Claim: Bethany Kehdy, a Lebanese-American culinary expert and cookbook author, competed in the Miss Lebanon pageant in 2001 and finished as 1st runner up.
Evidence: Bethany Kehdy (Arabic: بيثاني كعدي) (born 29 August 1981) is a Lebanese-American culinary expert and cookbook author specialising in the cuisines of the Mediterranean, Middle East and North Africa. In 2001, Bethany competed in the Miss Lebanon pageant in an effort to win the monetary prize and secure funds to continue her studies at American University of Beirut. She came in as 1st runner up.