MasterChef Canada Season 9: Rebecca Abbott
Rebecca Abbott brought her Newfoundland roots and love of cooking to MasterChef Canada Season 9. After earning a white apron in the premiere, her journey ended during the rice-themed Mystery Box challenge. We caught up with the Gander home cook to talk about watching herself on TV, the family memories behind her passion for food, and the food truck she hopes to build with her husband.
TEM (The Extra Mile) : How does it feel watching everything back? Because you’re based in Newfoundland, correct?
Rebecca: Yeah, I’m in Gander, Newfoundland. That’s a question I’ve prepared for, but yet now I’m speechless, which is a first for me. It’s humbling. It really is. You put yourself out there on TV and you hope that how you are. This is how I am, I swear. I’m like that on TV as I am in person. And you hope that that reflects accordingly. So seeing that, I’m like, okay, that is me. It’s not twisted at all. I am that goofy person who cries a lot. Yeah. Um, the fluffy golden retrievers. I jokingly call myself, um, that’s who. I am, and I’m pretty proud of myself, and it was a fun experience.
TEM: What was the first thing your kids asked you about when you were on MasterChef Canada?
Rebecca : So I have a four-year-old, was soon to be five, and an 18-month-old as of last week, so the youngest doesn’t know. My oldest, when she first found out, I remember I picked her up from daycare, and I’m like, I’m going to tell her it’s out in the world, I’m so excited. And I, like, sit her in the car, and I’m like, Morgan, Mom has something really cool to tell you. And she rolls her eyes and goes, oh, I know you’re on TV. You lied to me. And then I was, so now that it’s like we’ve watched a bit of the episode, she’s like, so that’s you? And I’m like, yeah. She’s like, so that’s where you were gone? I’m like, yeah. And then she’s like, okay. Not really phased, she’s four, and like, yeah, just doesn’t understand the gravity of it yet. When she gets older, she’ll either be like, my mom, that was so cool, or like, oh, mom’s so embarrassing.
TEM: When we kind of look back at the episode, what was your first thoughts kind of when you opened the mystery rice box or the mystery box?
Rebecca: At first, I was like, yeah, I got this. And then all of a sudden, like my anxiety kicked in. I’m very big advocate for mental health and having postpartum depression and anxiety myself. I was like, oh, like, what am I going to do? And then it just started filtering through my head. like, and now it’s fluffy rice. And I was kind of like, I was really perplexed. I was very, very, uh, outside of my element. Uh, rice is not something I cook with all the time. Um, it’s not really my thing. Um, so I was very fluster busted, just kind of like, oh, as I’m sure everyone else in the episode was equally as flustered.
TEM: What’s a dish that you typically, because I know, you know, Newfoundland is like, I mean, this, this could be my take on it. I know there’s a lot of meat and potatoes, but what’s kind of like a general dish that you kind of wish that you got to show?
Rebecca : Oh my goodness. Homemade pasta. Um, some of my like. I like to call it like mad baking skills, just more of like my small bites. I call my food like a memorable bite, like a moment that connects us and kind of like brings that humble, like I wish I had that opportunity. So unfortunately, rice was where it was.
TEM: Well, what would that dish be like? What is your to-go-to dish then when you want to impress?
Rebecca: Oh goodness, like a bolognese or like a talaguete, like a really nice, yeah, like a lamb dish with bolognese, like a lamb dish with pasta or a veal dish with pasta, something like that, little more like stick to your guts.
TEM: Is there any home cook that you would have wanted to invite over for dinner? All of them, I’d feed them all. Marshall and I share the same birthday. found that out long after the show was over. So yeah, I’d love to have Marshall over, bring him down from Toronto and spoil him with some Newfie love.
TEM: Was there any dish that you wish that you had a chance to make or anything that you wanted to showcase other than kind of what we talked about a bit earlier?
Rebecca: Well, it was a blessing to get a white apron in the first round, but it would have been really nice to showcase my dish, like everyone else got the opportunity. I had a pretty good one. I had like a little potato cake with like a Newfoundland berry sauce, like that kind of thing would have been really nice. So it was also a blessing to get the apron first, but it still would have been nice to show some culinary skill on my, my time, not like, bam, mystery box, rice.
TEM: I want to hear more about kind of like your experience on how like cooking became such a passion of yours or like, like, how did that kind of come about?
Rebecca : Well, um, young child, I used to follow my mom around the kitchen and instead of like some kids like nagging, I’d be like, can I have that? Or like, what’s that? My Aunt Marion, who’s passed away probably 20 odd years ago, she was a home economics teacher. She was really big in our life, making sure we are well aware that food is important, not just for nourishment, but for connection. It brings us together. My food moment, I think I’ve shared through other interviews have been like 16 year olds won a birthday party. Mom and dad were like, what do you want? And I was like, rabbit stew with a puff pastry. And everyone was kind of like, but I remember like, we have a huge family, everyone getting together and we’re a chatty bunch, as I’m sure you’re realizing. And everyone was just quiet. Like that silence just hit. All you could hear was just like the scattered quiet eating, that calm, that, that moment.And that, that’s what connects me to food. It’s not necessarily what it is, but it’s, it’s that memorable moment with who you’re with. It’s that bite that connects us all, no matter where you’re from.
TEM: If you could describe your MasterChef Canada experience, let’s say in three words, what would that be?
Rebecca: Oh, that’s a really good shot. That’s a I’m humbled, blessed, my goodness, third one. Just amazing.
TEM: What’s next for you then now, kind of with this whole experience behind you?
Rebecca : I guess the story is out there. And everyone was well aware that I just didn’t shag off somewhere. My youngest was quite young when I took off. And they’re all like, you just got back to work. Where are you going? Yeah, it’s a really small town. And for a lot of people, it’s kind of odd when you’re back to work. And it’s like, where did she go? What can she tell us? Now that it’s kind of all behind, I’m excited that I got the opportunity to do it. Representing my province and my little small town of Gander, and I’m really looking forward to the years to come with my girls growing up and spending time with my husband and working on our food truck slowly and steadily and making it our own little little dream coffee cart serving memorable small bites.
TEM: We’re about going the extra mile. So what does the extra mile mean to you?
Rebecca: Oh, um, I think the extra mile for me was actually applying. My youngest, my youngest was nine months old. It was Christmas. I was like, nah, I can’t do this. Like, don’t apply. You’re not good enough for this. And then I think it was around probably January. And I saw the posts on Facebook, like three days left or four days left, whatever it was. And I was like, I want my girls to always know that mom’s going to do what she wants. And to be proud of me. And that I put myself first. Um, so I just did it. And that was my extra mile.
Catch the next episode of MasterChef Canada on Sept 29 on CTV and Sept 30 on Crave