Hudson Valley Chef to Appear on Food Network’s ‘Chopped’

A local chef will be appearing on the Thanksgiving episode of "Chopped" on the Food Network.

As a National Burger Champion and executive chef at Monte's Local Kitchen and Taproom in Amenia you'd think Dafna Mizrahi could handle just about anything that's thrown at her in the kitchen. Well, you may be right, but Mizrahi admits that after filming the Thanksgiving episode of "Chopped" she was completely exhausted.

Mizrahi attended the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park and spent a year running a burger shop in New York City before moving back to the Hudson Valley to open Monte's in Amenia. The chef says she got the attention of Food Network producers after winning a national burger competition in South Dakota.

You may be surprised to know just how long it really takes to film an episode of "Chopped." In our short interview, Mizrahi tells us all about the experience of being on the Food Networkand gives some expert tips on how you can win your own "Chopped" challenge at home by utilizing those Thanksgiving leftovers for something a little more elegant than sandwiches:

Mizrahi can't tell us how she did on "Chopped" but she does promise that there is "more to come" so be sure to stay tuned. The episode will air for the first time on Thanksgiving evening at 10pm on the Food Network.

You can sample some of Chef Dafna Mizrahi's award-winning food at Monte's Local Kitchen and Taproom. The restaurant will be celebrating their one year anniversary with a winter block party on December 12 with a ribbon cutting, giveaways, pony rides, tree lighting and cocktails.