughout the season.
The contestant who wins the title of "Top Chef" at the season finale will receive $250,000 furnished by S.Pellegrino Sparkling Natural Mineral Water, a feature in "Food & Wine" magazine and will make an appearance at the annual Food & Wine Classic in Aspen.
For more about "Top Chef," visit bravotv.com/top-chef. For more about Ashleigh Shanti, follow her on Instagram or visit foodordeath.com.
Tiana Kennell is the food and dining reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Email her at tkennell@citizentimes.com or follow her on Twitter/Instagram @PrincessOfPage.
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Asheville's Ashleigh Shanti competes on Bravo's 'Top Chef'
