MasterChef starts Wed., May 22

[Natalka]

bluerose, I watch Dinner Party Wars, too.
Come Dine With Me is good, too - British version better than Canadian, though.

[Darth Penguin]

Supposedly a double length new episodes tonight with Paula Deen as the guest judge tonight..

[Natalka]

Well, I had a personal premature celebration at the end of part one when it seemed Natasha was going home - drat that she didn't!

Wow, James going home is a blow, though! It was a tough challenge, for sure.

Not impressed in the preview for next week with Jessie calling Krissi a cow... but it looks explosive!

Go, Luca, go!

[KelJo]

I am so happy for Luca!!! so glad he is still there

[Darth Penguin]

Ben Starr's blog talking about Bri

The last vote goes to Bri, and she regains her apron to bring the finalist count back up to 7. It’s lovely to see Bri come back…she’s one of my favorites. There is, however, a rumor mill that Bri is actually a hired actress and not a real contestant. (Her social media indicates she’s been friends with upper-level producers BEFORE the show was filmed.) And she’s been working as a pastry chef in LA since the show filmed, and has been offered a job as a pastry chef at Thomas Keller’s legendary NYC artisan bakery Bouchon. Such offers have NEVER been bestowed on an amateur chef from MasterChef before…in fact, such an offer is practically unheard of in ALL of competitive food television, including shows with professional chefs. Which sorta leads me to think that Bri is a professional pastry chef (and her college theatre background is merely how she’s being labeled on the show), and the producers know her well enough to know what a perfect addition she would be to the cast this year. Her character on the show may, in fact, all be an act. Check out her professional acting portfolio shots: http://www.starnow.com/brikozior/photos/2216100/#!photo-2216112

eta Bri responded later in the thread under his post

• I wanted to find you and write to you rather than post on your blog mostly because I didn’t know how or was afraid i’d type a really long message and it would never get sent haha. BUT feel free to use any or all of this message on your blog in response to your recent post!
  i just wanted to clarify a few things, so that there can be NO rumors. As you know, i graduated as a theatre major but my concentration was in acting. hence, me being an actor. however, like you, i was in MUSICALS, and have never before done any type of television work. If I was working for production as a spy and getting paid, that would make me totally awesome and a badass if i could actually pull that off! however, i’m not THAT cool. I am simply a weird 22 year old who was in her senior year of college, loved food more than life, and went to audition in NY for a show she had never really even seen before. which brings me to number two. facebook. i have NO IDEA who i was friends with on facebook before the show that was on production. for real! tell me if you know! because then it would just be a weird coincidence.
  As for my look, which A LOT of people have commented on online: yes. these are my actual clothes. as you know, we get wardrobe on the show but almost every single outfit you see on air is mine. (all except the stupid horse dress coming up in the next episode!) i don’t think i’m pale and geeky! okay well, pale, yes, we filmed in january/february but i really don’t see myself as geeky ha! maybe thats part of it. I lived in australia for about 7 months and after going my university classes ended, i worked as a professional model while i lived there. which is why the pictures look different. but either way, if anyone REALLY knew me/did their research, they’d see that i’m really into fashion and it’s not all cat shirts for me. my style is constantly changing and obviously just needed to be consistent on the show…along with EVERY other competitor.
  Lastly and MOST importantly, i’d like to clear up the statement about my current occupation, because it really makes me angry to think that there are people out there that believe im a trained chef who was planted on the show. i worked JUST as hard or harder than every other contestant this season. i FAILED at an eclair challenge. i NEVER made desserts on the show. i hated pastry! but i will tell you how it came about. After the show, I decided to stay in LA and persue becoming a chef. there was a new restaurant opening up in Manhattan Beach and so i applied for the only open position: “line/prep cook”. I went in for an interview but the chef was stuck at the bank and never made it in, so without looking at my resume, the Chef de Cuisine told me to come back in two days for a kitchen trail, having no idea i’d never worked in a kitchen before. (i did bus tables at 14 but that doesn’t really count). I immediately called my mom and had her overnight me my crocs and my knives–which i had by sheer luck because i used to sell Cutco knives in college. I then went to Surfas in Culver city to buy chefs pants and whites. At my trail, I did a small amount of prep but obviously wasn’t familiar with working in a professional kitchen. The chef never once actually saw me trail. a few hours later, he met with me, looked at my resume, and after me begging and convincing him that i was one of the hardest working and most passionate people he would ever have in his kitchen, i was hired. the next day, however, i never got to begin work as a prep cook. the pastry chef needed an assistant and being a new restaurant, he was working the whole department alone. I made all the desserts that night, including a new one i made myself and put on the menu…it was the only dessert that sold that night. after that, i secured my place in the kitchen. However, i didn’t need to. 10 days later the pastry chef never came back to work and i became head pastry chef. for 2.5 months i worked 12 hours a day 7 days a week. i made 4 different desserts changed out at least twice a week and hand rolled at least 300 pieces of bread out daily. the bread was my own recipe as were 90% of the desserts. I worked my ass off in that kitchen to both prove myself and learn. and learn i did. After four months of dealing with EVERY single paycheck bouncing, i finally gathered the courage and sense to leave. I applied to restaurants in NYC and heard back from two: The Breslin (michelin star, april bloomfield) offered me a position as a pastry cook, and Bouchon offered me a position too. i needed to be in a position where i could learn from others because i was running out of things to teach myself. I quit my job, found someone to takeover my lease, packed up my car and over a span of 4 days, drove to from LA to NYC. i also stopped in chicago after being invited to work pastry at both Graham Elliot Restaurant and Graham Elliot Bistro. After my trail at the breslin, i was offered the position on the spot. I was up against 14 other people for the position and was being hired based on skill level. Bouchon also offered me the position and being higher up, i accepted. I would also like to point out I never ONCE mentioned to any of these jobs (LA, NYC or otherwise) that i was on masterchef. I’m sure they found out on their own eventually but i wanted to be hired based SOLELY on skill level, not because i was on a tv show about cooking.
  Today was my first day at Bouchon and although i am WAY less seasoned working in a professional bakery, i am proud to say i can hold my own. I am honored and humbled to have been offered this position. but i also want people to understand how incredibly hard i worked to get to where i am right now. I literally began working in a kitchen exactly four months ago tomorrow. you said on your blog, “Such offers have NEVER been bestowed on an amateur chef from MasterChef before…in fact, such an offer is practically unheard of in ALL of competitive food television, including shows with professional chefs. ” which is probably true. I was hired after less than four months experience. 99% of people would never be offered this opportunity. but i am the 1%. i always have been, in every aspect of my life. ask anyone that knows me. i have ALWAYS pushed to people that length of time/experience and skill level have nothing to do with one another. i think i display that pretty well on MasterChef this season. I appreciate all of my followers and supporters on the show this season. Every single fan is amazing and surprises me every day. The people who spread these “rumors” are contestants who never got an apron and are obviously bitter. they just need to find something else to do with their time. but for now, they can keep making up lies about me, because i will proudly keep proving everyone wrong. most people leave masterchef and go back to their everyday jobs and might have some sort of food related thing on the side. But i will keep cooking and working hard and completely immersing myself in the food industry until i get where i want to be. which, i promise you, will happen.
  anyway, sorry for the really long message but i really wanted to clarify those things. thanks for reading and i hope to meet you in person some day! and just a friendly reminder to fact-check your information before you make claims to the entire e-universe =]
  
  
  

[Darth Penguin]

Natasha appears to be half dressed...she forgot a skirt or a pair of trousers or something...

I'm sure I saw a flash of underwear when she raised her hands at the end of the mystery box challenge..

[Patty Smyth]

I have been watching this program and watched Hells Kitchen also but they are starting to get boring,G Ramsay the F word was great ,he certainly has done many,many t.v. shows. His dealings with the chicken resturant in Montreal kind of made me dislike him a wee bit !!! he was never there and the first thing he wanted to do (him n his gang) was to fire everyone. Anyways I have been watching on line Dinner party wars http://www.foodnetwork.ca/ontv/shows...pe=specialshow pretty funny and entertaining.

Yeah he tanked Laurier BBQ, too bad it was one of the best.

[Natalka]

LOL, I've noticed Natasha's skirts getting shorter, too.

Wow, what interesting episodes!

It was Krissi's turn to go, so no shock - but I'm sad Jessie isn't in the finale with Luca!

Go, Luca!

[danger_dan]

Go, Luca!

i second that

[Darth Penguin]

It was Krissi's turn to go, so no shock - but I'm sad Jessie isn't in the finale with Luca!

Go, Luca!

I was surprised Krissi got to the top 4. And her behaviour during the mystery box challenge when she stomped off and sulked..seriously bad attitude there.

Luca made the smart moving picking Natasha as his partner, leaving Jessie and Krissie together. THey were simply incapable of working as a team..

[KelJo]

I knew Luca would be in the finals!!! YEEEEESSSSSSSS!

[Natalka]

YAY! I'm just SO very happy Luca won!



All of his food looked so very good!

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MasterChef Junior starts Sept. 27, kids between eight and 13.

[frugal50]

luca had the best food, from start to finish!

[KelJo]

He was my pick from the beginning, so glad he won!!

YAY! I'm just SO very happy Luca won!



All of his food looked so very good!

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MasterChef Junior starts Sept. 27, kids between eight and 13.