Jefferson City native to compete on TV show 'Chopped'

Chef Natalie "Figgy" DiBenedetto will compete on Food Network's "Chopped" on Tuesday.

Chef DiBenedetto is a native of Missouri, having graduated from Jefferson City High School in 1992 and the University of Missouri-Columbia in 1996 before graduating from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York.

DiBenedetto specializes in cooking refined comfort foods and will show her expertise as she competes in three "Dollar Dish" challenges.

In this episode, DiBenedetto will compete with other chefs to combine homegrown greens with a box of frozen finger foods in the first challenge, battle ingredients they fear most in the second challenge, and then work with an inexpensive collection of goods as they find clever hacks for what to do with leftover wine in the third challenge.

DiBenedetto now lives with her husband/artist Aaron Staples, their 12 year-old son, Basil, and their 13 year-old Corgi-Beagle, Day-Z, near her restaurant Figgy's Takeout and Catering in Portland, Maine.

Featured dishes at her restaurant include cast-iron fried chicken, Korean style wings, biscuit sandwiches and comfort food sides. The restaurant is also known for its commitment to local produce, humanely raised meats and having a fun customer service staff.

To learn more about Chef Figgy and her restaurant, visit figgystakeoutandcatering.com.

The "Dollar Dishes" episode of "Chopped" will air at 8:30 p.m. Tuesday on the Food Network channel.