Fil-Am homecook to compete in PBS’ ‘The Great American Recipe’

Christina Borja McAlvey is bringing her own spin on Filipino cuisine, which she calls “Fili-fusion” to the show. PBS

A Filipina American from Southwest Portland, Oregon will be one of ten home-cook contestants on The Great American Recipe, premiering June 24 on PBS.

Christina Borja McAlvey is bringing her own spin on Filipino cuisine, which she calls “Fili-fusion” to the show.

A native of Michigan, McAlvey has lived in Portland for the last nine years, working as a small business banker and a part-time desk aide at a yoga studio (she’s also a certified yoga teacher). She cooks with ingredients from farmers markets as well as Filipino and Asian markets .

“The Great American Recipe” will premier on PBS on June 24.

The show is hosted by Alejandra Ramos, a Today Show contributor, and features judges Leah Cohen (a New York chef), Tiffany Derry (a Top Chef and Top Chef All Stars contestant) and Graham Elliot (chef and judge on Master Chef and MasterChef Junior).

“Everything that I do, I try to make healthier. Filipino food often tends to use pork belly, which is the most delicious, but not the healthiest. Lumpia tends to be deep-fried, so I bake mine,” she told PBS. Her husband is Irish, so she makes “Irish lumpia,” which is an egg roll stuffed with corned beef and cabbage.