"I was just watching the Food Network one day, and saw a commercial asking for audition tapes," said [SHEILA Bennett], 41, a local winery sales rep with a lifelong interest in cooking. "I kind of looked at the TV and said, 'I can do that... why not give it a try?'"

"It was far more challenging than I thought it was going to be," recalled Bennett, who spent nearly 20 years in the restaurant biz before moving into wine sales eight years ago. "When I left (for Toronto), I said to my husband that I was going in with grace and confidence and just see how far that gets me.... Some (of the contestants) were getting freaked out; even in the first episode, the anxiety and pressure were really getting to some very good chefs. I just tried to keep calm and within myself, accepted the challenges and tried to think... and remain true."