Jan. 14--South Side native Ta'Rhonda Jones is used to taking orders.
She plays wise-cracking Porsha Taylor, assistant to hip-hop producer Cookie Lyon (Taraji P. Henson), on "Empire."
So when Chef Gordon Ramsay tells her he likes his filet mignon medium rare, she says she will make his steak pink when she serves him her surf and turf dish with mashed potatoes.
Jones is one of 14 contestants on "MasterChef Celebrity Showdown," a celebrity spin-off to "MasterChef," judged by Ramsay and Milk Bar founder Christina Tosi. Jones, 27, faces off against "Empire" co-star Kaitlin Doubleday in the Fox cooking competition, which airs 7 p.m. Monday.
Other match-ups include reality-star-turned-model Gigi Hadid against St. Louis model Devon Windsor and "MasterChef" winners Luca Manfe, Christine Ha and Claudia Sandoval versus "MasterChef Junior" Season 4 contestants Addison Osta Smith, of River Forest; Amaya Baez and Zac Kara.
The winners of the cooking face-offs get $25,000 for their charity. Jones is playing for the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence while Smith's team is competing for Food on Foot, which feeds and clothes the homeless.
.png?w=600)
