The second episode of Masterchef 2012 continued the quest to find the best contestants. This will be the last full episode on picking the hopefuls. Next week will have a partial show dedicated to the judging, then it will usher the chosen into the world of competition.
The Judges
The panel of judges for Masterchef are Gordon Ramsay, Joe Bastianich, and Graham Elliot. Each represents a different view on what would make a master chef.
The Prizes
The prizes for this season of Masterchef are a cash prize of $250,000 and the title of Masterchef. The winner will also receive their very own cookbooks to be published and placed in bookshops around the country.
The Contestants
This was the second episode of the season dedicated to finding the final competitors. 100 home cooks had been brought to cook their dish before the judges and convince them to be given a white apron.
The Competition
The weirdness of last episode continued into this round. The contestants we saw came from all walks of life. The notable moments were a monkey on a chefs shoulder, a woman who baked squirrel pie, a man who brought in a puppet, and a number of cowboys.
One of these cowboys was Mike. He surprised the judges and everyone watching by riding his horse into the arena. Yes, his horse. A real, tall, live horse. While he was finishing his dish, it even messed all over the floor. Mike’s story was very touching. He was cooking in memory of his sister who had passed away from a car accident months earlier. His food was amazing and he earned three “yes” votes.
The second stand out contestant was actually a wife/husband duo. Each competed separately and both got through.The judges were then betting on who they thought would go further in the competition.
The last stand out competitor and the last of the episode was Joel. He had recently gotten back from a tour in Iraq and came in the arena with his Army uniform. When asked what he would do if he won, Joel told the judges that he would open a restaurant in his son’s name. His son had drowned five years previous. In tears, he said that “I’m still here and I don’t know why. This has to be the reason.” His food was questionable but his passion was obvious. He made it through and got his apron.
