CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — After receiving the seal-of-approval from Gordon Ramsay himself, a young master chef is using her talents to give back to her community.
Coastal Bend native, Rae Barker spent Thursday evening at the Ronald McDonald House Charities of South Texas serving up meals for families whose children are being treated at the nearby Driscoll Children's Hospital .
On the menu: Chicken Alfredo.
At 12 years old, Barker is already considered a master in her craft.
If she looks familiar, chances are you most likely saw the Live Oak County resident winning the popular TV show MasterChef Junior, in its holiday special MasterChef Junior: Home for the Holidays.
"Whenever I go to the grocery store some people are like, 'Hey I know you! I saw you on TV,'" the young chef said.
But, Barker isn't letting that fame get to her head.
Instead, she's taking her passion for pasta and and putting her skills on display for a good cause.
"I've been wanting to support something like this, this was the perfect chance to come and help with what God has given me," Barker said.
3NEWS caught up with the pint-sized chef at the Ronald McDonald House teaching kids there all about the process as she cooked up something special for the families.
"I think it's amazing what they do, helping families while their children are in the hospital and I think it's really nice and I think they are amazing," she said.
Rose Martinez currently calls the Ronald McDonald House, home while her great-granddaughter, Victoria, receives treatment for a heart condition at Driscoll Children's Hospital.
"We've been here for 6 months already the services here are the best," Martinez said. "They treat us like home."
The Share-A-Meal program just another example of the work the organization does to limit the worries of its residents so they can focus on the recovery of their loved ones.
"We don't have to cook," Martinez said. "We've been in appointments all morning long."
CEO Michelle Horine said when they saw Chef Rae's big win, they knew they had to invite her to come out.
"Of course it was an immediate yes, so we started planning what would be a good meal, [that was] fun, interactive," Horine said. "Her and her mom came up with great ideas, toured the house and fell in love and here we are today."
Rae was able to serve up enough comfort food and smiles for 60 guests.
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