Auditions
1/Auditions 2
May 22
One is the son of the reigning queen of
Italian cuisine. One is the youngest chef in American history to earn a
Michelin Star. And the third has 14 Michelin Stars, 12 TV series, and is
the most prolific and successful restauranteur in the world. Combined,
they forgot more about food today than you will ever know in your life.
And they want you to cook. They want you
flip a recipe on its end. They want you to have culinary finesse. They
want you to put perfection on every plate.
The object: find someone who has the
knowledge, the skill, and the palate to win the greatest culinary game
show in the world. Who has what it takes to rise from home cook... to
MasterChef? A quarter of a million, their own cookbook, and a place in
the pantheon of great gourmands such as season 3 champion Christine Ha
are on the line. Who wants it?
It begins... here.
AUDITIONS DAY 1
... with 100 home cooks and only a select
few getting a coveted apron to the next round. Each cook will have five
minutes to plate in front of the judges. If two out of three judges like
what they taste, the cook will earn an apron.
The first cook in MasterChef 2013 is
Natasha (26, San Diego, SAHM). Her son Diego turned 1 recently. She only
cares about the judges, so what do the judges think about her dos
empanadas with chimichurri skirt steak. Is this the best she can do?
Gordon thought it was very well balanced. He says yes. Joe agrees.
Graham says she's a fighter. And we have our first sweep!
Also from San Diego is Christine (19;
bakery assistant), who wants to be one of the best chefs ever. She has a
Korean duck with kalbi marinade. But is the youngest contestant
intimidated? Not in the slightest. Even when she looks it. She ends up
serving it with raw fat. Gordon thought it wasn't "humble" enough. Joe
thought it was perfectly cooked, though the dish was ill-conceived. It's
up to Graham... he says... it's a no.
Meanwhile, we get some strange, yet
edible dishes from this montage... Sure you can eat rabbit, ostrich egg,
and waterbug, but are you man enough for... wild bear?
Brian (38, Terrell, TX; SAHD) cooks...
roadkill for his family. No, seriously. His dish of great importance
today... a shaved & stripped Cajun beaver with frog chips. And to answer
your question of how to kill a beaver, jab, then pull out a 22... double
tap. Brian... has the crazy eyes. It has a depth of seasoning. Joe
says no. Gordon says yes. Graham says... APRON. For beaver.
Jordan (29, Minneapolis, delivery driver)
is here with his father and brother, all of whom dropped everything to
be here on "MasterChef". Will he deliver a winning dish with an ancho
chili tostada with cilantro mint aioli? He is cooking with the apron of
his mother, who died five years ago of brain cancer. Graham's a bit
disappointed... that there isn't a plate for each of them. Gordon
agrees. Joe says that he may have very well found the winner of "MasterChef".
It was one of the best opening dishes ever tasted on the show.
Next round of dishes are literally hard
to swallow. Including the worst dish ever tasted on the show.
EVER.
Adriana (26; New York City; college admin
rep) was born in Mexico, where she had no indoor plumbing, but plenty of
cows. She'll have both to work with, BUT she's opting for a prickly pear
soup with dried shrimp croutons to serve for her parents... who are
still on the road traveling to the prep kitchen... and they just arrived
in the nick of time. Back to the dish. Graham says that she's staying
true to her roots. He says yes. Gordon is not convinced. Joe... doesn't
think Adriana can hold up. ... But she gets an apron after saying that
she's prepared to stab a lobster in the back.
Four other aprons fly out the door. Will
George (33, OH) make it five? He's cooking Greek Wedding Soup with Greek
yogurt crostini for his girlfriend. Now here's the thing... He's
carrying a wedding ring WITH him. Will he have a reason to pull it out
after this? Joe's saying no on the basis that butter doesn't go in a
Greek wedding soup. Graham disagrees. Joe thinks it's a waste of time to
bring the girlfriend in. And... that's not going to stop Gordon from
asking him to do so. Maria thinks George's cooking is excellent. Not
excellent enough for an apron, but George could end up a winner
anyway.... "I think it's about time that you... man up." Now if you're a
big Gordon Ramsay fan, because Chico Alexander is a big Gordon Ramsay
fan, you know that when Gordon tells you to man up, it means that if you
have a good woman by your side, and she's willing to stay by your
side... you already know what you gotta do. Get the ring. Get on your
knee. And wife her.
And that's exactly what George does. "I
take it that's a yes." No apron, but hey, a fiancee's not a bad
trade off.
Last up, Krissi (34; Philadelphia;
paralegal), a single mom who sleeps on a couch in a flat. She draws
strength from her son. She cooks for him. He's here right now to
surprise her and cheer her on. We end day 1 with a Stuffed Meatloaf
Florentine with Potatoes & Asparagus. The judges meet the son, who wants
to be a chef. Krissi has potential... and now a sweep. Mikey gets to
give mom a hug, and Krissi gets to hug up on an apron.
... and that ends day one. Day two in a
moment, but right now let's pause 10 seconds to give stations a chance
to identify themselves over the Fox Broadcasting Company.
(10 seconds)
AUDITIONS DAY 2
And we continue our search for the next
MasterChef with Bime (nee: Albaya Cruz Reya Riva la Cuzala Tesero III;
35; Taunton, MA; boxing coach), a father of three with Puerto Rican
flair and a love for his family. He's cooking Mofongo con Camarones,
fried plantain mash with shrimp. Does he have the emotional stability to
go through with this? He calls Joe "his future rival". Graham says he's
got a lot of spirit, saying yes. Joe thinks it's a goof on shrimp
scampi. He says no. Gordon says that he's got soul and passion. He's
worried about his girls... but he's not going to see his three girls for
a while. He's got an apron, 2-1.
Jessie (27; Social Circle, GA; yacht
stewardess) comes from a rural town with little to no culinary culture.
She's cooking Sea Bass en Croute with Beurre Blanc sauce. Gordon says
that dish comes from the 80s. Joe says it's "too much", saying no.
Graham disagrees, saying yes. Gordon... steps outside. Why? It's Gordon
Ramsay, only God knows why. He returns with two fish. Gordon gets ready
to fillet one of them. And now he wants Jessie to start prepping six
portions with the second fish.
Ladies and gentlemen... she is the REAL.
Get your apron, girl.
Next up, a bike, a tractor, a pogo
stick... and fire. Oh, and a robot. There's a robot. And none of them
can capitalize. Well, almost. Pogo Boy gets an apron.
James (26; Victoria, TX; retail) grew up
poor, lost both of his parents, and had his resolve tempered to do
something with his creativity in honor of his parents. He decides to do
a Crispy Pork Belly with Lentil Hash. Graham thinks it's simple and
creative. James pushed his wedding aside to be here today. Is it worth
it? Graham says yes. Joe says no. Gordon... says this competition will
eat him alive. He leaves... with a red apron on... and the fake out of
the century of the week goes to... JAMES!
Next up is Sasha Foxx (42; Tuscaloosa,
AL; singer), a "beast in the kitchen". Today, she's got a fried Cornish
hen crepe with bourbon glaze. And Sasha thinks that this is another show
on Fox. Personality aside, Gordon thinks that she's a talented girl who
cooks from the heart. The others agree, and she's got an apron. DEUCES!
Rudy (35; San Diego; archaeologist) is as
fearless in the kitchen as he is in his own life, having been through
the Southern California wildfires in 2003 and living through them losing
an ear and a finger. His motto: "Just because I'm disabled doesn't mean
I'm done." He serves up a Fry Bread Taco with Buffalo Meat. His
buffalo is slightly dry. Joe says... no. Graham says that it's him on a
plate. He says yes. Gordon says he's very inspirational... but
ultimately, it's a no.
The bar has been raised for season 4.
Will we see Eddie Jackson (32; Americus, GA; personal trainer), a former
defensive back for the Miami Dolphins, rise to meet that challenge? He
has a Jerk Meatloaf with a sweet potato mash. Joe says yes. Graham says
it looks sloppy and it doesn't do enough. Gordon.... gives him an apron.
We're down to the final home cook, and
it's a familiar face from last season, Luca (31, Astoria, NY; restaurant
manager). He still wants his own NYC restaurant with his name on it.
Last year, Gordon thought he could come back this year and rise above
the competition. Will he make the most of his second chance? The dish...
a Broccoli Rabe Ravioli. Joe says that there is issue with the pecorino
sauce, but he has a lot to give. Joe says yes again. Graham does think
it's perfect, but the sauce ruins it. He says no again. Gordon... it's
up to you... again....
... "Luca... I'm sorry... You're not
going back to your job in New York. You're in Masterchef." Luca is IN!
Forza Italia.
That's all the food you're getting
tonight. Come back next week for another helping.
To see this episode in its entirety OR to
apply to be a contestant on season 5 of MasterChef, go to
fox.com/masterchef.
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