Winner will appear in Taste of Home magazine, cook with Carla Hall, and take home $25,000
Home cook with a purpose! I turn meals into impact, feeding my community with care. $25K would help me serve more and grow this mission.
You decide who will appear in Taste of Home magazine, and win $25,000!
Want to learn more about our competition?
Learn MoreWant to be notified if their position changes?
Receive Text Updates
My signature dish is my chicken schnitzel with red cabbage. It’s more than just a meal to me, it reminds me of family gathered together during the holidays, sharing stories and spending time around the table. There’s something comforting and nostalgic about it, and I feel like it has a way of bringing people together and creating connection through food.
Who is your culinary inspiration?Martha Stewart inspires me because she turns food into an experience. She creates meals that feel beautiful, welcoming, and intentional, and that’s something I strive for in my own cooking. I want the food I make to not only taste amazing, but also bring comfort, connection, and a sense of care to the people enjoying it.
What would you do with the $25,000?If I won the $25,000 from Favorite Chef, I would use it to expand my mission of serving homemade meals to people facing food insecurity in my community. Cooking is more than food to me; it’s comfort, connection, and making people feel cared for. This opportunity would help me create more meals, reach more people, and continue building a space where everyone feels like they have a place at the table.
Vote for Mary Leighton to be the next Favorite Chef while supporting a great cause! Cast your free daily vote below, or make an even bigger impact when you vote by donation, supporting the James Beard Foundation and their mission to lead chefs and the broader culinary industry toward a new standard of excellence.
