Sunday, April 20, 2014

Israeli Arab wins reality cooking show 'Master Chef'

Noff Otmana Ismail, Israeli Arab winner of 'Master Chef'

Nof Atamna-Ismaeel plans on using prize money to open Arab-Jewish cooking school.

Nof Atamna-Ismaeel won the fourth season of Israeli reality cooking show "Master Chef" on Saturday night.

Atamna-Ismaeel, 32,,  from the Israeli Arab town Baqa al-Gharbiyyewho cooks Arab food with a modern twist. She has a PhD in microbiolog and is  married with three kids.

Upon winning, Atamna-Ismaeel said it was "the most exciting moment in her life," and said she plans on using the prize money to open an Arab-Jewish cooking school.

The season, which aired on Channel 2, began with 14 contestants and was narrowed down to three for the finale.

The most-watched television show in Israel, Master Chef's semi-final, which was broadcast last week, was watched by 37.8% of households in Israel.

Last year, the finale of the third season broke record ratings, making it the most-viewed TV episode in Israeli history. That year Tom Franz, a German immigrant to Israel, won the cooking competition.