“MasterChef Canada” returns for a new season this week and one Maritime home cook will be among those competing for the top prize. Raiza Daniel grew up in a small village in Colombia and now calls Nova Scotia home. The 43-year-old interior designer says she enjoys sharing her Latin-inspired dishes through dinner clubs. “Everything is about food (in South America) and we always get together to share a meal and that just brings people together,” Daniel told Your Morning Atlantic’s Crystal Garrett. “I love having people over in my house, cook for them, and that’s just the best way that I express love to the people I care for.” Daniel says it’s much more challenging to cook while under pressure in the “MasterChef Canada” kitchen. “But it just really shows a big part of myself that I can work under pressure, I can do things and I can get things done, although sometimes it can be very hectic,” she says, adding you have to do a lot pivoting while on the show. “You have to really be creative in some ways, sometimes things are not going to work, sometimes the technology’s not going to work, and you just have to pivot.” Daniel says she’s always been a big fan of “MasterChef Canada” and her husband and kids encouraged her to sign up. She plans on watching the Season 9 premiere of the cooking competition Tuesday night with her family and friends in Halifax. “It’s pretty surreal, to actually see myself on television, being from Columbia and now being on national television in Canada, it’s a big accomplishment for myself,” she says. TV host and Season 3 winner Mary Berg returns as a judge this season along with internationally-acclaimed chef and author Hugh Acheson and chef-restaurateur Craig Wong. World-renowned chef and “MasterChef” judge Gordon Ramsay is also set to make a special appearance. Daniel will compete against 15 other Canadian home cooks for a chance to win a $100,000 cash prize and the title of “MasterChef Canada” champion. Rebecca Abbot of Gander, N.L., is the only other competitor from Atlantic Canada. “MasterChef Canada” airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ADT on CTV and streams next day on Crave. For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
