How’s this for a recipe? One reality cooking show and twelve contestants competing for ten weeks. Now only three remain and one is from Louisville, Kentucky. Damaris Phillips, a 32 year old southern gal, is competing for her own television show on the Food Network.
Damaris has been tinkering in the kitchen since she was young. She grew up cooking for her large family one night a week and quickly found that she had a passion for food. Damaris graduated with a degree in culinary arts from Jefferson Community and Technical College. She currently teaches at her alma mater and uses her fun personality and skills to help her students learn about the art of cooking.
This is the ninth season of Food Network Star and boy have the contestants been challenged this year. The crazy culinary challenges include a burger-bash, a live-television challenge and a dinner-and-movie performance.
Damaris has made it through all the challenges, surpassing her fellow competitors primarily using her “awkwardly sexy” personality.
Damaris’ opponents include Rodney Henry, a pie expert from Baltimore, and Russell Jackson, a sweet-tooth experimenter from San Francisco.
However, nothing can truly beat good-old Southern cooking. Like Damaris says, “Southern food is the food of love.”
Challenge after challenge, Damaris has wowed the judges with her love of Southern cuisine. Damaris claims that she can “make a pecan pie that can make a girl cry” and that “Southern food is the way to a woman’s heart.”
Damaris does not crack under pressure. When she sees that the judges are not immediately intrigued by her meals or ideas, Damaris knows how to whip up solutions and create wonderful dishes on the fly. She doesn’t let rejection get her down and only uses criticism to better herself and her cooking.
Louisvillians are naturally proud of Damaris and certainly not shy of showing it. Twitter is blowing up her account, @ChefDPhillips, with comments and cheers. Louisville Waterfront (@wfpark) tweeted, “@ChefDPhillips way to represent Louisville! We are all proud! Vote vote vote! The @BELLELOUISVILLE loves southern belles! #eatdatelove.”
Damaris has used her local, southern cooking experience and talent to create the premise of “Eat. Date. Love.”, a show she will host if she wins. “Eat. Date. Love.” helps teach a non-cook-baker-chief how to cook a simple, romantic dinner for their significant other.
Damaris’ is cute and fun to watch, even if you’re not interested in cooking. She is funny, talented, and an all-around entertaining person to watch. A wonderful personality for a television show. And why not...she’s from Louisville, Kentucky.
Hurry and vote! Time is running out! Polls close in less then two days!
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Tune in Sunday, August 11 at 9pm/8c to see who wins!
