‘Masterchef’ Winner Returning to Hudson Valley For Celebration

The latest winner of Masterchef is coming back to the Hudson Valley to celebrate her victory with the people who helped make her culinary dreams come true.

Just a few weeks ago Dara Yu was crowned the season 12 winner of Masterchef. The win is historic because Yu is the youngest contestant to ever claim the coveted cooking trophy.

The 20-year-old culinary phenom actually competed in the very first season of Masterchef Junior. After finishing a runner-up on that show, Yu went on to attend the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park. She spent her time in the Hudson Valley honing her skills in the kitchen classrooms, preparing her for a return to the world of competitive cooking. Yu eventually made it on to season 12 of Masterchef, but this time not as a junior, but as an adult.

In this year's finale, Yu took on Christian Green and Michael Silverstein for a heated showdown in front of Gordon Ramsey and the other Masterchef judges. The CIA grad prepared a mouthwatering menu that included red snapper, grilled asparagus with a miso bearnaise sauce and Chinese short ribs. The food wowed the judges, earning Yu the grand prize.

Now living in Los Angeles, Yu is making a trip back to the Hudson Valley to visit her alma mater. The Culinary Institute of America has announced that the champion chef will be on campus on October 7 to "reconnect with her favorite chefs who gave her the tools and resources she needed to get to where she is today." Yu will be sharing the story of her journey from CIA student to Master Chef during the school's open house. Registration is available online for a Q&A session with Yu that will take place from 2pm to 4:30pm.

In case you missed the finale, here's the moment Yu found out that she had been named Masterchef winner.