Moorestown Native to Appear on Food Network's Chopped Junior

Win, lose or draw, a 13-year-old South Jersey resident is set to become a national TV star Tuesday night.

Dylan Marcus, of Cherry Hill, will be featured on Food Network’s “Chopped Junior” on Tuesday night, Dec. 15, 8 p.m.

The show brings together boys and girls, ages 9 to 15, to make unforgettable meals from the mystery ingredients under the infamous ticking clock of the Chopped kitchen.

Their creations are judged a panel of judges and celebrity guests, and the winner took home $10,000.

Marcus was put up against competitors from California and Michigan. The judges for his episode were model Camila Alves and chefs Michelle Bernstein and Scott Conant.

He appears on the episode titled “Cereal Miracles,” in which “the junior chefs find shellfish and a dried seafood snack in the appetizer basket, but tears come when one competitor hears ‘time’s up.’ In the entrée round, there’s cereal and a beautiful cut of meat, but using a pre-baked cake inventively in dessert is a big challenge.”

Marcus said he’s been cooking since he was three years old. His mom and dad enjoy cooking, but they’re not chefs, and he spends a lot of time watching America’s Test Kitchen.

He said he applied for “Rachel vs. Guy: Kids Cook-Off,” also on Food Network, but he wasn’t selected to participate. Because of that application, he was offered a chance to participate in “Chopped Junior.”

He sent a tryout video, and went through two interviews, and after a 3-4 month selection process, he was chosen to participate.

“It was pretty cool to just be able to go to the set and see how everything works,” Marcus said. “I just like to be in the kitchen.”

He’s participated in similar contests at the Cherry Hill Library and in a blueberry festival at Mood’s Farm in Mullica Hill.

This contest was intense because he didn’t know what ingredients he was going to be given until just before he received them.

In keeping with the top secret element of the show, contestants are not allowed to say who won prior to the show airing.

Marcus attends the South Jersey Sudbury School, where students are encouraged to pursue their own curriculum, tailored to their goals and aspirations. He said he doesn’t see cooking as his full-time future because it’s a hard lifestyle.

“I went on the show for the experience more than anything else,” Marcus said. “It’s a good thing to put on your resume.”

He has two younger brothers, 8-year-old Andrew and 10-year-old Daniel. He enjoys playing Magic: The Gathering. He was born in Moorestown, but has lived in Cherry Hill as long as he can remember.

“It’s really exciting,” Marcus said of his experience. “It’s weird to think that I’m going to be on TV.”

His moment will be here soon enough.

The attached image of Dylan Marcus was provided.