NATIONWIDE SEARCH BRINGS 50 AMATEUR HOME COOKS
TO LOS ANGELES TO VIE FOR FIRST-EVER “MASTERCHEF†TITLE
Top 14 Revealed Tuesday, August 10
Sharpen your knives and fire up your stoves! Famed chef Gordon Ramsay’s newest culinary competition series, MASTERCHEF, based on the smash international hit, is set to start cooking Tuesday, July 27 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. After a nationwide search for the best home cooks in America, the series will turn one of 50 hopefuls into a culinary star and America’s first-ever MASTERCHEF.
In the premiere episode, the hopefuls will have one hour to prepare their signature dishes and present them to the distinguished MASTERCHEF judging panel: Michelin-starred chef Gordon Ramsay; restaurateur and wine maker Joe Bastianich; and the youngest four-star chef in America, Graham Elliot. The judges are looking for passion, creativity and most importantly great flavor and taste. Only the most deserving home cooks who impress the judges will win the coveted white apron and will move on to the next round of the competition.
On Tuesday, Aug. 3 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT), the judges will reveal the Top 30, and each week, the stakes will be raised as more hopefuls are eliminated until the Top 14 are announced on Tuesday, Aug. 10 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT). Then, beginning Wednesday, Aug. 18 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT), the show moves to a new night and expands to two-hour episodes as the hopefuls dish out their absolute best in an effort to impress the judges and continue in the competition.
Below are the hometowns, professions and dishes of the 50 home cooks:
| HOMETOWN | NAME | PROFESSION | LOVES TO COOK… |
| California | |||
| Anaheim | Sheena Zadeh | Marketing Executive | Pork Tenderloin with Braised Fennel and Spaetzle in Orange Sauce |
| Felton | Jake Gandolfo | Construction Worker | Eclectic Surf and Turf |
| Glendale | Faruq Jenkins | Bartender | Chic and Cozy Colbert Mac and Cheese |
| Long Beach | Stevie Cannone | Longshoreman | Lamb on Vanilla Sweet Potato |
| Los Angeles | Sharone Hakman | Financial Advisor | Za’atar-Dusted Lobster with Roasted Corn Chutney, Tostones and Anchovy Chili Cilantro Sauce |
| Redondo Beach | Mike Kim | Server | Duck “Ssam†Wraps |
| Santa Clarita | Christopher Spradley | Unemployed | Beach Bum’s Beer Cheese Soup |
| Venice | Lee Knaz | Bartender | Herb and Panko-Crusted Rack of Lamb with Fennel Mint Risotto |
| Venice | Whitney Webster | Marketing Rep | Pan-Seared Halibut with Fennel Citrus Salad and Green Quinoa |
| Whittier | Adeliz Garcia | Legal Assistant | Trio of Tostones with Red Wine,
Balsamic Reduction and Sundried Tomato Cream Sauce |
| Woodland Hills | Ryan Wesley | Dockworker | Wally’s Wing Sandwich |
| HOMETOWN | NAME | PROFESSION | LOVES TO COOK… |
| Colorado | |||
| Denver | Charmaine Cheung | Assistant to the Attorney General | Seared Curried Scallops with Truffled Oysters, Mushrooms and Creamy Coconut Rice |
| Denver | Darryl Pierce | Public Relations | Smoked Baby Back Ribs with BBQ Baked Beans
and Cole Slaw |
| Florida | |||
| Boca Raton | Paul Berger | Attorney | Frutti di Mare |
| Boynton Beach | Jennifer Fresard | Car Sales | Yucca and Sweet Potato-Encrusted Fish Served on a Bed of Jicama Slaw Dressed in a Ginger-Lime Vinaigrette Finished with a Passion Fruit Aioli |
| Miami | Barbara Estevez | Office Manager | Arroz con Pollo |
| Georgia | |||
| Atlanta | Steven Kowalczuk | Mixologist | Bang Bang Shrimp |
| Atlanta | Tracy Nailor | Doctor | Smothered Chicken with Braised Brussels Sprouts |
| Duluth | Robin McMahan | Sales Associate | Roast Pork Tenderloin with Vinegar Peppers |
| Marietta | Joseph McKenna | Medical Consultant | Triscuit-Encrusted Tuna with Peppered Swiss |
| Roswell | Lizbeth Harrison | Artist | Chicken Tarragon |
| Illinois | |||
| Aurora | Scott Fischer | Sales Executive | Roasted Coconut Shrimp with Pineapple-Honey Red Pepper on Baby Spinach Compound Butter |
| Chicago | Sheetal Bhagat | Teacher | Chicken Tikka Masala |
| Jacksonville | Randy Twyford | Farmer | Loaded Potato Casserole |
| Naperville | Kristina Svec | Homemaker | Italian Sushi |
| Kansas | |||
| Cedar Point | Josh Hoy | Rancher | Filet of Beef |
| Louisiana | |||
| Harvey | KimDung “Slim” Huynh | Student | Vietnamese Chicken Rice |
| New Orleans | Max Almerico | Sales Manager | New Orleans-Style Barbecue Shrimp |
| Vacherie | Avis White | Elderly Caregiver | Catfish Acadiana with a Vegetable Medley and Garlic Bread |
| Massachusetts | |||
| Boston | Anthony Carbone | Server | Veal Saltimbocca with Pasta Aglio and Oven-Roasted Tomatoes |
| HOMETOWN | NAME | PROFESSION | LOVES TO COOK… |
| Massachusetts (cont’d) | |||
| Newton Centre | David Miller | Software Engineer | Bouillabaisse |
| Peabody | Jennifer Thall | Homemaker | Chicken Florentine Salad with Garlic-Lemon Vinaigrette Infused with Pomegranate |
| Shrewsbury | Michael Tomaiolo | Pharmaceutical Sales | Zuppa di Pesce |
| Mississippi | |||
| Poplarville | Whitney Miller | Student | Blackened Catfish Tacos with Mango Chutney |
| Nevada | |||
| Las Vegas | Jodi Amorusa | Homemaker | Artichoke Tortellini |
| New Jersey | |||
| Keasbey | Tamar Poyser | Unemployed | Curry Lobster over Jasmine Rice |
| New York | |||
| Massapequa | Tom Cosma | Mortgage Broker | Pasta e Fagioli |
| New York City | Craig Baker | Homemaker | Smokey Cuban Sloppy Joe
with Sofrito Slaw and Moijito-Encrusted Corn |
| New York City | Katerina Duarte | Homemaker | Katerina’s Moqueca
(Brazillian Seafood Stew) |
| New York City | Leigh Glatt | Actress | Wild Alaskan Salmon with Crushed Fingerling Potatoes and Sautéed Chard in a Lemon Dijon Emulsion |
| New York City | Grace Ramirez | Content Producer | Abuela’s Carne en Coco
(Shredded Coconut Meat with Sweet Plantains and Cilantro Rice) |
| Woodbury | Roberto Liuzzo | Photographer | Artichoke Trio |
| Texas | |||
| Alvarado | Joe Gill | Equipment Builder | Chipotle Lime BBQ Cornish Game Hen with Roasted
Garlic and Chipotle Potatoes and Sautéed Green Beans with Jalapeño and Bacon |
| Arlington | Aundrea Richardson | Bomb Squad Canine Handler | Blackened Catfish with Crawfish, Shrimp Etouffee and Garlic Cheese Biscuits |
| Dallas | Azmina Aboobaker | Attorney | Chicken Biryani with Cucumber Raita |
| Euless | Jenna Hamiter | Homemaker | Stuffed Buttermilk Pancakes with Fresh Berries and Pure Maple Syrup |
| Wylie | Hollie Dorethy | Homemaker | Southwest Seafood and Avocado Salad with Chipotle Lime Dressing Served in Grilled Avocado and Roasted Poblano Pesto |
| HOMETOWN | NAME | PROFESSION | LOVES TO COOK… |
| Virginia | |||
| Arlington | Suzzette James | Pharmaceutical Representative | Tilapia Fish Tacos with Mango Salsa |
| Washington | |||
| Seattle | Linda Nicholson | Real Estate | Minted Dungeness Crab Cakes with Kaffir Lime and Lemongrass Sake Beurre Blanc |
| Seattle | Emme Ribeiro | Server | Seared Scallops in Creamy Palm Oil Shrimp Sauce and Coconut Rice with Okra and Milanesa |
MASTERCHEF is produced by Reveille, Shine TV and One Potato Two Potato and is based on a format created by Franc Roddam and Shine TV. Shine International handles distribution for the MASTERCHEF format. Elisabeth Murdoch, Franc Roddam, Mark Koops, Howard T. Owens, Gordon Ramsay, Adeline Ramage Rooney, Pat Llewellyn, JD Roth and Todd Nelson serve as executive producers.
[EDITOR’S NOTE: For episodic photos and more information on MASTERCHEF, please visit http://www.foxflash.com/div.php/main/page?aID=1z2z2z308.]