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11 Things You Didn't Know About Maneet Chauhan

You’ve seen Maneet judge countless dishes on Chopped, but how much do you really know about the chef behind the judges’ table?

Maneet Chauhan judges, as seen on Food Network’s Chopped All Stars, Season 14.

Photo: Janet Rhodes ©

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Catch Up with Maneet

Read on to find out all the things you didn’t know about Maneet, including the ingredient she hates the most and what she would be if she weren’t a chef.

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Ingredient She Hates to Cook With: Pineapple

“I personally hate to work with pineapple, the reason being that that was the one ingredient that played a critical role in me (and all my predecessors) being eliminated on my season of The Next Iron Chef,” she says.

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Ingredient She Never Eats: Spam

Venice landmark, Burano island canal, colorful houses and boats, Italy

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Most-Memorable Meal: Anniversary Meal in Italy

“My husband and I went to Venice, Italy, for our first-year anniversary, and spent a day on the island of Burano. There we had lunch at the famed Trattoria al Gatto Nero da Ruggero — one of the most-incredible meals of our lives. It was a true homage to highlighting the beauty of the freshest ingredients, best olive oil, garlic and the secret ingredient in their cooking — salt from Trapani,” she says.

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Guilty Pleasure: Vanilla Ice Cream with Lots of Candied Pecans and Hot Fudge

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Dish She Never Makes at Home: Sushi

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Kitchen Tool She Can’t Live Without: Spice Grinder

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What She Would Be If She Weren’t a Chef: Jewelry Designer

"I love my bling,” she says.

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Favorite Food City: Singapore

“It’s an amazing melting pot of Asian food — Indian, Thai, Indonesian, Malaysian and Chinese — and has a perfect balance of delicious street food and some amazing upscale dining,” she says.

Photo: Alisa Tsygankova

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Favorite Late-Night Snack: Masala Popcorn (Popcorn with Indian Spices)

Photo: Brent Hofacker

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Last Supper: Mom’s Flatbread

“[It would be] my mom’s flatbread with a big dollop of freshly home-churned butter, topped with her potato and fenugreek vegetables,” she says.

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Favorite Person to Cook With: Her Husband

“He is very meticulous about cooking, and slowly and lovingly makes his family recipes, handed down generations. The flowing wine also helps,” she says.