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==Early and personal life==
==Early and personal life==
Hà was born in [[Los Angeles County, California]], an only child. Her parents were of [[Vietnamese people|Vietnamese]] origin. She lived in [[Lakewood, California]] and [[Long Beach, California]] as a young child before her family moved to [[Houston, Texas]].<ref>Rene Lynch, [http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/showtracker/la-et-st-masterchef-christine-ha-20120905,0,3743340.story 'MasterChef' finalist Christine Hà on being blind, and a fighter], LA Times, September 5, 2012</ref> Her mother died from [[lung cancer]] when Hà was 14.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tci6aEGdCPk|title=YouTube|website=www.youtube.com}}</ref> Her paternal aunt also died from the same illness, both having been heavy smokers.
Hà was born in [[Los Angeles County, California]], an only child. Her parents were of [[Vietnamese people|Vietnamese]] origin - her parents immigrated from [[Saigon]] to the United States in 1975 after the [[Vietnam War|Vietnam War.]]<ref name=":1">{{Citation|last=TEDx Talks|title=How the Blind See the World {{!}} Christine Ha {{!}} TEDxUCSD|date=2016-04-19|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWmjHn6mfjc|access-date=2018-10-03}}</ref> She lived in [[Lakewood, California]] and [[Long Beach, California]] as a young child before her family moved to [[Houston, Texas]].<ref>Rene Lynch, [http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/showtracker/la-et-st-masterchef-christine-ha-20120905,0,3743340.story 'MasterChef' finalist Christine Hà on being blind, and a fighter], LA Times, September 5, 2012</ref> Her mother died from [[lung cancer]] when Hà was 14.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tci6aEGdCPk|title=YouTube|website=www.youtube.com}}</ref> Her paternal aunt also died from the same illness, both having been heavy smokers.


Hà graduated with a bachelor's degree in business administration and finance along with [[Management information system|MIS]] from the [[University of Texas at Austin|University of Texas in Austin.]]<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.houstonpress.com/restaurants/chef-chat-masterchef-winner-christine-ha-will-open-her-first-restaurant-in-houston-10556578|title=Chef Chat: Christine Hà Sees Things Quite Clearly|last=McLean|first=Kate|date=2018-06-13|work=Houston Press|access-date=2018-10-03}}</ref> She also earned a master's of fine arts in creative fiction and nonfiction from the [[University of Houston]]'s nationally acclaimed writing program.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.houstonpress.com/restaurants/chef-chat-masterchef-winner-christine-ha-will-open-her-first-restaurant-in-houston-10556578|title=Chef Chat: Christine Hà Sees Things Quite Clearly|last=McLean|first=Kate|date=2018-06-13|work=Houston Press|access-date=2018-10-03}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite news|url=https://www.londonspeakerbureauasia.com/speakers/christine-ha/|title=Christine Ha|work=London Speaker Bureau Asia|access-date=2018-10-03|language=en-US}}</ref>
⚫
Hà suffers from [[neuromyelitis optica]], in which a person's own immune system attacks the optic nerves and spinal cord. In 2004, she was diagnosed and gradually started losing her vision, and was almost completely blind by 2007.<ref name="dailymail">{{cite news |title=The talented cook who is holding her own on Gordon Ramsay's Masterchef - despite being completely blind |author=Olivia Fleming |url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2155367/The-talented-cook-holding-Gordon-Ramsays-Masterchef--despite-completely-blind.html |publisher=Daily Mail |date=2012-06-07 |accessdate=2012-09-15 }}</ref> She describes her vision as "looking at a very foggy mirror after a hot shower".<ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/09/09/blind-chef-serves-up-tough-competition/ Blind chef serves up tough competition], FoxNews, September 09, 2012</ref><ref name="auto">{{Citation|last=Christine Ha|title=Five years after MasterChef: Q&A with season 3 winner Christine Ha|date=2017-09-20|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CArLhV_DrFc|accessdate=2017-12-07}}</ref> She uses [[Assistive technology|adaptive technologies]] to help her manage her social media profiles by herself.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/|title=YouTube|publisher=}}</ref>


⚫
Hà suffers from [[neuromyelitis optica]], in which a person's own immune system attacks the optic nerves and spinal cord. In 2004, she was diagnosed and gradually started losing her vision, and was almost completely blind by 2007.<ref name="dailymail">{{cite news |title=The talented cook who is holding her own on Gordon Ramsay's Masterchef - despite being completely blind |author=Olivia Fleming |url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2155367/The-talented-cook-holding-Gordon-Ramsays-Masterchef--despite-completely-blind.html |publisher=Daily Mail |date=2012-06-07 |accessdate=2012-09-15 }}</ref> She describes her vision as "looking at a very foggy mirror after a hot shower".<ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/09/09/blind-chef-serves-up-tough-competition/ Blind chef serves up tough competition], FoxNews, September 09, 2012</ref><ref name="auto">{{Citation|last=Christine Ha|title=Five years after MasterChef: Q&A with season 3 winner Christine Ha|date=2017-09-20|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CArLhV_DrFc|accessdate=2017-12-07}}</ref> She uses [[Assistive technology|adaptive technologies]] to help her manage her social media profiles by herself.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/|title=YouTube|publisher=}}</ref> Hà utilizes the following [[Assistive technology|assistive technologies]] around her house : [[VoiceOver]], [[JAWS (screen reader)|JAWS]], Aira glasses<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/medical/article/At-TMCx-AT-T-researchers-help-the-visually-10862992.php|title=At TMCx, AT&T researchers help the visually impaired|date=2017-01-17|work=HoustonChronicle.com|access-date=2018-10-03|language=en-US}}</ref>, [http://www.afb.org/prodProfile.asp?ProdID=969 Amigo portable CCTV] along with a [http://www.afb.org/prodBrowseTaskResults.aspx?TaskID=423&SpecID=26 thermometer, food scale and liquid level indicator] that gives an oral reading.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.afb.org/info/living-with-vision-loss/for-job-seekers/our-stories/culinary-arts-and-food-service/chef-and-writer-interview/12345|title=Interview with Christine Ha, MasterChef Winner, Writer, and Chef - American Foundation for the Blind|website=www.afb.org|language=en|access-date=2018-10-03}}</ref>


Hà serves as Fiction Editor for [[Gulf Coast (journal)|''Gulf Coast Journal'']] and her work has appeared in ''Fire Point'', ''The ScissorTale Review'', and ''PANK Magazine'', among others.<ref name="zoom">{{cite web|url=http://www.zoominfo.com/#!search/profile/person?personId=1597982489&targetid=profile|title=B2B Contact Database - Company Information Database - ZoomInfo|website=www.zoominfo.com}}</ref><ref name="gulfcoast">{{cite web |url=http://www.gulfcoastmag.org/blog/archives/88-The-Art-of-Food-and-Literature.html |title=The Art of Food and Literature |publisher=Gulf Coast - A Journal of Literature and Fine Arts |date=2012-02-02 |accessdate=2012-09-15 |language=}}</ref> In January 2014, she began hosting the cooking show ''Four Senses'' on [[AMI-TV]].<ref>{{cite press release |date=January 21, 2014 |title=Four Senses set to premiere on AMI-tv|url=http://www.ami.ca/about/press/Pages/january-2014-1.aspx |publisher=AMI-TV |accessdate=2014-06-19}}</ref>
Hà serves as Fiction Editor for [[Gulf Coast (magazine)|''Gulf Coast Journal: A Journal of Literature and Fine Arts'']] and her work has appeared in ''Fire Point'', ''The ScissorTale Review'', and ''PANK Magazine'', among others.<ref name="zoom">{{cite web|url=http://www.zoominfo.com/#!search/profile/person?personId=1597982489&targetid=profile|title=B2B Contact Database - Company Information Database - ZoomInfo|website=www.zoominfo.com}}</ref><ref name="gulfcoast">{{cite web |url=http://www.gulfcoastmag.org/blog/archives/88-The-Art-of-Food-and-Literature.html |title=The Art of Food and Literature |publisher=Gulf Coast - A Journal of Literature and Fine Arts |date=2012-02-02 |accessdate=2012-09-15 |language=}}</ref> In January 2014, she began hosting the cooking show ''Four Senses'' on [[AMI-TV]].<ref>{{cite press release |date=January 21, 2014 |title=Four Senses set to premiere on AMI-tv|url=http://www.ami.ca/about/press/Pages/january-2014-1.aspx |publisher=AMI-TV |accessdate=2014-06-19}}</ref>


==Career==
==Career==
===2012: ''MasterChef USA'' & ''Recipes from My Home Kitchen: Asian and American Comfort Food''===
===2012: ''MasterChef USA'' & ''Recipes from My Home Kitchen: Asian and American Comfort Food''===
{{quote box|align = right|width =27%|border = |style = kursiv||quoted = 1|quote =Midway through of this year's competition, my money would not have been on Christine for the win – and not just because of her disability – because she just didn't come across as the typical frontrunner. With Christine, slow and steady won the race. She subtly climbed her way to the top by performing consistently well, triumphing over her own self-doubt, all the while maintaining her signature grace and integrity. It was thrilling to watch. And I can say with absolute confidence there was no one more deserving. |source = [[Joe Bastianich]], a judge on MasterChef<ref>[http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20628911,00.html Joe Bastianich Blogs: Why Christine Ha Won MasterChef], People, 09/11/2012</ref>}}
{{quote box|align = right|width =27%|border = |style = kursiv||quoted = 1|quote =Midway through of this year's competition, my money would not have been on Christine for the win – and not just because of her disability – because she just didn't come across as the typical frontrunner. With Christine, slow and steady won the race. She subtly climbed her way to the top by performing consistently well, triumphing over her own self-doubt, all the while maintaining her signature grace and integrity. It was thrilling to watch. And I can say with absolute confidence there was no one more deserving. |source = [[Joe Bastianich]], a judge on MasterChef<ref>[http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20628911,00.html Joe Bastianich Blogs: Why Christine Ha Won MasterChef], People, 09/11/2012</ref>}}
While she has never studied cooking, she has a large following on her food blog. She states: "I have to depend a lot more on the other senses to cook – taste, smell, how certain ingredients feel", adding that cooking without sight just involves "a lot of organization".<ref name="dailymail"/>
While she has never studied cooking, she has a large following on her food blog. She states: "I have to depend a lot more on the other senses to cook – taste, smell, how certain ingredients feel", adding that cooking without sight just involves "a lot of organization".<ref name="dailymail"/>


In the nineteen episodes where she competed on the [[MasterChef (US season 3)|third season of ''MasterChef'']], Hà won seven times in both individual and team challenges; additionally, she placed three times in the top three group. However, she was also in the bottom group twice. On September 10, 2012, Hà was announced the winner of the competition and took away $250,000, the ''MasterChef'' title, the ''MasterChef'' trophy, and a cookbook deal.<ref name="crowned"/>
In the nineteen episodes where she competed on the [[MasterChef (US season 3)|third season of ''MasterChef'']], Hà won seven times in both individual and team challenges; additionally, she placed three times in the top three group. However, she was also in the bottom group twice. On September 10, 2012, Hà was announced the winner of the competition and took away $250,000, the ''MasterChef'' title, the ''MasterChef'' trophy, and a cookbook deal.<ref name="crowned"/>


Her cookbook, ''Recipes from My Home Kitchen: Asian and American Comfort Food'' ({{ISBN|978-1623360948}}), was released on May 14, 2013.{{Citation needed|date=August 2016}}
Her cookbook, ''Recipes from My Home Kitchen: Asian and American Comfort Food'' (<nowiki>ISBN 9781623360955</nowiki>), was released on May 14, 2013.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.ca/books/about/Recipes_from_My_Home_Kitchen.html?id=nGZyTR3nWIkC&source=kp_book_description&redir_esc=y|title=Recipes from My Home Kitchen: Asian and American Comfort Food from the Winner of MasterChef Season 3 on FOX|last=Ha|first=Christine|date=2013-05-14|publisher=Potter/Ten Speed/Harmony/Rodale|isbn=9781623360955|language=en}}</ref>


===2013–present: ''Four Senses'', ''Masterchef Vietnam'' and guest appearances===
===2013–present: ''Four Senses'', ''Masterchef Vietnam'' and guest appearances===
Line 46: Line 47:
In 2015, she revealed on her blog and Facebook that she would become a judge on the third season of [[MasterChef Vietnam (season 3)|MasterChef Vietnam]], having been a guest judge in the previous series, and a guest judge of [[MasterChef (U.S. season 4)|US MasterChef (season 4)]], making her the first former contestant and winner worldwide to become a regular judge, and also the third ever female judge after [[Michal Ansky]] of Israel and [[Christina Tosi]].<ref>{{Cite web|title = American chef Christine Ha to judge MasterChef Vietnam|url = http://tuoitrenews.vn/lifestyle/29617/american-chef-christine-ha-to-judge-masterchef-vietnam|website = tuoitrenews.vn|accessdate = 2015-08-28|first = Tuoi Tre|last = Newspaper}}</ref> In the meantime, she also returned along with [[Luca Manfè|Luca Manfé]] and [[Courtney Lapresi]] as guests of [[MasterChef (U.S. season 6)|US MasterChef (season 6)]]. Later in the year, she also made an appearance in MasterChef Celebrity Showdown in the battle of "Champions vs Juniors", where she, alongside Season 4 winner Luca Manfe and Season 6 winner Claudia Sandoval, cooked against 3 contestants from MasterChef Junior season 4 in a Salmon Wellington tag team battle. The three champions emerged as the winner and donate their winnings to their chosen charity.{{Citation needed|date=August 2016}}
In 2015, she revealed on her blog and Facebook that she would become a judge on the third season of [[MasterChef Vietnam (season 3)|MasterChef Vietnam]], having been a guest judge in the previous series, and a guest judge of [[MasterChef (U.S. season 4)|US MasterChef (season 4)]], making her the first former contestant and winner worldwide to become a regular judge, and also the third ever female judge after [[Michal Ansky]] of Israel and [[Christina Tosi]].<ref>{{Cite web|title = American chef Christine Ha to judge MasterChef Vietnam|url = http://tuoitrenews.vn/lifestyle/29617/american-chef-christine-ha-to-judge-masterchef-vietnam|website = tuoitrenews.vn|accessdate = 2015-08-28|first = Tuoi Tre|last = Newspaper}}</ref> In the meantime, she also returned along with [[Luca Manfè|Luca Manfé]] and [[Courtney Lapresi]] as guests of [[MasterChef (U.S. season 6)|US MasterChef (season 6)]]. Later in the year, she also made an appearance in MasterChef Celebrity Showdown in the battle of "Champions vs Juniors", where she, alongside Season 4 winner Luca Manfe and Season 6 winner Claudia Sandoval, cooked against 3 contestants from MasterChef Junior season 4 in a Salmon Wellington tag team battle. The three champions emerged as the winner and donate their winnings to their chosen charity.{{Citation needed|date=August 2016}}


She also revealed that she was the first chef/author to become the winner of [[Helen Keller]] Personal Achievement Award in 2014, an award to people and organizations that "demonstrated outstanding achievement in improving quality of life for people with vision loss".<ref name=":0" /> Past/current winners included musicians [[Stevie Wonder]], [[Ray Charles]] and [[Tom Sullivan (singer)|Tom Sullivan]], actor [[Charlie Cox]] (who portrayed a blind superhero, [[Daredevil (Marvel Comics character)|Matt Murdock/Daredevil]], was awarded in June 2015<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title = Helen Keller Achievement Awards 2015 - American Foundation for the Blind|url = http://www.afb.org/info/about-us/events-and-awards/helen-keller-achievement-awards/123|website = www.afb.org|accessdate = 2015-09-06}}</ref>) and businessman [[Bernard A. Newcomb]].<ref>{{Cite web|title = The American Foundation for the Blind Helen Keller Achievement Award Recipients - American Foundation for the Blind|url = http://www.afb.org/info/about-us/events-and-awards/helen-keller-achievement-awards/previous-hkaa-recipients/1235|website = www.afb.org|accessdate = 2015-09-06}}</ref>
She also revealed that she was the first chef/author to become the winner of [[Helen Keller]] Personal Achievement Award in 2014, an award to people and organizations that "demonstrated outstanding achievement in improving quality of life for people with vision loss".<ref name=":0" /> Past/current winners included musicians [[Stevie Wonder]], [[Ray Charles]] and [[Tom Sullivan (singer)|Tom Sullivan]], actress [[Patty Duke]] (who played Helen Keller in [[The Miracle Worker (1962 film)|The Miracle Worker]])<ref name=":2" />, actor [[Charlie Cox]] (who portrayed a blind superhero, [[Daredevil (Marvel Comics character)|Matt Murdock/Daredevil]], was awarded in June 2015<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title = Helen Keller Achievement Awards 2015 - American Foundation for the Blind|url = http://www.afb.org/info/about-us/events-and-awards/helen-keller-achievement-awards/123|website = www.afb.org|accessdate = 2015-09-06}}</ref>) and businessman [[Bernard A. Newcomb]].<ref>{{Cite web|title = The American Foundation for the Blind Helen Keller Achievement Award Recipients - American Foundation for the Blind|url = http://www.afb.org/info/about-us/events-and-awards/helen-keller-achievement-awards/previous-hkaa-recipients/1235|website = www.afb.org|accessdate = 2015-09-06}}</ref>


{{Quote box
⚫
She has also opened small-scale pop-up restaurants around the world in the 5 years since winning Master Chef (2012-2017).<ref name="auto"/>
| quote = The lady has an extraordinary palate, a palate of incredible finesse. She picks up hot ingredients, touches them, and she thinks about this image on the plate. She has the most disciplined execution on a plate that we’ve ever seen. But the palate is where it’s just extraordinary. And honestly, I know chefs with Michelin stars that don’t have palates like hers.
| source = [[Gordon Ramsey]], a judge on MasterChef<ref>[https://www.huffingtonpost.com/author/christine-ha], HuffPost, 09/11/2012</ref>
| align = right
| width = 27%
| quoted = 1
}}

⚫
She has also opened small-scale pop-up restaurants around the world in the 5 years since winning Master Chef (2012-2017).<ref name="auto" />

She has traveled around the world to give [[TED (conference)|TED talks]] about her life experiences as a blind cook and the lessons she has learned along the way. <ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Citation|last=TEDx Talks|title=Harnessing the Power of Otherness {{!}} Christine Ha {{!}} TEDxOccidentalCollege|date=2018-05-31|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2QNEvDuYww&t=133s|access-date=2018-10-03}}</ref><ref>{{Citation|last=TEDx Talks|title=Let's Cook By Eating First {{!}} Christine Ha {{!}} TEDxTaipeiSalon|date=2016-04-25|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZLfLEfYjv8|access-date=2018-10-03}}</ref> Christine has also served as a culinary [[Envoy (title)|envoy]] on behalf of the American Embassy in cultural diplomacy programs in Jordan, Serbia, Bosnia/Herzegovina, and Croatia.<ref name=":2" />

In 2018, Hà is set to open a Vietnamese [[gastropub]] in Bravery Chef Hall called "The Blind Goat" - the name is a [[Double entendre|double-entendre]] on her disability and her Vietnamese zodiac sign.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.papercitymag.com/restaurants/blind-goat-new-houston-restaurant-christine-ha-blind-chef-masterchef-winner-bravery-chef-hall/|title=Blind Chef to Open a New Restaurant That Defies Ordinary Description in Hot New Food Hall: From Reality TV Winner to Houston Game Changer {{!}} PaperCity Magazine|date=2018-04-04|work=PaperCity Magazine|access-date=2018-10-03|language=en-US}}</ref> The menu will be centered around authentic Vietnamese dishes, specifically drawing inspiration from Nhau cuisine.

She is currently working on her memoir and second cookbook.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.londonspeakerbureauasia.com/speakers/christine-ha/|title=Christine Ha|work=London Speaker Bureau Asia|access-date=2018-10-03|language=en-US}}</ref>


==See also==
==See also==

Revision as of 05:15, 3 October 2018

Christine Hà
Born
Christine Huyentran Hà

(1979-05-09) May 9, 1979 (age 45)
Los Angeles County, California, U.S.
Other namesHà Huyền Trân[1]
Occupation(s)Chef, Motivational Speaker, Author
Years active2012-present
SpouseJohn Suh
Culinary career
Cooking styleVietnamese, Thai, Asian fusion, Southeast Asian, Southern, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Indian Cuisine
Award(s) won
    • 2012 MasterChef (FOX)
    • 2014 Helen Keller Personal Achievement Award
Websitewww.christineha.com

Christine Huyentran Hà (Vietnamese: "Hà Huyền Trân";[1] born May 9, 1979)[2] is an American chef, writer, and TV host. She is the first blind contestant of MasterChef and the winner of its third season in 2012.[3][4]

Early and personal life

Hà was born in Los Angeles County, California, an only child. Her parents were of Vietnamese origin - her parents immigrated from Saigon to the United States in 1975 after the Vietnam War.[5] She lived in Lakewood, California and Long Beach, California as a young child before her family moved to Houston, Texas.[6] Her mother died from lung cancer when Hà was 14.[7] Her paternal aunt also died from the same illness, both having been heavy smokers.

Hà graduated with a bachelor's degree in business administration and finance along with MIS from the University of Texas in Austin.[8] She also earned a master's of fine arts in creative fiction and nonfiction from the University of Houston's nationally acclaimed writing program.[9][10]

Hà suffers from neuromyelitis optica, in which a person's own immune system attacks the optic nerves and spinal cord. In 2004, she was diagnosed and gradually started losing her vision, and was almost completely blind by 2007.[11] She describes her vision as "looking at a very foggy mirror after a hot shower".[12][13] She uses adaptive technologies to help her manage her social media profiles by herself.[14] Hà utilizes the following assistive technologies around her house : VoiceOver, JAWS, Aira glasses[15], Amigo portable CCTV along with a thermometer, food scale and liquid level indicator that gives an oral reading.[16]

Hà serves as Fiction Editor for Gulf Coast Journal: A Journal of Literature and Fine Arts and her work has appeared in Fire Point, The ScissorTale Review, and PANK Magazine, among others.[17][18] In January 2014, she began hosting the cooking show Four Senses on AMI-TV.[19]

Career

2012: MasterChef USA & Recipes from My Home Kitchen: Asian and American Comfort Food

Midway through of this year's competition, my money would not have been on Christine for the win – and not just because of her disability – because she just didn't come across as the typical frontrunner. With Christine, slow and steady won the race. She subtly climbed her way to the top by performing consistently well, triumphing over her own self-doubt, all the while maintaining her signature grace and integrity. It was thrilling to watch. And I can say with absolute confidence there was no one more deserving.

Joe Bastianich, a judge on MasterChef[20]

While she has never studied cooking, she has a large following on her food blog. She states: "I have to depend a lot more on the other senses to cook – taste, smell, how certain ingredients feel", adding that cooking without sight just involves "a lot of organization".[11]

In the nineteen episodes where she competed on the third season of MasterChef, Hà won seven times in both individual and team challenges; additionally, she placed three times in the top three group. However, she was also in the bottom group twice. On September 10, 2012, Hà was announced the winner of the competition and took away $250,000, the MasterChef title, the MasterChef trophy, and a cookbook deal.[4]

Her cookbook, Recipes from My Home Kitchen: Asian and American Comfort Food (ISBN 9781623360955), was released on May 14, 2013.[21]

2013–present: Four Senses, Masterchef Vietnam and guest appearances

In 2013, Hà began co-hosting the Canadian TV show Four Senses with Carl Heinrich, the winner of Season 2 of Top Chef Canada. It is a cooking show geared towards the visually impaired, and airs on AMI (Accessible Media, Inc.) TV, a Canadian cable network designed to make television accessible to the vision and hearing impaired. To compensate for the vision-impaired, the show contains a great deal of audio description, where they are narrating what's going on in the kitchen, what they're doing, how things feel or smell or sound.[22][23]

In 2015, she revealed on her blog and Facebook that she would become a judge on the third season of MasterChef Vietnam, having been a guest judge in the previous series, and a guest judge of US MasterChef (season 4), making her the first former contestant and winner worldwide to become a regular judge, and also the third ever female judge after Michal Ansky of Israel and Christina Tosi.[24] In the meantime, she also returned along with Luca Manfé and Courtney Lapresi as guests of US MasterChef (season 6). Later in the year, she also made an appearance in MasterChef Celebrity Showdown in the battle of "Champions vs Juniors", where she, alongside Season 4 winner Luca Manfe and Season 6 winner Claudia Sandoval, cooked against 3 contestants from MasterChef Junior season 4 in a Salmon Wellington tag team battle. The three champions emerged as the winner and donate their winnings to their chosen charity.[citation needed]

She also revealed that she was the first chef/author to become the winner of Helen Keller Personal Achievement Award in 2014, an award to people and organizations that "demonstrated outstanding achievement in improving quality of life for people with vision loss".[25] Past/current winners included musicians Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles and Tom Sullivan, actress Patty Duke (who played Helen Keller in The Miracle Worker)[10], actor Charlie Cox (who portrayed a blind superhero, Matt Murdock/Daredevil, was awarded in June 2015[25]) and businessman Bernard A. Newcomb.[26]

The lady has an extraordinary palate, a palate of incredible finesse. She picks up hot ingredients, touches them, and she thinks about this image on the plate. She has the most disciplined execution on a plate that we’ve ever seen. But the palate is where it’s just extraordinary. And honestly, I know chefs with Michelin stars that don’t have palates like hers.

Gordon Ramsey, a judge on MasterChef[27]

She has also opened small-scale pop-up restaurants around the world in the 5 years since winning Master Chef (2012-2017).[13]

She has traveled around the world to give TED talks about her life experiences as a blind cook and the lessons she has learned along the way. [5][28][29] Christine has also served as a culinary envoy on behalf of the American Embassy in cultural diplomacy programs in Jordan, Serbia, Bosnia/Herzegovina, and Croatia.[10]

In 2018, Hà is set to open a Vietnamese gastropub in Bravery Chef Hall called "The Blind Goat" - the name is a double-entendre on her disability and her Vietnamese zodiac sign.[30] The menu will be centered around authentic Vietnamese dishes, specifically drawing inspiration from Nhau cuisine.

She is currently working on her memoir and second cookbook.[31]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Ngô Minh Trí (October 7, 2012). "Vua bếp Mỹ quảng bá hương vị Việt". Thanh Nien News. Retrieved October 9, 2012.
  2. ^ "THE BIRTH OF CHRISTINE HA". California Birth Index. Retrieved January 20, 2016.
  3. ^ Aaron Parsley; Liza Hamm (June 4, 2012). "Christine Ha Is MasterChef's First Blind Contestant". People. Retrieved September 11, 2012.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  4. ^ a b RYAN OWENS and MEREDITH FROST (September 11, 2012). "Blind Chef Christine Ha Crowned 'MasterChef' in Finale". ABC News. Retrieved September 15, 2012.
  5. ^ a b TEDx Talks (April 19, 2016), How the Blind See the World | Christine Ha | TEDxUCSD, retrieved October 3, 2018
  6. ^ Rene Lynch, 'MasterChef' finalist Christine Hà on being blind, and a fighter, LA Times, September 5, 2012
  7. ^ "YouTube". www.youtube.com.
  8. ^ McLean, Kate (June 13, 2018). "Chef Chat: Christine Hà Sees Things Quite Clearly". Houston Press. Retrieved October 3, 2018.
  9. ^ McLean, Kate (June 13, 2018). "Chef Chat: Christine Hà Sees Things Quite Clearly". Houston Press. Retrieved October 3, 2018.
  10. ^ a b c "Christine Ha". London Speaker Bureau Asia. Retrieved October 3, 2018.
  11. ^ a b Olivia Fleming (June 7, 2012). "The talented cook who is holding her own on Gordon Ramsay's Masterchef - despite being completely blind". Daily Mail. Retrieved September 15, 2012.
  12. ^ Blind chef serves up tough competition, FoxNews, September 09, 2012
  13. ^ a b Christine Ha (September 20, 2017), Five years after MasterChef: Q&A with season 3 winner Christine Ha, retrieved December 7, 2017
  14. ^ "YouTube".
  15. ^ "At TMCx, AT&T researchers help the visually impaired". HoustonChronicle.com. January 17, 2017. Retrieved October 3, 2018.
  16. ^ "Interview with Christine Ha, MasterChef Winner, Writer, and Chef - American Foundation for the Blind". www.afb.org. Retrieved October 3, 2018.
  17. ^ "B2B Contact Database - Company Information Database - ZoomInfo". www.zoominfo.com.
  18. ^ "The Art of Food and Literature". Gulf Coast - A Journal of Literature and Fine Arts. February 2, 2012. Retrieved September 15, 2012.
  19. ^ "Four Senses set to premiere on AMI-tv" (Press release). AMI-TV. January 21, 2014. Retrieved June 19, 2014.
  20. ^ Joe Bastianich Blogs: Why Christine Ha Won MasterChef, People, 09/11/2012
  21. ^ Ha, Christine (May 14, 2013). Recipes from My Home Kitchen: Asian and American Comfort Food from the Winner of MasterChef Season 3 on FOX. Potter/Ten Speed/Harmony/Rodale. ISBN 9781623360955.
  22. ^ "Four Senses a Christine Ha Cooking Show - The Blind Cook". www.theblindcook.com.
  23. ^ "Four Senses". www.ami.ca. Retrieved August 27, 2015.
  24. ^ Newspaper, Tuoi Tre. "American chef Christine Ha to judge MasterChef Vietnam". tuoitrenews.vn. Retrieved August 28, 2015.
  25. ^ a b "Helen Keller Achievement Awards 2015 - American Foundation for the Blind". www.afb.org. Retrieved September 6, 2015.
  26. ^ "The American Foundation for the Blind Helen Keller Achievement Award Recipients - American Foundation for the Blind". www.afb.org. Retrieved September 6, 2015.
  27. ^ [1], HuffPost, 09/11/2012
  28. ^ TEDx Talks (May 31, 2018), Harnessing the Power of Otherness | Christine Ha | TEDxOccidentalCollege, retrieved October 3, 2018
  29. ^ TEDx Talks (April 25, 2016), Let's Cook By Eating First | Christine Ha | TEDxTaipeiSalon, retrieved October 3, 2018
  30. ^ "Blind Chef to Open a New Restaurant That Defies Ordinary Description in Hot New Food Hall: From Reality TV Winner to Houston Game Changer | PaperCity Magazine". PaperCity Magazine. April 4, 2018. Retrieved October 3, 2018.
  31. ^ "Christine Ha". London Speaker Bureau Asia. Retrieved October 3, 2018.
Preceded by MasterChef winner
2012 		Succeeded by
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Christine_Hà&oldid=862255608"