Competing on Food Network 'like a dream' for Gwich'in home cook

As she makes caribou stirfry in her kitchen in Tsiigehtchic, N.W.T., JenniLee Vaneltsistill can't quite believe her recent brush with fame.

Back in September, the Gwich'in cook traded in her kitchen for the bright lights of a Food Network studio, competing on the new show Wall of Chefs.

"I've always sat on my couch and looked at the TV and said:'one of these days I'm gonna be on that show,'" she said.

"It was on my bucket list.'

Vaneltsi has always loved cooking, and her food is a big hit in her home community of Fort McPherson.

However, a recent experience took her confidence to a new level.Vaneltsi spent the past summer working for LJ Contracting as a chef at a camp for the company.

"I had to cook for up to 25 in a camp," she said. "I just happened to be working alone at [the] time which made my confidence just rise through the roof."

Take a chance. You only live once.- JenniLee Vaneltsi

So when a friend sent her an application about a new show looking for home chefs, she took a chance and applied. A few months later, she was in Toronto, on set.

The show centres around four different home chefs each episode, whotake part in three culinary rounds with a "wall" of 12 world-renowned chefs who rotate throughout the episodes. The winner gets a $10,000prize.

'Anything you wanted to cook with, it was there'

Vaneltsi said having unlimited options of fresh food that she could use for her dishes was a big change.

"It was like a dream," said Vaneltsi. "There was a whole pantry and everything was just fresh. There was a butcher. Anything you wanted to cook with it, was there.It wasn't like back home,in McPherson."

She said she was the most northern contestant, and it was important to her to raise awareness about issues close to her heart: the Arctic National Wildlife Refugeand the Peel River watershed.

"That's where caribou go when they have their young ones and they pass through our territory too," she said. "[Caribou] is one of our main resources for food and we kind of want to protect that from oil and gas development."

The show premieres on Feb. 3, and her episode will air on Feb. 10.

She looks forward to turning it on and watching it with her daughters.

"My passion for food after this experience, has went to another level."

Vaneltsi said she feels that this opportunity will open more doors, and she has a dream of opening a bakery in Fort McPherson.

She acknowledges that this type of unique experience doesn't always happen for northerners, but she also has advice for others who may want to follow in her footsteps.

"For those of you out there that has that passion of cooking and know that you could broaden your experience within the world showing off your expertise in the kitchen ... go for it. It's worth a try. Step out of your boundary! Take a chance. You only live once."