Used with permission – photo credit to Christine’s husband John Suh
Being a certified foodie, I know full well that chefs rely heavily on their sense of taste and smell to cook. Sure, half of the battle is in presentation, but a dish can look magnificent all it wants; if it tastes bad, “that’s the end of that deal” as my Aunt Betty would say.
When you’re blind you have to rely on your other senses even more heavily – but it’s by no means a barrier to the kitchen. Take Christine Ha – back in 1999, she was diagnosed with neuromyelitis optica (NMO), a condition of the central nervous system that affects the optic nerves and spinal cord. But she didn’t let that stand in her way of cooking or life in general – in fact she was in the midst of getting her M.F.A. for fiction at the University of Houston, when she temporarily set aside her thesis for a shot in the world of competitive cooking on the reality television show, MasterChef.
Christine is very talented in the kitchen; in fact the apple pie that she baked in one of the episodes was praised by none other than Chef Gordon Ramsay as “visually stunning” and bursting with amazing flavor.
Christine’s got a great blog as well plus you can check out an interview she gave for AFB CareerConnect. Check out Christine’s inspirational audition for the hit reality show and join us in wishing her luck as MasterChef continues this coming Tuesday on FOX – she’s in the top 6!
