Anyone that has spent even a little bit of time with me knows that I have an extremely soft heart. I am often moved by the actions, trials and personal stories of others. One of my favorite things about writing about food is that I often get to meet and speak with people that have an intense passion for food as an art. I love to hear where their love for food came from and what types of events led them to the place they are today.
On Saturday, October 5th, I had the opportunity to share the same space with close to 300 people who have a passion for cooking and were looking for the opportunity to be a contestant on season 5 of the popular reality cooking show, Master Chef. I spent 7 hours at the Embassy Suites in Phoenix and met 40 hopefuls. I was moved to tears on more than one occasion. I met people that traveled from New Mexico, California and Texas. I met mothers, fathers, engineers, instructors, business owners and one particularly amazing non-profit founder. After spending time with each person I met that day, I could find so many reasons why they should be on the show, so many reasons that I would rally behind them to take the trophy and cash home. It’s obvious I could never be an impartial judge! I was touched and inspired by the people that I met and hope that my relaying their stories can prove to be an inspiration to you as well.
While I was able to choose a few people that I marked as my ultimate favorites, I would rather let you hear their stories and see if you can pick a winner from the group I was honored to meet.
Who will be the next Master Chef?
Amanda| Albuquerque, New Mexico| Carnita tacos with Mango salsa
Kathryn| Mesa| BBQ Chicken Quesadilla
Tina| Queen Creek| Bruschetta Trio: Seared Filet, Apricot Mostarda and Cannellini Bean puree with a balsamic glaze
Michael| Glendale| Chicken Roulade
Julie| Scottsdale| Grilled pork tenderloin
Kevin| Tucson| Seared Ahi tuna with a spinach salad and ginger vinaigrette
Antonio| El Paso, Texas| Beef Wellington and a strawberry creme brulee
Jill| Peoria| Coconut Tres Leche layer cake with a raspberry papaya coulis
Sean| Phoenix| Smoked pork carnitas chile verde
Benita| Glendale| Southwest Chicken pot pie with cilantro crema and a caramel apple bread pudding with a maple cream sauce
Phil| Gilbert| Pot roast stuffed mushrooms
Michael| Phoenix| Eggs in a basket with a side of fruit and dip
Timothy| Phoenix| LT’s awesome beef stew
Jennifer| Tempe| Gluten-free Italian wedding soup
James| Tempe| Baby-back ribs with a gluten-free barbeque sauce
Meredith| Scottsdale| Rocky Point shrimp with watercress and hearts of palm
Todd| Gilbert| Stuffed chicken with roasted green chile, cilantro lime rice and a chipotle sour cream sauce
Belena| Gilbert| Chopped chicken dumplings with Asian slaw and a ginger vinaigrette
Erin| Scottsdale| Smoky gruyere orzo with roasted pumpkin
Izzy| Phoenix| Braised chicken with a spicy tomato sauce and a side of cilantro lime rice
Leila| Camp Verde| Coconut lime shrimp and sea scallop ceviche
Kevin| Chandler| Roasted Portobello mushroom stuffed with salmon salad
Amanda| San Tan Valley| Chicken and black bean tostada with mango salsa
Martina| Tucson| Shrimp ceviche in a jicama shell
Jill| Phoenix| Competition Salad
Lisa| San Mateo, California| Spicy bean and sausage stew
Jeff| Chandler| Hunter’s chicken
Eleanor| Phoenix| Crawfish etouffee with jasmine rice
Olivia| Phoenix| Char crusted filet with shrimp in a caper butter sauce
Audrey| Litchfield Park| Spicy chipotle lasagna
Chuck| Mesa| Granita Potato gnocchi with a sage cream sauce
Jackie| North Phoenix| Stir Fry pork with wasabi rice and vegetables
David| Paradise Valley| Spearmint smoked pork with sweet potato
Ryan| West Phoenix| Hawaiian pulled pork
Kim| Gilbert| Smoked pork green chili with a jalapeno cream cheese garnish
Danielle| Phoenix| Tuscani pasta
Charlie| Phoenix| Turkey meatballs with capellini pasta and a creamy vodka sauce
Mike| Laveen| Rosemary rib eye with melted onion and a robust red wine reduction
Kyle| Mesa| Roasted beet flan with goats milk smoked cheddar
Kristin| Mesa| Grilled pineapple moroccan gazpacho
Stay tuned for more specific information based on each Master Chef applicant that I met as well as what the overall audition process is like.