It’s not often that someone gets the chance to meet a “Chopped Jr.” winner. Going to school with one is even more unlikely! But to all of her classmates, senior Catalina Frías is one of those talented kids. Although food has held meaning for her all of her life, her passion for creating delicious meals in the kitchen started when she was a toddler.
“I started cooking basically from when I could hold a whisk,” Frías said. “There are videos of me at 2 years old cooking cranberry sauce for Thanksgiving!”
But it wasn’t until she was in elementary school that she realized that she could showcase her skills nationwide. After receiving a flyer to sign up for the Kids Baking Championship at a baking camp she attended, Frías knew that she wanted to take her talent to the next level. Her mom reminded her that baking was not her forte, and so along with her sister, she signed up for the kid’s cooking show, “Chopped Jr.” Although this may sound like an easy process, it was actually very lengthy.
“I had to go through applications and interviews for months,” Frias said. “I had hundreds of contracts to sign and I met every producer and executive before getting accepted. On top of that they needed proof that I could cook so I had to record myself chopping a tomato and an onion and cooking a dish.”
Despite all of these challenges, all of her hard work paid off. At age 9, she ended up winning the competition. Since then, Frías’ love for cooking has only continued to bloom. She enjoys making culinary diverse meals, ranging from Korean and Indian, and even celebrates cooking Asian food inspired by her own Chinese heritage.
“My mom is definitely the more adventurous cook, she made us all kinds of dishes as kids and she’s the reason I know a lot about Asian cooking,” Frias said. “We always have MSG, soy sauce and gochujang in our house.”
Having the ability to create a variety of meals has made Frias the family cook. Her sisters like to joke that she is their private chef, and her parents love when she makes dinners for them. But it wasn’t until this year, when the Culinary Club was officially established, that Frias could share her skills with the students at OLLA.
“The Culinary Club was actually my friend Nikki Blasco’s idea,” Frias said. “She preached to me about making this club together and I thought it was a great idea!”
The club has a lot of plans for their inaugural year. From service projects to cooking classes, there are plenty of opportunities for students to get involved in Lourdes and help the greater community of Miami. As the seasons start to change, bringing comfort food to those who can’t afford it will guarantee a smile on their faces.
This story was originally published on The Grotto on September 30, 2024.
