Masterchef: Tracylee eyes TV glory

For Traceylee Hooton, a love affair with the kitchen and food goes back as far as she can remember.
When Mrs Hooton was 10 her father died. With her mum eight months pregnant someone needed to cook the family meals, so Mrs Hooton took over the role.
"I distinctly remember The Book of Modern Cookery, it felt like the biggest book in the world."
Now a mum herself, the Taupo woman is preparing to live her dream in the second New Zealand series of hit television reality show Masterchef.
Mrs Hooton has made it to the final 60 for the competition and will be on television screens around the country when the new series goes to air early next year.
During the years she worked as a food and beverage manager at the Chateau, Mrs Hooton often tried to talk the general manager into letting her become a sous chef - but never had any luck.
"I knew I didn't have the training and skills but I certainly had the knowledge. Nobody would even give me a crack."
Mrs Hooton said while she ended up on the hospitality side of the industry, her heart was always in the kitchen.
"In 1991 [when I left high school] if it was acceptable for someone to go into a trade I would have gone and been a chef. But trades were almost frowned upon."
Mrs Hooton said she contemplated auditioning for the first season of Masterchef but didn't because she was still breastfeeding son Blake, now two.
"[This year] all my ducks fell in a row."
Mrs Hooton said there was no way she could have taken part in the Masterchef journey without the support of husband Chad and the rest of her extended family, including her mum.
"To take yourself out of life for up to 10 weeks is a big ask."
Mrs Hooton said the closer the prize at the end approached, the more passionate she felt about wanting to become the next Masterchef.
Mrs Hooton's audition dish was pan-fried snapper on a fennel and agria puree with watercress and endive salad.
Choosing that one dish to serve up to the judges was a difficult decision, said Mrs Hooton.
She said part of the difficulty came from the fact she could cook so many dishes, and didn't have a signature dish.
"I've always been a person who cooks how I feel. I'm a mood eater."
However she says she swayed towards the fish dish because she and Mr Hooton did a lot of recreational fishing - and the picture she sent with her application form showed her holding an eight pound snapper.
The new season of Masterchef will screen on TV1 early next year.