Camille Hodnett, a local chef, is participating in the online Favorite Chef competition. Submitted photo

A local chef is turning up the heat and looking for new ways to serve her community by participating in an online cooking competition.

Camille Hodnett is a Jamestown resident and the owner of Cammy’s Kitchen. She’s also the head cook at St. Susan Center and has been taking part in the nationwide Favorite Chef competition — an online voting competition that showcases talented chefs. The chefs are voted for by their communities, or people who pick them as their favorites.

Voting is available online and via Facebook. Voters get one free daily vote, or can pay for multiple votes with all proceeds benefiting the James Beard Foundation.

The winner of the competition receives a two-page spread in Taste of Home magazine, a $25,000 cash prize and the opportunity to travel to New York City and cook with Carla Hall — a famous chef seen on shows such as the Food Network.

As head cook for St Susan Center, Hodnett works to help the local community. If she wins the competition, she hopes to continue to do that in a new way.

“If I win I will get my own food truck,” she said. “It will help me to continue to provide for the homeless and the local community like I do with St. Susan.”

Winning for Hodnett means all of her dreams will come true. She said it will be the “greatest experience” of her life, and that getting the food truck is part of her future business plan to help feed more people in need in the community.

The competition itself is important to her because of her passion for cooking.

“It’s my passion,” Hodnett said. “I am a foodie. I am a cook. It’s what I do.”

Hodnett is currently a quarter-finalist. Voting takes place nationwide in four different rounds of six days of voting each time. To vote for Hodnett, visit https://favchef.com/2023/camille-hodnett.

Voting for the semi-finalists ends Aug. 3.

Whether or not she wins, Hodnett said she will continue serving her community like she does at St. Susan. She is a community activist who works to “give back constantly,” a mother and has a “huge” following.

“I just want everyone to know that I am working to give back to my community,” she said.