A few weeks ago, Melina Schein of Vernon, B.C., won the final challenge of a new competitive reality show called Wall of Bakers, earning $10,000 as the episode's best amateur baker. Her signature dish was a New York–style black and white cookie with an egg cream drink, harkening back to her childhood growing up in New York.

But Schein's Jewish roots go back further. Born in Argentina to the children of Holocaust survivors, she moved to New York to study opera at the Juilliard School before leaving for small-city British Columbia. It was in her Okanagan home that she took up baking as a pandemic pastime. That's when she donned the title of the Saucy Soprano, posting photos of her baked goods, videos of herself singing and near-nudes snapped behind slices of matzah and super-long challah loaves.

Schein joins to talk about her time on reality TV and where her career will take her next.

What we talked about:

Visit her website, thesaucysoprano.com
Watch Israel’s torch-lighting ceremony on Mount Herzl

Credits

The CJN Daily is written and hosted by Ellin Bessner (@ebessner on Twitter). Victoria Redden is the producer. Michael Fraiman is the executive producer. Our theme music is by Dov Beck-Levine. Our title sponsor is Metropia. We're a member of The CJN Podcast Network. To learn how to support the show by subscribing to this podcast, please watch this video.

Behind the bread: Melina 'Saucy Soprano' Schein on how she won Wall of Bakers