‘Food is such a big part of my life’: Winnipeg cook competing on MasterChef Canada

Winnipeg cook Daniel Ebanks is competing on Season 8 of MasterChef Canada.

A Winnipeg-based home cook is in the running to be the next MasterChef.

Daniel Ebanks is one of the 12 remaining contestants in Season 8 of MasterChef Canada, competing for a $100,000 prize.

“I have seen every single episode of MasterChef, and so it’s always been a dream of mine to compete on the show,” Ebanks told CTV News in an interview Monday. “Food is such a big part of my life, and that’s really why I want to compete.

“When I saw the opportunity to compete on season eight, I knew I had to jump on that opportunity for sure.”

Ebanks works in IT sales and described himself as a “super passionate home cook.” He said he is grateful to compete on the show.

Each week, contestants compete in individual or group culinary assignments until one remains.

Despite it being a competition, Ebanks had nothing but positive things to say about the other contestants, saying they’ve become friends.

“We’re all food nerds, we all love food,” he said. “We’re all so passionate about the culinary industry. So, it’s really great to meet people from outside of our province, across the country of Canada, and just bounce ideas off each other, sharing our experiences, our joys, our cultures.”

Taking part in the show has also helped enhance Ebanks’ home cooking.

“I think I have a lot of takeaways from the show. One of the biggest ones is really being pushed outside of my comfort zone,” he said. “You know what your weekly meals are that you cook at home. This really spans and makes you stretch out. So, learning other culture cuisines, the different food techniques, I really learned to step out of my comfort zone on the show.”

Ebanks said fans can expect a lot over the upcoming season.

“You can expect some serious competition, that is for sure,” he said. “You can also expect some really cool challenges. What you can expect to see for me is my heart and soul on a plate and full effort every single solitary cook. I’m really excited for people to see what I create and my creativity and watch that being put on a plate.”

MasterChef Canada airs Wednesdays on CTV.