I am fortunate to have a unique perspective into MasterChef being the person in charge of all things culinary related on a food show is possibly one of the most difficult departments to run. I’m not going to sugar-coat it—prepping for the auditions was absolutely insane! Fifty semi-finalists cooking their signature dish for judges, Gordon Ramsay, Graham Elliot, and Joe Bastianich. Only thirty will make it through and receive an apron—no pressure!
Production flew in people from all over the country—Dallas, Atlanta, Boston, Mississippi, and Chicago—just to name a few. The home-cook hopefuls were given one hour to prepare their signature dish for the discerning judges: this takes some planning.
My amazing culinary team, Michele and Alesha, and I orchestrated the contestants shopping trip to purchase the ingredients for their dish. I’ve been producing food television for a long time, but fifty home cooks nervous and excited about cooking for Gordon is a whole other level of intense responsibility. Not to mention what is at stake for the winner: a chance to win $250,000 and publish their very own cookbook. As a cookbook author, having your name on the cover of a book is a coveted honor and indeed quite a prize.
This was no joke to them. For real, people were smuggling-in ingredients and believe-it-or-not, even planting specialty items, such as beer cheese, in our selected grocery store that did not carry it. But we have ways of finding out everything 🙂
Because this is a competition series, certain measures must be taken so all is fair in love and war. The show, and Fox, takes rules seriously, so all is legit. The parameters were: every contestant must shop at the same market and allotted the same time limit, which was one hour. They could bring up to five specialty items from home, either a non-perishable ingredient or cooking equipment—for instance, Tamar brought her homemade Jamaican spice mix and Tracy brought her mother’s well seasoned cast-iron skillet. Two passenger vans, fifty coolers, and a coffin freezer stocked with ice later, we got cooking!
The contestants rotated into judging every hour. Culinary set up three individual cooking stations and turned each over ever hour on the hour, which was no small task. All equipment was cleared, traded out, washed, sanitized, and reset in a matter of minutes. Every station was outfitted with identical kitchen tools and cookware. Again, fairness and competing on an equal playing field is given the utmost detail by everyone involved with the show.
Just so you get an idea of the sheer volume, the following is a list of what all of the cooks had available to them in the MasterChef Kitchen:
Refrigerator & Freezer
4 Gas Burners
1 Oven
1 Sink with hot water
Olive Oil cruet
Kosher salt
Peppermill
Tableware: Plates, Bowls, and Utensils
Pots – all sizes with lids
Pans (including sheet pans, glass baking dishes, wok, and grill pan)
Mixing Bowls – Glass and Stainless
Standard 7-piece Knife Set with steel
Cutting Boards – Wooden and Plastic
Measuring Cups – Dry and Liquid
Measuring Spoons
Colander/Strainers
Standard Blender
Immersion Blender
Food Processor with multiple blades
Standing Mixer
Hand-held Beater
Rice Cooker
Pressure Cooker
Juicer
Wooden spoons
Slotted Spoons
Wok Strainer
Tongs
Spatula – Flat and Rubber
Whisks
Ladles
Potato Masher
Vegetable Peeler
Grater
Zester
Rolling Pin
Pastry Brush
Wine Opener
Can Opener
Meat Thermometer
Frying Thermometer
Aluminum Foil
Plastic Wrap
Wax Paper
Kitchen Twine
Cheesecloth
As the culinary crew reset the stations on the main stage, I was in the “chamber”, standing on the sideline as hopefuls presented their signature dish to the judges. The energy in the judging room was seriously intense. To see the passion in these cooks’ eyes made me appreciate working in the food industry even more. I felt so bad for some of the people who did not make it through. There were a lot of tears, but the judges were steadfast in only selecting the cream of the crop; no pun intended, to compete for the title of MasterChef.
As of mid-afternoon, sadly, no one had yet received an apron; the judges were hungry and irritable to be sure. Finally, when Mike Kim received the first apron from Gordon and was ushered out to the floor to provide example, I had chills up my spine. Mike’s smile lights up the room, so I was really happy he made it through. I did manage to sneak a little taste of Mike’s Duck Ssam with Orange-Miso Sauce and it was mind-blowing.
Being in the room when David Miller served his Bouillabaisse was an incredible experience. To watch the three judges knock this cocky kid down to desperate tears was really emotional. The show is obviously cut down from real time, so in reality, David’s judging lasted for a good ten minutes, which at the time felt like eternity. Even watching it again on the show that aired last week, I got all choked up. I hear from lots of folks that they did too.
And then there was Faruq, I had been chatting with his wife, Jennifer, as their 3-year-old son Sylas napped on one of the couches on set. They are such a beautiful family, and Faruq is honestly dedicated to the craft of cooking. I secretly hoped his Mac and Cheese would knock the judges socks off. After Gordon brought his wife and son in the room, I swear, I almost lost it. I get so into caring about these people from the very beginning. Food is love! There I was, standing behind camera trying not to sob too loudly. What you see on the screen is really how it all unravels, which is one of the reasons working on MasterChef has been the most satisfying show of my career.
On tonight’s episode, I admit I was rooting for Darryl Pierce and was thrilled he got an apron. I was the judge on the road during the open call auditions and fortunate to taste his dish in Denver, which ultimately got him the opportunity to come to Los Angeles and cook for the judges. To cook as well as he does with his handicap provides such inspiration and love for the human spirit.
Truth be told—construction worker Jake Gandolfo rubbed me the wrong way at first. He storms in like a bull in a china shop, asking me a million questions about cooking equipment and stove top btu’s (British Thermal Unit). I’m was like, dude, you’re stressing me out. But I have to say, he is really focused, down-to-earth, and a really good cook.
The final thirty contestants who received aprons have no idea what is in store for them next week. You won’t want to miss my blog following the show; it will be a truckload!
