Allie Dubler to be featured on Food Network’s show “Chopped Junior.”
What started off as a tasty hobby turned competitive when 12-year-old Allie Dubler was asked to compete on Food Network’s show, Chopped Junior. For Allie, a seventh-grade student at Medford Memorial Middle School, this opportunity not only gave her the chance to show off her vast cooking skills, but to also witness television production first-hand.
“I was so happy when I found out I would be on the show that I was almost on the verge of crying tears of joy,” Allie said. “It was one of the best moments of my life and definitely made me more interested in cooking.”
Dating back to last August, Allie’s mother Janice first found an application to participate on Chopped Junior on jscasting.com, and she immediately thought of her daughter. After expressing a clear interest in baking and cooking, Janice believed her daughter stood a fair chance of being selected for the show.
Within the next month, the family heard back from the casting agency, and Allie was asked to take part in two Skype interviews. Not long after, it was confirmed that Allie was a Food Network selection and was to be invited to take part in the filming of an episode called “Pizza Party” in New York City.
“It was such a great experience for her, and I was so happy that she was selected to showcase her talent,” Janice said. “Allie’s a great cook for her age, and she works really hard, is creative and has a lot of fun with it.”
On the day before the filming of the all-pizza competition, Janice drove her daughter to the Big Apple so Allie could record individual interview segments, tour the set and receive a list of cooking and show rules. Although Allie admitted she was extremely nervous, she said she loved getting to see how the show’s production and operation really worked.
After staying overnight in a hotel with other contestants on the show, Allie woke up at 6 a.m. the following day, ate breakfast with her competitors and then was picked up in a car to head to the studio at roughly 8 a.m. An exhausting day for the pre-teen, Allie recalls the day as being difficult and stressful, yet not impossible.
Helping her to feel comfortable, Allie made friends with her competitors, all of whom shared a similar interest in cooking and many of whom she still keeps in contact with through social media. She also noted how much she enjoyed meeting the show’s host, Ted Allen, and how dramatic he was.
“Overall, I don’t know if I want to someday pursue a career in cooking, but I would like to do something with it part-time,” Allie said. “I also would want to be able to cook for my family and be able to enjoy it.”
Allie said her favorite meal to cook is chicken breast, which she spices up with a variety of seasoning. She also likes to pair this entree with a vegetable on the side.
To watch Allie’s cooking skills in action, tune into her debut on Chopped Junior on Tuesday, Jan. 31 at 8 p.m. on Food Network. The show will run again on Wednesday, Feb. 1 at 3 a.m. and Sunday, Feb. 12 at 4 p.m.
