Shanning Mejia

My signature dish is my stuffed salmon. Though quite simple, I feel it describes me as a chef. It’s a very versatile dish that can be prepared in many different ways, yet delicious in each state. Ive prepared a simple week night Blackened Salmon stuffed with cream cheese, parm, spinach, and lump crab. Or, If I’m feeling a bit fancy, I may prepare a lemon dill salmon stuffed with a mixture of Greek yogurt, Kalamata olive, capers, and sun-dried tomatoes. Both being quite a hit with my

My culinary inspiration has to be Emeril Lagasse. Though my mother and grandmother taught me many family recipes growing up , my eldest and fondest memories are of watching Emeril. Emeril inspired me to start experimenting with cooking at a very young age. Without Emeril, cooking would be just a survival technique, but instead it became my passion. Cooking is not only an artistic outlet, but a comforting pastime, and a way to show love to the people closest to me. Bam! lol.

With the $25,000 prize, I would immediately purchase a food truck. Owning a food truck has been my dream for a very long time. Though I have been working toward my dream, sometimes life puts dreams on pause. So, as cliche as it may sound, winning Favorite Chef would literally be a dream come true for me.