A Gander woman is taking her cooking skills to the national stage.

Thirty-eight-year-old Rebecca Abbott is one of 16 home cooks competing in the new season of MasterChef Canada, which premieres tonight.

Abbott, a Reservist with the Air Cadet Program, says she draws on the discipline of her military training when the pressure is on in the kitchen.

In true Newfoundland fashion, she says she learned to bake from her nan and cook from her mum, and hopes to show Canada that Newfoundland cooking is about more than just meat and potatoes.

Her standout dish is pan-seared chicken breast with Newfoundland savoury potato cakes and blueberry tarragon sauce.

MasterChef Canada premieres on CTV at 8:30 NDT or 8:00 in most of Labrador.