Wyckoff Chef Appearing on "Rachael Ray Show" Friday

Wyckoff chef and cooking instructor Angie Shaghaghi will be appearing on "Rachael Ray" Friday as part of a cooking contest. Shaghaghi is known locally for her popular children's cooking classes at and elsewhere.

Shaghaghi is appearing on the show as a part of the “Hey, Can You Cook!? 5” contest. All six contestants from around the country flew to Oaxaca, Mexico to participate in the competition.

"To experience the places that we went, and the restaurants and the historical churches was truly amazing," Shaghaghi said. "Of course, Rachael Ray is always fun."

Friday will be Shaghaghi's second appearance on the show. She first competed in “Hey, Can You Cook!?" in 2008. She said the experience helped her at-the-time budding business, Creative Cooks, which started in her own kitchen.

After teaching classes at home, Shaghaghi, who went to school for elementary education, started teaching cooking after school at Lincoln Elementary and elsewhere. Today, she works with hundreds of students, teaching at several schools in Paterson. She also started a camp, Cooking Down the Runway, with a friend who is a model.

"My first passion is kids, my second passion is cookng," Shaghaghi said.

Shaghaghi, who is originally from Florida, said she picked up cooking from her family at an early age and taught herself more by reading cook books and studying how to start a business.

"I turned what I knew, working with kids, and food, which is what I grew up with, and I started studying," Shaghaghi said.

The new episode of "Rachael Ray" with Angie Shaghaghi airs September 28 at 10 a.m. on channel 7.