Summary of MasterChef 4: Auditions #1 and #2 (2023)

(NOTE: This blog is not endorsed by Fox or MasterChef and they would probably prefer you not to read it. This blog post reflects solely my view of MasterChef as a past competitor. I have no inside knowledge of how MasterChef is produced .)

Here I am, two weeks after the premiere of MasterChef season 4, just starting to blog about the season. I promise things will speed up over time! (However, my DVR was on last week's episode, so the blog will be delayed a few days until I find someone with a copy.)

I have to admit that I didn't want to start watching this season. The further away I am from my own MasterChef experience, the more reluctant I am to continue to identify with, and therefore define myself through, the brand. While it's true that each season they introduce new and exciting twists that only get ridiculously more complicated, I have to admit... I'm getting a little bored. Luckily for the fandom it doesn't seem to be the case as they've been pestering me with my blog for the last two weeks! So we'll see how this season goes.

The opening format is exactly the same. From thousands of live auditions across the country, 100 home cooks have made it to Los Angeles and are, in theory, the "best of the best." (However, many of them were specifically chosen for the judges to poke fun at, since MasterChef doesn't film their live auditions like American Idol does, so they can't REALLY bring the top 100 from Los Angeles because they won. There If there aren't, the audience can laugh at it.This assumes some are cast so the jury laughs them out of the studio.To see what I think of this phenomenon, read my guest blog atHere's how to look at a MasterChef PremierAnFestive generation, the website of Marie Porter, a MasterChef attendee this year, who asked me for advice before going to the show. This blog will be very interesting for you if you are interested in a look behind the scenes.)

The show basically starts with Joe Bastianich burning a bunch of money. Sure, fake money, but it signals to the contestants that they're here for the fame, not the money. And the fame is apparently embodied in a sacred image that Graham says will "secure your culinary legacy"... the coveted MasterChef trophy.

Guys...last year I laughed out loud when the trophy was unveiled and this year I did the same. It's really, really, REALLY hard for people to get excited about a trophy. Okay... Emmy or Oscar maybe. (I trembled as I held the Emmy my friend John won for producing "Rachael Ray" a few years ago.) Of course, the contestants themselves are excited because that would mean they've won . But I can't be the only viewer who thinks, "Really? A trophy?” Personally, I find the trophy ridiculous and cheap and should be lost. How about a winning KOCHHUT???

The judging panel sends a very simple and clear message to the contestants: "We only care about what you put on your plate." Unfortunately, this does not apply to MasterChef or ANY other reality TV show. But that's the mythology of the show, so we have to believe in it.

Well...to discuss myself...perhaps it is true that the JUDGES only care about what the contestants put on the plate. One day, decades from now, I'd love to sit down to dinner with Gordon, Graham and Joe at my house... long after MasterChef has gone off the air or gone to other judges... to discuss what the show is . Because MasterChef has to impress the jury just as physically as the participants. There are times when Gordon really hates a dish, but the show's story makes him love it on camera. There are moments when a passionate young chef stands in front of Graham and reminds him of himself standing in line paying his dues and dreams of the first Michelin star he could claim... but Graham has to this candidate is placed below because the series' arc requires it. And I wonder what that does to them as people. In recent seasons, some contestants who display more integrity than me have “called” her on the subject and asked for her HONEST opinion and not her camera. They question their integrity because they have compromised their own passions and identities to bend food to a manufacturer's will instead of fighting for someone they would otherwise truly believe in. (As you can imagine, those moments will NEVER make it onto screen.) As a spineless person who avoids conflict and confrontation at every turn, I could never be one of those people. But I personally know a few who have, and my admiration for them knows no bounds.

So maybe, in their personal hearts, the judges only care about what's on the plate. I think for the most part the feedback we get from the reviewers is really honest. But there are definitely times when the judges need to say things they don't really believe in order to steer the show in a direction that captivates viewers and is exciting, shocking, and emotional to audiences.

differ.

In the first two episodes, only 14 people are fully introduced to us, of which only 11 receive aprons. We're taking a look at 20 more, some of which get aprons and most don't. There is a girl who cooks with her own mother's milk. A man who cooks with "roadkill". A rabbit breeder bringing in a whole rabbit, fur and all. (I really wanted to meet them, I found them very interesting.) Even a guy who roasts cockroaches... he calls them "water giants". That's the "polite" term we use in Texas for people who are afraid of our giant cockroaches here. These people were chosen to shock the public, but when they traveled to Los Angeles, everyone believed they had a chance to win MasterChef and were taken seriously. After watching these episodes, my heart goes out to them. It's also quite possible that the roach wanted to cook something else, but the producers found out that he had cooked with insects before and told him to fry the roaches instead of cooking something he really cares about . (Yes, that happens too...not everyone can do exactly what they WANT to do.) So, before you really laugh at these people on your TV screen, remember that their lives are transformed during the long and arduous process of casting on the upside down and a very stressful week filming the signature round of the dish. And they went home disappointed, cheated and feeling taken advantage of. It's part of the ugly side of reality TV and one of the reasons I'm so allergic to it. I was fortunate to be treated wonderfully both at the casting, the jury and the editing room and I will be forever grateful for that. Not everyone is so lucky.

Highlights of the 14 people appearing in these two episodes:

Natasha Black, the beautiful 26-year-old homemaker from San Diego who believes people judge their worth as a cook by their model looks. (Honey...have you seen the last three seasons? The attractive women have won EVERY season, so looking good is a start, not an obstacle!) Their chimichurri steak empanadas look divine. (Chimichurri is an Argentinian sauce made with chopped parsley and herbs, plus olive oil and vinegar. There are as many versions as there are chefs making them. Natasha looks gorgeous.) What struck me about her presentation was that she had a review offered it with an alcoholic drink (beer) and they actually drank it. As far as I know, that hasn't happened in previous seasons. In my time the wonderfulAlvin SchultzHe actually whipped up a VERY unique cocktail to go with his dish, but the jury rejected it. Natasha's beer came from a 750ml bottle and looked like a farmer's beer or seasonal beer... I'd be interested to know what it was. He gets 3 thumbs up. Natasha has a really nice blog,Frisky Mama: From diapers to demiglace, I want to be heard...

Christine Kim, a delightful 19-year-old, charms us with her irresistible personality and sweetness, and I drooled over the kalbi duck salad wraps, but Gordon and Graham turn them down. Too bad, but maybe her nationality and her name were against her from the start. Kalbi is the Korean word for "ribs" and usually refers to a preparation of beef ribs that are thoroughly marinated before being briefly cooked. Christine has taken the flavors of the typical Kalbi marinade and applied it to duck, which sounds delicious to my stomach. At 19, she is the youngest competitor this season. I'm sorry she didn't get a chance to fight the bigger fish.

Another Texan, Brian Kohler, shocks the jury by cooking a beaver he appears to be catching here?! I don't usually think of Beaver in the Dallas area, but he seems pretty comfortable cooking. It reminds me ofBourdainthe new showUnknown Placesand the Quebec episode where one of the world's greatest chefs, Martin Picard, cooks beaver, much to Tony's delight. Brian has a pair of VERY intense eyes and there's no doubt about his passion. Although it fascinates me when he says that he commits "roadkill" for his family every day. By the way, if he means venison, I'd love to be invited to his table! Well done cooking the beaver tail for the judges and he comes away with just a "no" from Joe. (There are countless anecdotes about Joe and the Beaver possible at this point, but I'll leave that to the imagination of my dear readers!)

Jordan Rutch, a 29-year-old parent from Minneapolis, wows us all with his perfectly made ancho-chile tostada and his heartwarming story of his mother's death from brain cancer and how he now wears the apron he got his mother as a child . In a triumphant display of editing, we see Jordan as a full-dimensional character...some confidence and maybe a touch of arrogance ("I don't see much tech out there," he says), but that's tempered by a very private moment, in which he collapses in the room and cries after removing his apron before facing the crowd. Kudos to the editorial team, I wish we could see that many dimensions of EVERY character on the show because nobody is as one dimensional as is often portrayed.

Another heater isAdriana Guillen, a strikingly beautiful 26-year-old college admissions representative originally from Mexico. As she cooks, her family arrives "delayed" (although she miraculously has a camera crew in the car), but she surprises them just before she pulls up her shopping cart to judge. She had already talked about how her mother taught her to cook, and the moment she bent down to hug and kiss her mother really made my mouth water. Adriana makes a nopales soup with dried shrimp croutons. Nopales are the green cactus pads and a staple of authentic Mexican cuisine. They can be VERY difficult to cook with because they are very slimy, like okra, which in the hands of a skilled cook can be used with great results (e.g. a perfect cap), but also a gooey, chewy disaster If you don't know what you're doing: The color of their soup is deep red and comes entirely from a combination of chilies. The soup contains no tomatoes at all. I would have dived right into that bowl. And now we're getting feedback from the judges that I think is really staged... Gordon knocks her down, not because of what's on her plate (how about saying that's the ONLY thing you care about ?! ?), but because he finds them too cute for the "tough" competition. Hell's Kitchen is wild. It's not MasterChef. While the cut may highlight the feuds between the contestants, there's no doubt that the MasterChef cast is family. You can't experience the stress of the show without getting really close to your competitors. It's just a way to stress ourselves out and think how unfair it would be if her food was good enough for the competition, but the judges think she can't take the heat. Joe saves her in the end.

Next we meet George Mastrosavas, the 33-year-old pizza owner from Ohio. His Greek Wedding Soup is offensive to Joe for using butter instead of plain Greek olive oil and the jury won't give him the apron, but Gordon forces him to finally propose to his girlfriend on camera because he's apparently breaking the engagement to himself carried around. Ring in the bag for 6 months. At first I thought it was entirely staged, but the expression on his friend Maria's face when she tearfully asked the question could not have been faked by Meryl Streep. She is absolutely WONDERFUL. Fantastic TV.

Krissi BiasielloNext is her, a 34-year-old single mom and attorney from Philadelphia who is struggling to make ends meet and sleeps on the couch in her one-bedroom apartment. For me it is very real. I want to cook with her. She talks about her son who loves Gordon and dreams of becoming a chef. She serves a Fondina-filled Florentine with “dream fries.” I don't like meat like most Americans, but hers looks delicious. Gordon brings his son, who is absolutely adorable (I hope he auditioned for MasterChef Junior), and he meets his hero. What a moment! Chrissy takes the apron. Check out her amazing blogThe plump cook.

Bime (Bee-mee) Cruz, a 35-year-old boxing trainer from Massachusetts and originally from Puerto Rico, is quick to tell us about his three daughters, who are his culinary inspiration. Bime is a character and his shrimp on a mashed plantain cake looks amazing. Joe hates Bime, probably because Bime isn't afraid of him. (Joe, at least the character Joe, does NOT like people who aren't afraid of him.) Beam looks at him and says, "I'm your future opponent, man." And that cemented their relationship. Joe insists that Baim is "fake" and says Baim cries "every 5 minutes" in this strange and highly visible combination of fear, profanity, aggression and defensiveness. (And I cried every 5 minutes...which bothered Joe and he thought I would do it for the camera, but as I ate at the incomparable LA restaurant,Mozza-Restaurant, and he tried the grilled squid...which made me cry...I think he might have tasted it. At least for a few seconds.) Baim gets his apron, but I don't see him and Joe holding hands yet.

Then there isJessie Lysiak, the spoiled "Southern Belle" from Social Circle, Georgia, who is really beautiful and has a dream lifestyle as a yacht stewardess. He serves an impressive sea bass, a fish fillet baked in a batter... a demanding fish preparation, because the fish must be perfectly cooked through, neither over nor undercooked, and the batter must be crispy and perfect. Gordon tells her something very confusing about it. She says her dish is stuck in the 1980s and she wishes she'd brought something more modern. ""GORDON RAMSAY LOST SIDES." -Ben Starr, Season 2 MC.Gordon built his reputation with Beef Wellington, a battered fillet of beef. I really feel like that phrase came from him and not the control room, so I'm wondering why his Beef Wellington is more modern than their Seabass en Croute. Then Gordon does something unexpected...leaves the room to return with two large fish, one of which is filleted and portioned in front of her, then asks her to do the same...just to make sure she's honest about his penchant for fishing. She does so with a "take that, Gordo" look in her eyes and triumphantly picks up her apron.(I'll never forget the moment on MasterChef 2 when Gordon filleted a giant 3-foot salmon in front of the viewers. It took him 30 seconds to flawlessly remove two perfect fillets from the salmon with no waste left over. It was a turning point. For me, it was a certain time on the show...the moment I went from reacting to Gordon as if he were an actor to reacting as if he were a chef. Gordon IS NOW an actor and I won't be standing in the kitchen much anymore. The fact that he could do it (how he pulls out the perfect filet without doing it every day all day just blew my mind. He really knows how to cook.)

Here comes the TexanJames Nelson, a 26-year-old who works in retail, shares the story of how he recently lost both of his parents and, in a moment of refreshing vulnerability, admits it was a blow to his self-esteem in the kitchen and that his parents had him , always defied his abilities. He serves up a crispy pork belly with lentil hash and reveals that his "food dream" (a new term we're hearing everywhere this season) is to open a gastropub. For some strange reason, Joe and Gordon insist that the guy is too shy and unwilling to fight and hesitate to give him the apron. Maybe they're saying it for dramatic reasons, or maybe there was more in their off-air talks that convinced them, but the public certainly doesn't see James that way. They decide to give him the apron, much to Joe's dismay. James sells his own line of spices, so take a look aroundBravado Spice Company!

Next we have our big character for the season... Felix Fang... our sex kitten. The UnforgettableSasha Foxx, darling This 42-year-old gospel singer from Tuscaloosa is a goldmine of one-liners. "I cook good, I look good, I smell good. Everything I do, I do well, my dear, you better believe that.” It serves roasted wild chicken with French crepes and maple-orange frosting... and there's bourbon in it Somewhere. "Put some Sasha in your mouth, baby." Joe says, "That's a lot of chicken. And you're quite a woman' and she replies without pausing, 'Mmmmmmmm... you were telling the truth about it.' Gordon asks her, 'What's the secret of your food?' and she replies, 'I could turn around and man actually got to see what my secret is!” Sasha takes on her apron and we have our first memorable MasterChef character of the season. Although we all know someone like Sasha and that passion goes both ways...I could see her as a VERY polarizing person, tough competitor.

Next up is Rudy Reyes and there's no easy way to watch this section. Rudy is a 35-year-old hero from San Diego who was severely burned in the wildfires there in the early 2000s. While going door to door in his neighborhood to help people flee, he ended up in the hospital with burns covering over 75% of his body. This left him in an induced coma for two months, and he spent over a year in the hospital recovering. And instead of falling into a lifelong depression over it, Rudy believes, "I'm blessed. I'm here for a reason.” After his recovery, Rudy had to learn to do everything in his life again. Rudy serves one of my personal FAVORITE dishes. As you travel around the American Southwest, you will see signs painted in front of people's homes advertising "Navajo tacos", "Hopi tacos" or "Indian tacos". They consist of a large round fried bread (like a giant, salty sopapille) stuffed with meat, cheese and vegetables. Rudy has a perfect golden flatbread that he fills with buffalo meat and lime salsa. It's not the most polished thing presented to the judges, but I can be honest and say I'll love it more than ANYTHING I've seen so far. I love Indian tacos. More than life itself. Joe and Gordon knock him out because the dish isn't refined enough and the buffalo meat is too dry...but Graham, who shares my appetite, is his only advocate. I'm not sure what to think of Rudy's experience at MasterChef. Had he been given an apron, audiences would probably have cried at the sensationalism, especially since last season's winner, The IncredibleChristine Ha(If the cookbook just came out...take it!) was visually impaired. Or maybe his food just wasn't up to scratch and they wanted to prove that the competition is ONLY about the food. We'll never know, but we can thank Rudy for his incredible insight into life, sharing with us on the show and absorbing the inspiring feelings he touched in our hearts and doing good things for more people more often.

Then there are a number of rejections, including 2 of my friends,Matt Orsinifrom Dallas andMary Porterfrom Minneapolis. The fact that these two flash before your eyes for just a second each (you probably don't even remember them) is an example of the HUGE impact the show is having on the lives of ALL contestants. Matt and Marie's life was turned upside down for months. Their relationship was on the verge of breaking point. They left income and family for an uncertain future. And these life-changing battles are captured on the show with an incredible one-second delay. And believe it or not, almost HALF of the 100 participants couldn't even manage that one second. They are not broadcast at all. This is another reason to read my blog postHow to watch a MasterChef premierebecause there are a lot of people out there who feel taken advantage of and let down by MasterChef... who feel like the process has totally exploited them... and I hope for ALL of those attendees that they take a look at what MasterChef offers done to you. It made you look at your life and wonder if you were on the right track. It gave you hope that you could have a greater impact on the world. You do NOT need the help of MasterChef. If you have this dream, follow it. Your loved ones may not understand at first. Ask her to stay with you. But if you feel like you can change the world or make it a better place because of your love of food, sinking back into the routine of your old life means giving up and throwing it away. be unique!

The youngest is Eddie Jackson, a 42-year-old Georgia former NFL player who, after tossing the pigskin with Joe and Graham (with Gordon, himself a former pro football player, scoffing at "American football"), serves up Split Meat. with ginger and coconut sweet potato puree. "Jerking" is a Jamaican technique that refers to heavily seasoned meat that has been smoked or grilled. I've had it all over the Caribbean and it makes me drool every time I smell it. He removes the apron from Joe and Gordon and Graham surprisingly stays away.

And last but not least, there is a familiar face from last year:Luca Manfe...the handsome 31-year-old restaurant manager from New York with the accent that makes all women (and some men!) weak at the knees. We were sure Luca would come out on top last year with his sexy Italian cuisine, but he didn't. And you'll remember that EVERY year the judges invite contestants back...some are even "guaranteed" an apron next season. And will they ever come back? none. do i know why Not sure. I know a contestant from my season who didn't get an apron, came back to audition for season 3, and was basically completely ignored by the casting people, like he wasn't even there. Usually, after all the gossip among fellow participants who are advanced enough to learn many of the secrets of the program, a participant is not welcome. So it never surprised me that contestants who were "guaranteed" an apron next season never showed up. But Luca has... something of little interest. Especially since Bastianich said: "If you had won last year, we would probably already be partners in a restaurant in New York." After this sighting, I had to stop the DVR. Joe has never spoken to a contestant like that before...especially during the Signature Dish round. He has invited very talented top finalists to intern at his restaurants. But he NEVER mentioned working with a candidate on a restaurant project. Joe works with chefs like Mario Batali. That was very, very strange. Luca serves up a divine broccoli raab ravioli in a pecorino cream sauce that all reviewers criticize for being too grainy. Pecorino is an aged feta cheese known for not melting even when grated over a hot plate. The best pecorinos ripen well, which makes them even harder to melt. (The younger pecorinos melt satisfactorily, but don't have much flavor.) So Luca decided to go for flavor over texture, and although the jury points out the texture is substandard, he takes the upper hand and is on the best way to make your own dining dream come true...a New York restaurant with its name in big letters above the door. "L-U-C-A" I can see it...

We have one more round of casting before the top finalists are announced and my DVR hates me and didn't record it. So I'm going to Houston tonight to meet up with Alvin, Christine and Michael Chen and I'm hoping to rattle down last week's episode so they can reach me by Wednesday. If you like my blog, subscribe to it in the top right corner of your screen to make sure you don't miss ANY of this season's craziness! I also want to play Where Are They Now? Posts about your favorite contestants up to season one. Don't miss it! And please, by all means... share your thoughts below!