Get to Know the MasterChef Judges
Graham Elliot hipped me to this little video they shot to publicize the upcoming season of Fox’s MasterChef. It’s pretty cool:
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ICA: Flay vs. Bowels
A battle tailor made for Valentine’s Day as Chicago’s Graham Elliot Bowles took on Bobby Flay in Battle: Chocolate. Here’s the summary from TV.com:
Synopsis
Theme : Chocolate
Chefs : Chicago Chef Graham Bowles battles Iron Chef Bobby Flay.
Full Recap
Theme : Chocolate
Iron Chef Dishes
Mexican Chocolate Pumpkin Soup
Chocolate Espresso Duck Breast
Chocolate Blue Corn Johnnycakes
Dark Chocolate Caramel Parfait with Cranberry-Raspberry Compote
Bittersweet Chocolate Souffle with Blackberry-White Chocolate Sauce
Challenger Dishes
Lobster Carpaccio with White Chocolate Panna Cotta
Savory Mexican Chocolate Soup
Grilled Ahi Tuna with Chocolate Essence
Cocoa Dusted Bison Tenderloin with Chocolate BBQ Sauce
Chocolate Ice Cream, Plantains, Chocolate Soda Pop
Judges
Ted Allen, Karine Bakhoum and Jeffrey Steingarten.
Iron Chef
Taste : 26
Plating : 12
Originality : 11
Total : 49
Challenger
Taste : 21
Plating : 12
Originality : 14
Total : 47
Winner : Iron Chef Flay
MasterChef Season 2 Casting Call
FOX has ordered a second season of Gordon Ramsay’s newest culinary competition series, MASTERCHEF, it was announced today by Mike Darnell, President of Alternative Entertainment, Fox Broadcasting Company.
“Gordon Ramsay is an incredible talent and the biggest culinary star on television today, so we’re very happy to have Gordon and MASTERCHEF back for another season on FOX,” said Darnell. “MASTERCHEF has resonated with viewers this summer, and we look forward to seeing where Gordon takes the show in Season Two.”
“It’s amazing and refreshing to see how much passion and raw talent there is from amateur home cooks across America,” said Ramsay. “It’s extraordinary the amount of energy and excitement the show brought in Season One, and I’m thrilled to be back at FOX for a second season.”
“The amazing reception for MASTERCHEF on FOX has been hugely rewarding for all of us at Shine Group,” said MASTERCHEF executive producer and Shine Group Chairman and CEO, Elisabeth Murdoch. “As the creators of this unique global franchise, we’re thrilled to see the U.S. audience love this show as much as we do. We are looking forward to building on this early success with an even broader, bigger search in Season Two, and to seeing the brand grow as it continues to do so in Australia, the U.K., France and around the world, breaking viewing and ancillary records as it goes.”
MASTERCHEF is the No. 1 new program of the summer among Adults 18-49, outperforming the next highest-rated show by +14%.
For those that believe they are the next MASTERCHEF please visit fox.com/masterchef.
Review: Master Chef Cookbook
The hot-off-the-presses MasterChef Cookbook is striking the first time you look at it. It’s satiny metallic cover embossed with the MasterChef logo is almost intimidating. Looking at it I was left with the impression that it might open up at any moment to reveal a bright red spandex suit that would give me super powers.
The book contains recipes from each of the 14 finalists plus a contributions from hosts Joe Bastianich and Graham Elliot Bowles. Glaringly absent from the book is Chef Gordon Ramsey but honestly if you wanted a cookbook by Gordon he’s already written over a dozen. However, if you saw a recipe on MasterChef that you just really loved then this is the book for you.
Within its 272 pages you’ll find 75 recipes and a 150 photographs making it first rate food porn. Additionally you’ll find an essay by Bastianich entitled “Wine Notes.” The chefs of the MasterChef kitchen have also assembled step by step instructions intended to help you master the basics of cooking called “Master the Basics.” Now that’s branding.
This torrent of culinary data is masterfully brought together by veteran cookbook author and producer JoAnn Cianciulli. Cianciulli (chan-chew-lee) is one of the food industry’s top insiders having worked with most of the country’s best chefs. She has also worked behind the scenes on some of the most popular food shows like Bravo’s Top Chef and numerous Food Network programs.
MasterChef Cookbook is a great companion to the hit series. It brings together a behind-the-scenes look at the contestants and hosts, recipe made famous on the show and ample bonus material. If you are a MasterChef fan then you need to get the MasterChef Cookbook published by Rodale Books and available at amazon.com.
