Galway home cook fighting for RTE show Christmas title
She will take on seven other contestants for the crown
A Galway woman is fighting to take the title of RTE’s Christmas Home Cook of the Year.
The Today Show announced their eight finalists for its festive amateur cook competition selecting 48-year-old Kiltevna native Ailish O'Dowd.
A Marketing Consultant by trade, Ailish says she has a “passion for vegetarian food” which she hopes will help her stand out from the rest.
Following the success of the competition last season, the show put a call-out to viewers for exceedingly good Christmas cooks to take part in a new competition.
Eight home cooks from seven different counties have been shortlisted for their festive dishes and have been mentored by chef Trisha Lewis.
Plucked from the bunch of entries, Ailish says she’s “quite shy” but is pushing herself to “try new things”.
She said: “I’m 47 (almost 48!) and I'm from Kiltevna in Galway. I work as a Marketing Consultant, but I love cooking, particularly healthy vegetarian food made with quality ingredients. I'm trying to turn my father into a vegetarian meal at a time. For my first cook with Trisha, I made a Rustic Vegetarian Bake with Yogurt Flatbread.”
Presenters Dáithí Ó Sé, Maura Derrane and Sinead Kennedy revealed the finalists on the show this week with voting for viewers' favourite 'Christmas Home Cook' beginning on Thursday.
RTE say: “The final four in the competition will get the chance to cook live in the TODAY show kitchen in the semi-finals. The grand finale will take place live on the show on Monday 7 December. The final will be a highlight of the TODAY show festive celebrations in Christmas week.”
“The winner of TODAY 'Christmas Home Cook' competition will win a two-day course in the Dunbrody Country House cookery school with two nights B&B for two people with one dinner, at Dunbrody Country house Hotel. Tune in to the TODAY show Monday to Friday from 3.30pm on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player.”