GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A Grand Rapids Community College (GRCC) professor is ready to show off her skills on Food Network's hit competition show "Chopped" after years of practice.
Jenn Struik—who teaches in the culinary program at GRCC, runs her own business and has worked with hospitals as a dietician—will be appearing on the June 27 episode.
"Chopped," which first started back in 2009, challenges contestants by giving them a basket of ingredients that make unlikely pairings. They then have a set amount of time to create a dish using those ingredients. Three rounds are held—appetizer, entrée and dessert—with one contestant being sent home each round.
The winner takes home a $10,000 prize.
Struik has been preparing for her moment on "Chopped" since she was a student at City High School in Grand Rapids. She and her friends would select random ingredients from their kitchens and attempt to make cohesive dishes with them, emulating the show.
Struik did several Zoom interviews with show staff before being selected to appear on the show—something she said came as a surprise.
“I found out just a few weeks before, sometime in September I think,” she said. “We had just started a new semester here (at GRCC), so there was a lot of scrambling I had to do to make it work. But it was totally worth it.”
The episode was filmed in October 2022.
Struik said that while she battled against her competitors in the kitchen, they quickly became friends and still keep in touch.
“We all sat in the green room and kind of just talked,” she said. “And that's where you start to size people up a little bit and try to figure out who your competition is. But everybody was great. We had a friendly group and to this day, we still have a group chat, and we all talk, so it was a really good experience in that regard.”
While Struik knows the outcome of the episode, she said watching it air will bring back a flood of emotions.
“Feeling proud of the journey in my career so far,” she said. “And having these opportunities and such wonderful experiences.”
This is not Struik's first time appearing on a cooking competition show. She previously won an episode of "Supermarket Stakeout", which also aired on Food Network.
Struik's episode of "Chopped" will air Tuesday, June 27 on Food Network.
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