St. Andrew-born chef Kim Alexander advances in televised cooking competition

Kim Alexander, the Jamaican-born founder of Home Cook Vibe, has advanced to the next round of a televised cooking competition after clearing her latest on-air challenge. The Florida-based content creator, who has built a following through viral food videos and appearances on Food Network and Fox 35, now faces three remaining episodes with 18 cooks still in the running.

Alexander told the programme that she entered each segment confident in what she brings to the table. "I'm bringing the Jamaican flavor that nobody else has," she said, adding that this gives her "upper hand in this competition." Competitors receive spontaneous assignments when host Terry spins a challenge wheel — categories can range from breakfast to luxury dinner — and must invent a complete dish on the spot without prior preparation.

Her most recent task required choosing either a fryer or a grill as the sole heat source for the entire cook. Alexander selected the grill and prepared grilled salmon served with plantain purée and herb oil. She declined to predict the overall winner before episodes air, though she said she hopes to take the title.

Born at the University of the West Indies and raised in Maryland, St. Andrew, Alexander migrated to Brooklyn, New York, at age 15 with her mother and two siblings after attending Mona High School. She spent more than a decade working in hair salons before pivoting to food content after the birth of her second daughter, seeking a schedule that suited family life. Her first cooking video — a one-pot salmon rotini — drew roughly 17 million views on Instagram alone and spread widely across TikTok and YouTube.

Through Home Cook Vibe she runs private events, catering, and intimate dinners across Florida, drawing on Jamaican staples such as jerk chicken, brown stew chicken, and curry alongside Italian and Mexican influences she learned from her grandmother in Jamaica and later from her husband. She still accepts select private hair clients.

Alexander has also published the cookbook Stay for Dinner, featuring 50 recipes designed for home cooks, most requiring 30 to 40 minutes or less, including traditional Jamaican dishes such as brown stew chicken and oxtail. If she wins the competition, she plans to pursue formal culinary training to strengthen her place in the industry.