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A longtime fan of the show, since it first debuted in the U.S., Scringer said she told herself if it ever came to Canada, she would try out. She closely watched the inaugural season of the Canadian version that ended with engineer Eric Chong claiming the title of Canada’s first MasterChef. Calgary’s Tammara Behl made it to the top 4 before she was eliminated in the penultimate episode after a “high-stakes” mystery box challenge.

“I felt close to Team Alberta,” Scringer said, referring to Behl and Dora Cote, a Rocky Mountain House plumber who became a fan favourite during the show’s run.

Now, Scringer hopes people here will be rooting for her.

As someone who has been cooking since she was little, being in the kitchen is almost second nature. Still, she admits she did practice her audition dish for friends before facing the judges.

“I didn’t overly prepare,” she said. “I did what I always do: I cooked a lot.”

While her day job isn’t directly connected to food, Scringer said being in the healthcare industry has her going in and out of hospitals where she can see the food in those institutions isn’t doing what it could, in terms of nutrients and flavour.

“In my opinion, it’s garbage,” she said, adding she wants to explore the idea of bettering hospital food to help people recover.

No matter the outcome of the show, Scringer said the experience reminded her cooking is something she’s passionate about and wants to pursue.

“For anyone who loves to cook and has dreams of cooking, follow your dreams,” she said.

The new season of MasterChef Canada will start Sunday, Feb. 1, following the Superbowl, on CTV.