Gander woman putting her home cooking skills to the test on MasterChef Canada

Advertisement 1 This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Breadcrumb Trail Links HomeAtlantic CanadaEntertainment & LifeFoodNewfoundland & Labrador Gander woman putting her home cooking skills to the test on MasterChef Canada Rebecca Abbott has always loved being in the kitchen and the Newfoundland woman said she found peace there after struggling with postpartum depression Author of the article: By Diane Crocker Published Sep 21, 2026 Last updated 3 minutes ago 9 minute read Rebecca Abbott of Gander is a contestant on the new season of MasterChef Canada, which begins airing on CTV on Sept. 22, 2026, and on Crave the next day. CONTRIBUTED Article content Rebecca Abbott fell in love with cooking at a very young age and prides herself on being a pretty darn good home cook. Article content In recent years, the kitchen has become a space where the Gander woman can find herself as she copes with postpartum depression and anxiety. Article content Article content Now, Abbott will be putting her cooking skills to the test against other home cooks from across the country as she competes in the new season of MasterChef Canada, which begins airing on Sept. 22. Article content Article content In the kitchen Article content “I started cooking really young,” Abbott told The Telegram recently. Article content “I think it was just kind of a curiosity phase. Like, it wasn’t that traditional ‘you’ve got to be in the kitchen because you’re a woman.’ It was more or less because I was just really interested in it, and eventually, mom was kind of, ‘you’ve got to get out from under my feet, or you’ve got to help.’” Article content Abbott said cooking has always been something her family enjoyed. Her Aunt Marion, who died in 2002, was a home economics teacher at the local junior high. Article content “She was always cooking for family events. My parents were always cooking. Article content “So, from really, really young, from taking things from the cupboards and putting it in my little cart, going around pretending I was cooking to making afternoon snacks,” Abbott said was how she got her start. Article content Rebecca Abbott of Gander finds being in the kitchen calming. CONTRIBUTED Article content Helping her mental health Article content Abbott’s first child, four-year-old Morgan Abbott, was born during the COVID-19 pandemic, and that’s when she discovered she’d probably suffered from anxiety her whole life and also had…