🔪 Congrats to Valley chef Derek Christensen, who won $10,000 on the popular Food Network show ‘‘Chopped’’ this week.
The former Bacanora and Huarachis chef faced off against chefs from Albuquerque, Santa Fe, and Colorado Springs in an episode titled ‘‘Southwestern Strength’’ that aired Tuesday.
The three-round contest, with one chef eliminated by judges after each round, featured mandatory desert ingredients including quail, nopales, mesquite flour, and cactus-shaped macarons.
Christensen, who’s currently doing a European-inspired pop-up Thursdays and Fridays at Sauvage Wine Bar & Shop in Phoenix, is 2 for 2 on Food Network shows.
He also won on “Cutthroat Kitchen” in 2015.
