Poland native on ‘Master Chef’

Staff report

Kira Novak, a 2000 graduate of Poland Seminary High School, is one of the 18 remaining contestants on the Fox competition show “Master Chef.”

The 31-year-old will compete on tonight’s episode, which airs at 9. It will be her fourth week on the series.

Novak is a 2005 graduate of the University of Akron. She moved to Chicago after graduating and works as a medical recruiter in that city.

She describes her cooking background as Italian-American, mixed with influences from her travels around the world.

“Master Chef,” now in its fifth season, is hosted by celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay.

With a goal of finding the best home cook in America, it puts contestants — each of whom is an amateur cook — through a series of challenges.

The winner receives a grand prize of $250,000 and a cookbook publishing deal.

Kira is the daughter of Ray and Cindy Novak of Poland.