Masterchef: Why are you Not Watching This Yet?
In my house growing up, TV dinners were always a norm. Sitting with family centered on some TV show eating a microwave meal or some form of fast food take out is what is now a family dinner. Sometimes families don’t even acknowledge each other during dinner because they’re all preoccupied with their phones. At least that is how I have always known it however, in the last couple years my family has picked up a new tradition. It still involves take out or some form of my mom’s not so great cooking (sorry mom) but what matters the most is that we bond and engage with each other over what’s on the TV, and the one show in common we love bonding over is Masterchef. Now I honestly do not remember how we got into it, but it was probably for the sole reason that me and my mom love food. Neither of us can cook but we sure as hell can appreciate good food. We record it as the season goes on, avoid all spoilers, and when I come home for a dinner that’s not cafeteria food, we turn on Masterchef.
The show itself is a cooking reality show and the contestants are home cooks from all across America and has been running now for eight seasons. The show is an exciting mix of suspense and drama for the viewers who love a good nail biter, as well as an educational show for all levels of home cooks. The first five seasons featured esteemed judges Gordon Ramsey, Joe Bastianich, and Graham Elliot, later followed by Christina Tosi and Aaron Sanchez for the remaining seasons up to this point in the series.
Originally from Scotland, Chef Gordon Ramsay began his studies in hotel management and once he graduated began to study under a number of Europe’s top chefs. Today, Ramsay hosts multiple television shows including Hell’s Kitchen, The F Word, Kitchen Nightmares, Masterchef and more. He owns multiple restaurants, has written over 20 books, and has a loving family with his wife, Cayetana Hutcheson. And just being honest, The Chef is known for his fiery personality. Not to mention, you don’t get your own show called The F Word for being a pacifistic pushover. As fiery and as short tempered as Gordon Ramsey is, he is brilliant in his own right. executing the most difficult dishes with seamless and flawless precision. Unbeknownst to most people though, he does have a much softer side. He has been the host of several children's cooking shows and when one of the children gets overwhelmed with their self doubt, you can trust Gordon to jump right into dad mode and help the child pick their head up and finish stronger than ever. Sometimes strong enough to win the competition entirely. With all this being said Gordon Ramsey is absolutely mesmerizing to watch whether he’s perfecting a souffle, yelling at some of the adult competitors for overlooking the simplest of things or consoling a child and filling them with immense self confidence. These things make Gordon a great watch no matter what show hes on, who he’s yelling at or who he’s helping. The guy is an all around great TV personality.
Chef Joe Bastianich grew up in an Italian household, working in his parents restaurant as a child, and began his own culinary career opening an Italian restaurant with his mother after completing a finance degree from Boston College. Today with his two business partners he owns about 30 restaurants worldwide. Bastianich judged five seasons of Masterchef as well as the Italian version of the show and Masterchef Junior until he ended his judging days claiming it took up too much of his time. Bastianich earned himself the title “the Simon Cowell of Masterchef,” known to be harsh when judging.
Chef Graham Elliot grew up a Navy Brat, traveling all around the world as a child took an interest in food at an early age. Chef Graham Elliot received numerous awards and recognition as a young chef and the youngest four star named chef in America. Chef Graham Elliot left Masterchef after 6 seasons and today he judges on Top Chef (which I did not know and will now be binging). The chef was inducted into the Chicago Chefs Hall of Fame and in the city of Chicago Sept. 19 is “Graham Elliot Day” (catch me in Chicago next September).
Chef Joe Bastianich was replaced by Pastry chef Christina Tosi and Ramsay and Elliot along with Tosi judged together for a season until Graham announced his departure from the show. Season 7 consisted of numerous guest judges including Wolfgang Puck, Edward Lee, Kevin Sbraga, Richard Blais, Daniel Boulud and Aron Sanchez who came on as an official judge for the most recent season 8. Chef Christina Tosi is an Italian influenced pastry chef and Chef Aaron Sanchez is a traditional Latin inspired Chef. When Chef Joe left the show followed by Chef Graham watching Masterchef seemed like it would never be the same but once producers settled on Chef Christina and Chef Aaron the show felt whole again. With all these personalities playing off of each other, along with different cooking influences intertwining the show was more diverse than ever.
The show itself consists of a number of challenges that they home chefs must complete with elimination challenges leaving the 20 chosen home chefs down to three for the final episode. Over two episodes the contestants face the mystery box where the judges choose three top dishes and one winner who is given a hidden advantage in the next challenge. We see the cooks creativity along with their home influence being brought to the dish and we get to know them through their trash talk along with their food.
In the elimination test the advantage is given to the previous winner, normally they get to in some way decide who of the remaining competitors cooks which ingredients or who they are partnered with for a team challenge. This allows the home cooks to specifically target the contestants that they do not like and do not want to be in the final with. The top two dishes from this challenge become team captains for the next while the chef who cooks the losing dish goes home.
In the next episode, the team challenge takes place in off set location, the cooks split into two teams and prepare a multi course meal for a large quantity of diners. This almost always begins as a mess and ends with at least two people arguing with each other over who lost the challenge for the team (the epitome of reality TV). At the end of the meal these diners vote on their favorite team. The losing team goes into the the pressure test where they compete against each other. Every dish is sampled and the cook with the least favored dish is sent home
Besides the judges we love to see every season, there’s also the home cooks that come and go. As a viewer of reality TV we get attached and pick our favorite personalities and root for them till the end or even just your favorite food for that episode. This past season, season 8 was full of big personalities and extremely talented chefs. Spoilers ahead!
Texas Ranch owner Mike Newton in tryouts presented the Judges with the most amazing cupcakes I think I’ve ever seen and won our hearts over with his totally unexpected delicate baking.
Eboni Henry, home cook from Chicago, Illinois was either loved of hated for her bold personality and ability to call people out without remorse. Whether you loved or hated her she always put her heart and soul into everything she did and every move she made in the competition was to better herself.
Home cook Jeff Philbin, was the season 8 hot head who had an argument with someone what felt like every episode. He finished out the season with a loss in every team challenge but a win in every pressure test. resulting in him overcoming the pressure and becoming a better chef because of it.
Dino Luciano, a dancer from New York was a personal favorite throughout the season. He was a fan of riling up the competition and stirring the pot but keeping a calm head when others got fired up. His unconventional dishes kept him in the competition leading him on to eventually winning Masterchef Season 8.
The great thing about Masterchef is that no matter how harsh the judges are the show is full of amateur contestants and at the end of the day the chefs are teaching and the contestants are learning. Around once a season the Judges will offer one home cook the opportunity of a lifetime. This is usually a job at one of the chefs restaurants for a home cook that impressed them throughout the season. Season 8 the chefs gave the most amazing opportunity to the youngest chef in the competition. 19-year-old Gabriel Lewis, a fast food server from a struggling family, went home because of his inexperience with high class pasta and he was so disappointed in himself but maintained that he had never seen this before and did not have the experience to make it.
Unfortunately the pasta dish did send him home but the chefs did not let him leave empty handed. Chef Gordon Ramsay saw so much potential that he offered to pay for the 19 year old to attend culinary school. Once home Lewis decided on Johnson & Wales Denver campus. His final exam even included a redemption for his cannelloni and he nailed the dish. As if Gordon Ramsay paying for schooling was not enough, Chef Sanchez also offered for Lewis to come to New Orleans and work in one of his restaurants upon graduation.
Overall the show is a great concept that consists of great personalities from the judges and the home cooks. It is also an emotional roller coaster as it always has you on the edge of your seat wanting more. Tapping into a variety of emotions ranging from anxiousness and suspense to causing a feeling of spite towards your least favorite competitor, this show has it all. It is not your ordinary cooking show it’s also a place for talented home cooks to come to learn new techniques and compete while doing so. The show is a household tradition for me and maybe it can be one for you too.
Masterchef is now casting for season 9 and will be premiering in 2018 on FOX.
