Today's TV Home Cook: Voting is now open!
Today's TV Home Cook is a nationwide search to find Ireland's next standout home cook.
In late March, eight contestants from across the country were hand-picked and mentored by chef Trisha Lewis as they took on a series of cooking challenges in a professional TV kitchen for the very first time.
The cooking contestants have now been whittled down to four semi-finalists, who are set to take part in a live semi-final cook-off. From there, the two finalists will face off in a live grand final.
At 4.20pm today, voting will be open to the public and will remain open until 6pm on Monday, 18 May. We want you to vote for the two home cooks that you want to see go head-to-head on the final.
Vote for your two finalists on rte.ie/tvhomecook now!
Meet the Semi-Finalists:
Margaret Leahy
Connemara woman Margaret Leahy is 65 years of age and is the owner of Fable Tours.
A passionate farm-to-table cook, Margaret loves creating simple seasonal dishes using produce from her own garden alongside fresh Irish fish and meat.
She describes herself as "warm, empathetic and good craic" and says cooking is at the heart of family life, happiest when everyone is gathered around the table eating, laughing and slagging each other.
Margaret's signature dish is her roast leg of lamb served with new potatoes, garden peas, mange tout and baby carrots — a meal she only cooks when all the ingredients are perfectly in season.
Margaret Leahy
Despite never having any formal training and not even taking Home Economics in school, Margaret applied for TV Home Cook to showcase the incredible quality of Irish food and local produce.
In her pre-recorded cook with mentor Trisha Lewis, Margaret made her Dillisk Scones & Wild Garlic Pesto, a dish inspired by Irish flavours and foraged ingredients. She says that while the experience initially felt daunting, she quickly settled in once she started cooking.
For her semi-final cook, Margaret prepared a comforting Fish Pie with Nettle Champ, served with a salad of local leaves — a dish that perfectly reflects her love of seasonal Irish ingredients and relaxed family-style cooking.
Dee Freney
42-year old Mayo woman Dee Freney works as an Adult Educator and is an award-winning home baker.
Describing herself as kind, caring and fun, Dee cooks from the heart, creating comforting traditional dishes with creative gluten-free twists.
Dee began exploring gluten-free cooking after one of her daughters was diagnosed Coeliac. She was determined to ensure that her family would never feel limited or left out when it came to food.
Last year, she won the Odlums Home Baker of the Year competition — a moment that gave her the confidence to push herself even further and apply for TV Home Cook.
Dee Freney
Dee says she wanted to show her daughters what being brave looks like and prove that gluten-free food can be every bit as delicious, comforting and flavour-packed as traditional dishes.
Her signature dishes include a classic Sunday roast with gluten-free Yorkshire puddings and a light, fluffy Victoria sponge cake. Cooking plays a huge role in Dee’s life and family home, helping her create meals that bring everyone together around the table.
In her pre-recorded cook with mentor Trisha Lewis, Dee made rich chocolate brownies that impressed with both flavour and texture. Dee says taking part felt like a dream she never thought she would get to experience.
For her semi-final cook, Dee will be making Gluten Free Hot Honey Salmon with Garlic Tenderstem — a wholesome, flavour-packed dish that reflects her modern gluten-free cooking style.
Aoife Cheung
Galway woman Aoife Cheung is 31 years of age and works as an Office Manager and Business Owner.
Funny, thoughtful and ambitious, Aoife loves creating easy-to-recreate dishes that combine Asian and Irish flavours in a fun and approachable way.
Food is central to Aoife’s life and is how she connects with the people around her, whether hosting family and friends or cooking with her in-laws, who live next door. She says she applied for TV Home Cook to inspire others to cook more confidently and to embrace "feeling the fear and doing it anyway."
Aoife Cheung
Aoife’s signature dish is her pork and prawn dumplings served with a homemade chilli sauce mix — crispy-bottomed dumplings packed with juicy umami flavour that are always in huge demand when family gather together. Outside of the competition, Aoife has also recently launched her own kitchen brand and mini rice cooker, although she has been strictly told not to mention it on the show!
In her pre-recorded cook with mentor Trisha Lewis, Aoife made her Crispy Duck Delights, a dish she describes as easier to recreate at home than people might think and perfect for entertaining. She says cooking in a TV studio kitchen was an exciting experience and very different from cooking at home.
For her semi-final cook, Aoife will prepare a Chilli Crunch Pork Belly Baguette with Miso Aubergine and Pickles — a bold, flavour-packed dish that showcases her modern fusion cooking style.
Rosaria Manchese
Rosaria Manchese is 33-years-old and hails from the Puglia region of southern Italy. Now living in Monkstown, Cork, Rosaria works in Family Support within a children’s disability team.
She describes herself as intuitive, caring and creative, and loves creating simple but comforting dishes that allow fresh ingredients to shine.
Rosaria Manchese
Rosaria says food has always been at the centre of her life and family traditions. Growing up in Italy, gatherings around the table at Easter and Christmas were major milestones, and since moving to Ireland and marrying into farm life, she has discovered that feeding hungry workers on Silage Day can be just as important as an Italian Sunday feast.
Her signature dish is a slow-cooked short rib beef ragu served with rigatoni and homemade focaccia — a rich, comforting meal inspired by the flavours of home.
Rosaria applied for TV Home Cook after encouragement from a colleague and decided to embrace the opportunity and challenge herself.
In her pre-recorded cook with mentor Trisha Lewis, Rosaria prepared a traditional Sausage & Broccoli Orecchiette, topped with toasted breadcrumbs for added texture and flavour.
For her semi-final cook, Rosaria will be making Baked Gnocchi with Pork & Butternut Squash — a comforting Italian-inspired dish full of warmth and rustic flavour.
