Kiwi chef, 12-year- old Melinda Stokes, poses at her station for Chopped Junior, a US Food Network reality cooking game show.

Melinda Stokes will be more than 14,000 kilometres away from New York when she makes her US television debut.

The Kiwi 12-year- old will feature on today's episode of the Food Network's Chopped Junior, a reality cooking game show where four chefs aged 9 to 15 compete against each other for a chance to win $10,000.

Stokes grew up in Lower Hutt before spending two years in New York City with her mother, former Good Morning host Sarah Bradley. She has just moved to Auckland to live with her father Peter Stokes.

Peter said Melinda made it through an intensive selection process. She had to make video applications and do a number of phone and skype interviews.

"I understand there was more than 5000 applicants. It's huge over there, there were billboards in every subway," he said.

﻿READ MORE:

* Kids in the kitchen

* TV's foodie kids have an appetite for success



Melinda entered the competition after hearing about it at school in New York. She had always enjoyed being in the kitchen and was excited to make the cut.

"I've always cooked. I was never a good chef or anything, I just liked to cook. But then when I got told I got into Chopped Junior I started to cook a lot."

The chefs had to make three meals – an appetizer, entree and dessert – out of a mystery basket of ingredients. Melinda said the 30 minute time limit for each dish was the hardest part: "It went really fast."

The celebrity judges - Austin Mahone, Raquel Pelzel and Aaron Sanchez - talked a lot about New Zealand and asked her questions.

Her mum had given her advice before filming and it was interesting to see what went into the shows behind the scenes.

The cooking was the shortest part. There was a lot of preparation and waiting while the set was cleaned after each round. Filming took an entire day, she said.

She would be open to more TV experience and plans to keep cooking.

"I think that cooking is my favourite [hobby] because I get to do a lot of different things."

She is not able to talk about the details or results of the episode until it airs in the US. It doesn't currently air in New Zealand, but she said her mother would record it for her.

"I'm really excited. The only sad thing is that I don't get to watch it live."