Amanda Saab.

DEARBORN — This week, 26-year-old Dearborn native Amanda Saab began her stint as a contestant on FOX’s sixth season of “MasterChef.”

Airing Wednesdays at 8 p.m., “MasterChef” is a competitive cooking reality show aimed at finding the best amateur and home chefs across the country. Week after week, contestants will compete with their own signature dishes and face challenges that will be judged by chefs Gordon Ramsay, Graham Elliot and Christina Tosi until one remains in the finale.

Her participation on the program makes her the first Arab American Muslim to join a cooking competition show.

Saab, who was born in Dearborn and raised there and in Dearborn Heights, will be bringing her unique Mediterranean-American fusion dishes to the table, for a chance to be crowned the MasterChef. If she succeeds, she will come home with a $250,000 check, her own cookbook and a trophy.

In an interview with The Arab American News, Saab discussed the journey that led her to landing a spot on “MasterChef.” 

Shortly after getting married, Saab and her husband moved to Seattle after he was offered a new job. There, she began a career as a social worker while developing a hobby centered around cooking. She would blog about her unique recipes and they received a positive reception. 

She and her husband were big fans of the cooking competition show and one day decided to respond to an ad that asked for chefs to audition for the program.

“It was our anniversary gift to each other,” Saab said. “We went down and I auditioned in Los Angeles. We were totally up for a new adventure.”

Saab said she’s excited to be sharing some of her recipes on national television.

“The type of food that I like to make is Mediterranean modern cuisine,” Saab said. “I take the traditional flavors I grew up with in my family and incorporate modern techniques. A fusion and blend of Arabic food and American food is definitely something I love to demonstrate.”

On her website, www.amandasplate.com, she showcases recipes for various offerings, including appetizers, dinners, and desserts. Dishes showcased on the blog include Mediterranean zucchini boats, jalapeño popper chicken and Sriracha chicken.

Her own favorite recipe is a baklava cheesecake, which is a good example of a traditional Middle Eastern pastry that is given a modern American twist. She said the reception to her recipes have been fantastic thus far.

“I think people are really excited about the things I’m creating,” Saab added. “It’s innovative, new and tells a story of who I am on a plate.”

This week, Saab returned to Dearborn to celebrate the premiere of the show with her family and friends. She hosted a premiere party at Midnight Cafe, a hookah lounge. Friends and family were asked to bring food items for donation to Gleaners Food Bank.

Saab said she has been grateful for the overwhelming support from the community. Since she was announced as a contestant on the show, she’s been receiving constant feedback from community members on social media. 

She noted that she was nervous at first to be thrust into the spotlight as a Muslim woman who wears a hijab, but said that the response has been nothing short of positive.

“I was kind of nervous because there could be backlash and I experienced it in my everyday life being a Muslim in America,” Saab said. “But so far everything has been positive. I have an amazing amount of support that I’ve been receiving from the Arab and Muslim community and from social workers. I’m so fortunate to have so many people rooting for me and supporting me.”

In the premiere episode, Saab battled against 39 other cooks and received an apron to advance to the next round of the competition, along with 21 other competing chefs from around the country. 

While the season was shot late last year, contestants are not able to reveal how far along they make it into the show.

“You will have to watch and see,” Saab said.