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12-Year Old Chef Tavia Isaac Overcomes Crohn’s Disease To Win Food Network Competition and $10,000.

from: 10 . 04 . 17
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Tavia Isaac was only 8-years-old when she was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, a chronic inflammatory condition that affects parts of the digestive system. It was then, while in the hospital recovering from her diagnosis, that Tavia started watching Food Network’s Chopped and began pursuing her passion for cooking.

12-year old Tavia Isaac from Chester, Pennsylvania, had a big secret that she had to keep for four months. The secret was that she was chosen as the top winner on Food Network’s “Chopped Junior” show but she couldn’t tell anyone until the showed aired four months later back in August 2016. She won $10,000, and officially earned her title as a chef.



12-year old chef Tavia Isaac.

Food Network’s “Chopped Junior” show features children age 9-15 highlighting their cooking skills. Four young chefs are given 3-5 ingredients and 30 minutes to create a winning dish. Last April, Chef Tavia was selected as the top winner. Her dish included brown butter cornish hen, sautéed asparagus and brussel sprouts with blueberry ketchup, grilled minute steak with dragon tongue beans as an appetizer, and for dessert, cherry tart with banana meringue.

A family that loves to cook

Chef Tavia comes from a family that loves to cook, including her mother, Crystal, and her grandmother. When she was just 8 years old, she and her mother watched “Chopped” together, and that is how she learned to cook. When Isaac found out she was going to be on the show, she practiced every week with her grandmother, who would give her baskets of unusual foods and time her on how long it took to prepare a dish. The practice paid off big time, to the tune of $10,000.

Young chef Tavia Isaac and her mother, Crystal Isaac, display the knives and cookware given as gifts to Tavia by Chester Mayor Thaddeus Kirkland and City Council after she was honored and presented with a senate proclamation by Pennsylvania Sen. Tom Killion

Chester Mayor Thaddeus Kirkland and other members of Chester City Council presented Tavia with a complete set of Pioneer Woman cookware, as well as a set of professional cooking knives. As friends, family and officials watched, the young woman was called up to receive the honor. Tavia’s grandmother Annette Burton, who was also in attendance, is a former city councilwoman.

As thrilling as getting the recognition from the state and city was, Tavia was also impressed by the limousine that picked her up and drove her to city hall. Mom Crystal knew about the special surprise limo ride that council had arranged for the young celebrity chef, but held it a secret from her daughter until it pulled up in front of their home.

“I’ve only been in funeral limos,” Tavia remarked candidly. “This was the very first time I got to ride in a limousine for something good!”



More than just a contest

With the money she won, Chef Tavia took her family on a vacation, bought her brother a laptop, and gave presents to other family members. But she also donated some of her winnings to a local charity for the homelesss.

Crystal Isaac and her daughter, Chef Tavia Isaac, 12, hold up the Pennsylvania Senate proclamation presented to Tavia by Sen. Tom Killion this week at the Chester Council meeting. City Council sent a limousine to pick up Tavia and bring her to Chester City Hall for the presentation.

Other opportunities have been opened up to her, she says she would like to host her own cooking show someday with her mother. In the meantime, she is enjoying being a celebrity!

While on the ‘Good Day’ set, Tavia and mom Crystal met the folks from Destination Dogs, a relatively new restaurant at 11th and Walnut streets in Philadelphia, who were also ‘Good Day’ guests. The restaurateurs not only shared their exotic hot dogs and sausages with the young chef on the show, but they invited Crystal and Tavia to eat at their center city restaurant.

“As a chef, I love to try new foods,” Tavia explained. “So Destination Dogs is right up my alley. I tried hotdogs and sausages made out of python, alligator, shrimp and wild boar – they were all so delicious.”

“When it comes to food, she’s a complete daredevil,” her mom laughed. “That’s the chef in her! She’s always willing to try any new food, especially if she likes its looks and presentation.”


For more details about Chef Tavia Isaac, visit www.cheftavia.com or follow her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/cheftavia




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