"[Dramatic music]" "♪ ♪" "(Male announcer) This is the Masterchef kitchen, where, for one home cook, dreams will become a reality." "(Gordon) We're looking for one stunning dish." "You show us who you are through the food that you do." "That inspires me." "Very, very, brave and courageous cooking... amazing." "(Gordon) There's something quite magical about the way you connect with food." "(Announcer) Thousands came from all walks of life..." " I am a bartender." " I'm a pilot." " I am a physician." " I am a hairstylist." " I'm a senior in High School." " I'm a rock musician." " I'm a stock broker." " I'm a stay-at-home mom." "[Cheering] [Horn honks]" "(Announcer) Traveling from all corners of the country..." " New York City!" " Chicago!" "Washington, D.C.!" "(Announcer) All coming together to share in their passion for food." "This is one of the best things that I've tasted in a long time." "Oh, my God." "You've created a restaurant-quality dish." " It's absolutely delicious." " Yeah!" "(Announcer) But only a few will be chosen to work under the guidance of three of the biggest names in the culinary world..." "Graham Elliot..." "To me, a Masterchef is constantly innovating, trying things with food no one would ever dream of." "(Announcer) Joe Bastianich..." "The hallmarks of a Masterchef are elegance, sophistication, and finesse." "(Announcer) And, of course, Gordon Ramsay." "A true Masterchef cooks every dish as if their life depends on it." "A Masterchef puts perfection on every plate." "[Horses neighing] Let's go." "Start serving." "(Announcer) Those who make it will face the toughest and most dynamic challenges in Masterchef history." "(Graham) Looks like a horror movie." "That is a disaster." "That is disgusting." "(Announcer) They will be pushed to new heights..." "You've got to believe in yourself more." "(Announcer) Cook for kings..." "And a queen." "Hey, y'all!" "(Announcer) In the end, only one will show they have the talent, the guts, and the passion to be crowned America's next..." "Masterchef." "MASTERCHEF S03 Ep01" " Auditions No. 1" "(Michael) I have a passion and a love and the skill it takes to make great food." "I think Masterchef is going to be the springboard for my future in food." "I think about food every day." "Like, all day, every day." "The opportunity to go into the Masterchef kitchen is the opportunity of a lifetime." "(Samantha) Being here represents that I can do this and make this my life and a career." "I have a lot of confidence in my cooking, and I'm ready to go." "(Christine) Coming to Masterchef asthefirstblindcontestantever doesn't intimidate me at all." "My dream of becoming a chef is just as real as anybody else's." "(Announcer) Now, 100 home cooks will get the chance to present one dish that could change their lives forever." "Just an elite few will win an apron and earn a spot in the next round." "And only the best will be crowned" "America's next..." "Masterchef." "[Cheers and applause]" "Welcome to Masterchef." "[Cheers and applause]" "You should all be very, very proud of yourselves." "Thousands and thousands of home cooks across the nation tried to make it here today." "They failed!" "You succeeded!" "[Cheers and applause]" "So you've got to ask yourself..." "Do you have what it takes to make it to the top?" "Do you?" "[Cheers and applause]" "Someone in this room is going to earn..." "And I mean earn..." "A quarter of a million dollars." "[Cheers and applause]" "Now, how about fame, notoriety?" "(Graham) Look, if that's your goal, cooking isn't the quickest path." "If you're good, you might get written up in a magazine, get a few lines in a great newspaper." "But even some of the most accomplished chefs in America don't have one of these." "Your own cookbook!" "[Cheers and applause]" "Imagine your face on the cover of this book." "Your signature recipes." "[Cheers and applause]" "But there's one final box, and what's under it is the real reason why all of you should be here today." "This is the key to the reality of your dreams..." "The Masterchef trophy." "[Cheers and applause]" "We care about one thing and one thing only..." "What you put on the plate." "If it's subpar, you're going home." "If it's extraordinary, you'll get one of these..." "A Masterchef apron." "[Cheers and applause]" "You all want one of these." "I can see it." "But be careful what you wish for, because once you put that apron on, your life is gonna get harder than you could ever imagine." " Can you handle it?" " (All) Yes!" " Are you ready?" " (All) Yes!" "Which one of you is the next Masterchef?" "[Cheers and applause]" "Okay, we are starving." "So don't just stand there." "Get cooking." "Good luck." "[Cheers and applause]" "Masterchef has a big potential to change my life and to really steer me in a completely new direction that I thought I would never get to achieve." "Come on!" "I'm passionate about cooking." "I love cooking." "It would mean everything for me to be able, like, work with chef Ramsay." "I'm going all the way." "My quest to be the best..." "It starts right here, right now!" "(Announcer) From the thousands who applied, 100 home cooks have been invited to Los Angeles." "They'll have just one hour to create a signature dish worthy of a Masterchef apron." "First up is 19-year-old college freshman Michael Chen." "While he may be unseasoned as a chef..." "[Glass shatters] Oops, sorry." "Did it break?" "(Announcer) He believes his apetite to win will make him a contender." "Why is that on?" "Some people here have been cooking longer than I've even been alive." "But I think that experience is only part of the recipe for being a great cook." "I've never used this kind of meat grinder before..." "I don't know how it works." "I'm here because I've always loved cooking." "I've always had a passion for it, but especially for my parents." "Cooking has never been a very reputable profession, and they've always wanted me to pursue something math and science-related instead." "And I'm here to really prove to myself, to prove to them, and to prove to those around me that cooking is something that I do well." "Come on, stick." "I'm meant to be here." "I'm supposed to be here this is where I belong." "[Cheers and applause]" "(Announcer) Each home cook is given just five minutes to plate up their dish." "If two of the three judges think they have what it takes, they'll win a coveted Masterchef apron and move on to the next stage of the competition." "Hi, chefs." " Hi." "What's your name?" " Howdy." " Michael." " Michael, where you from?" "I'm from Austin, Texas." "Great." "What are you cooking?" "I am making Chinese dumplings with a cilantro and scallion salad." "And also homemade chili oil." "You've got five minutes." "All right, thank you so much." "Are you still in school?" "Yes, I'm a freshman in college right now." "Got a girlfriend?" "No." "I'm actually gay." "Boyfriend?" "You got a boyfriend?" "No, I do not." "I'm single." "I'm 19." "I don't believe in dating before High School, really?" "You're very proper, aren't you?" "[Laughs] That's how I was raised to be." "I like to follow the rules most of the time." "Did you spring that on your dad on the same day that you did, like, that you wanted to be a cook?" "Like, "dad, I want to be a cook, and I'm gay, by the way."" "Uh, no." "I actually came out to him right before I came to Masterchef." "(Gordon) Well done." "Embrace it." "I don't want to hide my true self." "You've got no reason to either." " Yes." "Thank you, chef." " Time's up." "(Gordon) Amazing." "So the secret of a good dumpling" " is the burst of flavor inside." " Yes." "(Gordon) What should we expect on the inside there?" "What have you got?" "You should expect a lot of good flavors." "There's shiitake mushrooms, sesame oil in there, some soy sauce, ginger, and scallion in there." "And you should be able to taste that right away, and I hope you enjoy it." "Yeah, listen, um, they're phenomenal." " Thank you so much." " Texture's beautiful." "Seasoned perfectly." " Great job." " Thank you so much." "You know they're good." "[Laughs]" "That's delicious." "Your dad's gonna be super proud." "Uh, Michael, let me tell you, 100% one of the most confident yeses ever in this competition." " Really?" " Well done." "(Joe) I'll go out one more and say that you, with that kind of technique..." "If you could bring it to other kinds of food, you could go on and win this thing." " Wow." "Thank you." " It's a big yes." "Absolutely." "Yes, yes, yes." "Thank you so much!" "[Laughs]" " What up, buddy?" " Thank you." "Congratulations." "Thank you so much." "Thank you so much." "Put it on and wear it with pride." "Yes, I will not disappoint you guys." "[Cheers and applause]" "It's incredible." "I've never been praised like that before." "I mean, it just really validates all that I've been working for until this point." "Like, just to have chefs of those caliber to say so many good things about my food is incredible." "(Announcer) But while Michael's food was first class..." "These next few dishes are in a class all of their own." " What are you cooking?" " Frog leg egg Foo Yung." "Frog leg egg Foo "lung"?" " Yung." "Yes." " Yung!" "Oh, excuse me." "I have a smoked shrimp that looks like a skid mark..." "I mean, honestly." "I like that, though." "Visually, it looks like vomit." "I bet it tastes good." "I've got a homemade bow-tie farfalle pasta." "It's like gnawing on a rosemary branch." "I made a mussel soup today." "Ooh." "Uh, tastes like [Bleep]." "The inside is raw." "I am making a seafood stew." "There's two things I like about this dish." "It's white, and it's round." " So where are the frog's legs?" " In the egg Foo Yung." "(Gordon) Congratulations..." "[Shouting] Thank you!" "On the worst dish in this competition so far." "Ooh, [Bleep] Hell." "(Announcer) Our next home cook has survived a life full of challenges." "You want to go down the slide?" "I'm a single mom from Los Angeles." "We did it." "I have a son." "He's two." "His name is Danger." "He's gonna love me for that later, when he's in college." "Mwah." "I got divorced a couple of years ago." "That's hot." "Let's blow on it." "I left my job right after I had the baby to be a stay-at-home mom." "It's been tough." "[Child screaming]" "I'm on a budget, unemployed." "I have $50 in my bank account." "We live in a very tiny 400-square-foot room." "I feel like this is the opportunity to start over again and do something really amazing with my life." "I don't know what I'm gonna do if I don't get the apron." "[Chuckles]" "I really don't." "Welcome." "First name?" " My name's Monti." " Monti." " Monti Carlo." " Stop it!" "(Gordon) What are you cooking?" "It's a Puerto Rican shepherd's pie." "And there's a green plantain that's fried twice." "You've got five minutes to blow us away." " So you're a single mom." " Yes, sir." " How many children?" " I have one." "He's two and a half years old." " His name's Danger." " Danger?" "What's the, uh, food ambition?" " Where are we going with this?" "  I want a food truck." "You've got one minute left." "Oh, my gosh." "Here it is." "Okay." "What you're doing..." "We've got no idea." "You're running around from left to right... you've made me dizzy." "This is awful." "Don't I sell it well?" "Are you done?" "I didn't have time to finish my sauce that I was gonna make with it, the mojo." "I got a little nervous and all caught up." "I hope you guys like it." "It's with chopped olives, capers, raisins, cilantro." "It's a little sweet..." "But I think it's pretty delicious." " For real?" "Shut your mouth." " It is." "I swear." "Oh, my God." "Thank you very much." "Right." "The recipe comes from where?" "It's my grandmother's recipe." "It desperately needs a sauce, because it's dry." "I don't know if I buy the shtick." "What?" "A single mom with a son named anger..." "And your name is Monti Carlo?" "That's not a shtick, that's my real life." " Graham, yes or no?" " I like the dish." "I think it's rich and it's complex, much like you, and I'm a yes." "Thank you, sir." "Joe, yes or no for Monti?" "I don't know if I buy it." "I think you're giving me shtick." "I think you're faking it in the plate too." "It's a little bit overly sweet, so I'm gonna pass." "I'm gonna say no." "[Exhales sharply] Monti..." "Yes, sir." "At times, listening to you," "I don't think your head's in the game." "I can do this." " Monti..." " Yes, sir." "(Announcer) The judges have had quite a plateful of Monti..." "Oh, my gosh, here it is." "Okay... (Announcer) A spirited single mom who, so far, has left Joe and Graham divided." " I'm gonna say no." " And I'm a yes." "(Announcer) Now her Masterchef dreams are in the hands of Gordon Ramsay." " Monti..." " Yes, sir." "I'm sorry." "Sir, I know I'm not the most experienced chef here." "I guarantee you I'm one of the most passionate people you've ever met, and I will give it my all." "I'm sorry, but you will not..." "Be seeing your son for a while, 'cause you've got an apron." "Congratulations." "Well done." "Oh, my God." "The dish is delicious." "It's rich." "It's comforting." "And, yeah, I think there's more to you." "Come put this on." " Thank you so much." " Congratulations." " Good job." " Thank you so much." "[Cheers and applause]" "(Monti) I'm just so thankful to be given this kind of opportunity." "This is just the beginning." "It's gonna be a fight every step of the way." "But I'm a fighter, and I know I can do it." "(Announcer) So Monti made it." "Can New Jersey high-school student Samantha Mcnulty make the grade?" "[Laughing]" "[School bell ringing] Hi, sister." "How are you?" "I go to an all-girl catholic school..." "Indeed, she is one of the 100." "[Cheers and applause]" "I love school." "I definitely am one of those kind of students." "This, this, and then that." "My passion for cooking came from cooking with my dad when I was about ten." "He would always watch, like, the food network, and that got me interested." "And I think it's fun to create something." "I'm excited." "I'm ready to go." "To get an apron would mean the world to me." "Welcome." "First name?" "Hi." "I'm Samantha." " From where?" " New Jersey." " How old are you?" " 18." " Wow." "One of the youngest." " Yes." "What are you cooking, Samantha?" "A mini, quadruple-layer carrot cake with cream-cheese frosting." "You've got five minutes to get this dish done." "Your love for food comes from where?" "It comes from my parents." "I'm really into nutrition, and I hope to study that when I go to college next year." "(Gordon) What are you doing?" "I put raspberries in some water that has some sugar in it, just to get rid of that tartness just a little." "Nice." " Are we done?" " Yes." "All set." "(Graham) So basil with e carrot cake, huh?" "Yes." "(Gordon) Relax." "Don't look so nervous." "[Laughs] He doesn't bite." " And he loves desserts." " Okay, good." "(Gordon) Trust me." "It's got a great mouth feel." "It's very moist." "Thank you." "Hmm." "I love carrot cake." "How long have you been baking?" "I guess I've been baking since I was about ten." "Right." "It's very, very light..." "So much lighter than it looks." " Was that on purpose?" " Yes." "Um, a little bit more cream cheese maybe as you stack." "Yeah." "Joe." "Samantha, I think your cake is actually quite good." "So, based on that, I'm going to say yes." "I'd like to see what else she can do in this competition." "Thank you." "(Gordon) Graham." "You know, it's moist." "It's got some good technique to it." "However, I don't think it's..." "Masterchef quality." "So, for me, it's a no." "So that leaves it up to Gordon." "Uh, who are you here with?" "My parents and my sister and my brother." "Can you go and get them, please?" "Sure, I'll go get them." "Thank you." "They want to see you guys." "[Cheers and applause]" "So this is my family." "Mom, dad, little sis, brother, welcome." " Thank you." " Uh, we're all stuck in between a rock and a hard place." "This competition is fierce." "And it's highly competitive." "Don't let the bow distract you." "She can do it." "This is really hard." "Samantha..." "Young, talented, tenacious." "I would like to see you..." "(Announcer) It's the moment of truth for 18-year-old high-school senior Samantha and her multi-layered carrot cake." " I'm going to say yes." " For me, it's a no." "(Announcer) With the judges' vote split, it's now up to Gordon Ramsay to decide her Masterchef fate." "This is really hard." "Samantha..." "Young, talented, tenacious." "I would like to see you..." "Come back next year." "I don't think you're quite ready for the next stage of the competition." "You know..." "You're new to this." "And I love the passion." "What I'd like to see you do is to spend more time in the kitchen." "Go on that journey, but start off and climb slowly." "I think you will grow." "Thank you very much." " Bye, guys." "Thank you." " Thank you." "No." "[Crowd groans]" "It's okay, though." "I didn't get the apron, but I'm super inspired to continue." "This is America's next Masterchef next year." "Thank you." "(Announcer) While Samantha's Masterchef dream is put on hold, others hit all the right notes." "♪ La la la la ♪" "(Gordon) You've got your heart not on your sleeve, but on the plate." " Yes to the apron." " Thank you." "(Announcer) And another three Masterchef aprons follow." "I'm here to win this competition." "(Announcer) Will 26-year-old Ryan join them?" "He learned everything he knows about food from living in Manhattan's Upper East Side." "This is my time." "I'm ready." "I used to be spending thousands of dollars a month on these nice, fancy, froufrou restaurants, but I realized to myself at a certain point," ""I can go home, and I can do this on my own."" "And not only can I do this at home," "I can do it better than they're doing it." "Pressure cooking is the best." "I can do something that would take three hours to braise in 30 minutes." "I'm the flavor elevator." "I'm gonna keep raising the bar." "And then once we get to the top, we're going over the top, America." " (Gordon) First name is?" " Ryan." "You've got five minutes to blow us away." "What are you cooking for us today?" "Red wine pressure-cooked short ribs with corn pudding, roasted parsnips, and glazed cipollini onions." " What do you do for a living?" " Right now I'm not working." "So you've been unemployed for how long?" "About a year and a half." "It wasn't that I couldn't find a job, Gordon." "It's that I just didn't find exactly what I wanted to do yet." "Ryan, most people don't have that luxury." "What are you doing?" "I'm using the ring mold to make it a nicer presentation." "I know that those people have a lot of skill, but I just don't think that they've been working nearly as hard as I've been working." "Excuse me." "You haven't had a job for 18 months." "Working in the kitchen is what I meant." "Okay." "Not another ring." "I just wanted to make the sauce fall out perfectly in a circle." "Hold on... you're putting sauce in a ring?" "Just..." "I wanted it to come out to a perfect circle when I lay it down." "Ryan, you've had too much time on your hands." "It's nice to see you're not sticking a short rib in a ring." "I don't have any rings that size." "Just kidding." " (Gordon) Okay." " (Graham) Short ribs." "In an hour." "In an hour... pressure cooker." " That's intense." " It is intense." "All right." "It did break apart with a spoon." " They're cooked beautifully." " Thank you very much, Graham." "I can tell you're bored, because you got very fancy in areas where you don't need to be fancy." "I'll lay off the rings..." "I promise." "I'm ready." "I know I can do this." "(Gordon) I'm not entirely convinced." "Then I'm slightly pissed off with the pretentiousness..." "The way you present the food." "Short-rib sauce doesn't get ringed out in a cutter." "I've never seen anything so [Bleep] stupid in all my life." "So, for me, it's a no." "(Graham) The short ribs could have been better." "But it was ambitious to try, and you did get them cooked through in an hour." "The sauce... it should have been glazed over that." "But it was still a good sauce." "So I am going to give you a yes." "Thank you very much, Graham." "(Gordon) Joe?" "It's a little bit going on instinct, because I think you're right there." "For me, you're, like, right in the middle." "I'm ready to represent Masterchef tothebestofmyability." "It's up to you." "(Announcer) Ryan, a 26-year-old from Manhattan, is hoping his red wine short ribs are good enough to earn him a Masterchef apron." "I think you're right there." "For me, you're, like, right in the middle." "(Announcer) With a yes and a no, it all comes down to Joe." "Step around here a second." "At this point, for me, if I give you an apron," "I'm kind of, like, putting my name on your lapel." "I don't know if I want to hang my hat there, you know?" "Like..." "It's a good place to hang your hat, Joe." "Trust me." "I'm telling you, I can cook." "[Cheers and applause]" "(Ryan) This apron means everything to me." "I'm about to flavor-blast my way to the top." "[Imitating gunshots, exhales sharply]" "(Announcer) So Ryan takes a spot in the next round of the competition." "We have chips!" "(Announcer) Can these next unique home cooks join him?" "Ooh, don't worry, don't worry." "Gordon Ramsay, I watch you all the time." " (Gordon) From where?" " I'm actually from Baltimore, but I love doing this accent..." "It's my favorite thing." " I'm a former cheerleader." " I interview serial killers, and I try to understand why they do it." " I teach belly dancing." " I also do impressions." "[Imitating elvis]" "Well, hello, beautiful." "This is called the hip twist." "[Chanting] Masterchef is the show I can win, this I know." " Oh, how you doin'?" " Graham, you're a spicy man." " You spoke to me." " Kelly, don't get upset, darling." " We haven't tasted the food yet." " I know." "And this is the figure eight, and then we have the snake." "It's like a Beyonce video." "Taste's like a pig's toenail." "Yeah, I [Bleep] that one up." "I got one hour's sleep last night 'cause I was sewing this stupid dress." "It's worth it." "It looks fabulous." " I'm ready to take the criticism." " It's coming." " Give me an "N." - "N."" " Give me an "O." - "O."" " Sorry." " No!" "It's a no." "(Announcer) So another group of home chefs are sent packing." "Let's see if 24-year-old Josh from Mississippi can measure up." "I'm seven feet tall, and I'm a championship basketball player." "I play at Tougaloo college in Jackson, Mississippi." "When people look at me, they immediately ask me," ""oh, do you play ball?" "Do you shoot hoops?"" "I'm, like, "no, I shoot onions into skillets."" "My passion is cooking, and it kind of transitioned from hooping to cooking." "Yeah!" "[Cheers and applause]" "Being an athlete and coming from an athletic background, we play to win." "I'm not settling for anything less than Masterchef." "Welcome." " Good to see you up there." " Thank you." " First name?" " Josh." "(Joe) What are you cooking for us?" "I prepared shrimp etouffee with a little bit of jasmine rice." "I'm gonna fry up some shrimp for you." " You've got five minutes." " (Joe) How old are you?" " 24." " Wow, he's still growing." "Any chance of the NBA for you, or did you miss that boat?" "I never missed the boat." "I mean, I'm still young." "My knees feel good." "I could definitely do it." " So what are you waiting for?" " 'Cause I want to be a chef." " That's why I'm here." " Last two minutes." "This is my heart." "This is what I do." "And hopefully you guys pick me to be your next Masterchef." " That's it." " (Graham) Great." "(Gordon) Etouffee." "How would you rate that out of a ten?" "I would rate it a ten and a half." "Wow." "Yeah, I'm 6'2", and you make me feel like a [Bleep]..." " Um, yeah, it's got heart." " Thank you." "You know, it looks like a restaurant dish." "But more importantly, yeah, you cook like a pro." " Good job." "Really good job." "Thank you." " Thank you, sir." "And you cooked it down with the shells?" "Yes." "Who taught you how to make that?" "Me." "I did it myself." "This is all me..." "Straight from the heart." "I see a little smile there." "Everybody's smiling." "Don't get overexcited." "We have laughed bigger guys than you out of here." "Okay, uh, you know, I didn't think it was gonna taste as good as it did." "Um, you've got passion, clearly." "There's a talent there in that bowl..." "I'm a yes." " Thank you." " Two words... slam dunk." "Yes!" "I think you can cook like a badass." "Congratulations." " Congratulations." " Do not step up." "Stay there." "[Laughter]" " (Joe) Are you crying, big boy?" " Just a little bit." "I'm just excited." "(Gordon) Well done." "Great job." " Congratulations." " Thank you." " (Joe) That was good." " It was yummy." "[Cheers and applause]" "This is everything I dreamed of." "If I can do what I love instead of doing what everybody else wants me to do," "I'm gonna do it." "Can't nobody stop me." "(Announcer) Coming up... (Graham) Wow, that is dope." "(Announcer) The judges take a good look at themselves." "Look at Joe." "He looks like a granddad." "(Announcer) And just when they thought they'd seen it all..." "Wow." "In the history of Masterchef, we've never had a blind contestant." "(Announcer) So far, the competition has seen" " some spectacular successes..." " Slam dunk." "(Announcer) And some epic failures." "(Gordon) The worst dish in this competition so far." "(Announcer) As the chase continues for a Masterchef apron," "Shami comes to Masterchef from Seattle." "But her cooking is grounded in her African roots." "I am originally from Zimbabwe, and back home in Zimbabwe, girls are expected to know how to cook." "So it's been a part of me my whole life" "I don't really remember a time without me not cooking, me not being at the stove." "Getting an apron means the world to me." "It'll be a dream come true..." "Not only for me, but for my family as well." "[Cheers and applause]" "Hi." " Hi." " How are you?" " First name is?" " Shami." "Shami... beautiful name." "What are you cooking?" "I've made a traditional Zimbabwean dish called sadza..." "[Speaking native language]" "When you eat it, you want to feel warm in your throat." " Let's get warm." " You've got five minutes." " All right." " What is it?" "It's made from cornmeal." "It's got, really, no taste whatsoever." "So the sauce that I made is a chicken curry." "And I'm going to make the vegetables, which are collard greens in a garlic, tomato," " and peanut butter sauce." " Great." "If you think of yourself coming out of the fields in Zimbabwe..." "You've had a hard, long day..." "This is what fills you up." " Oh, I like that spice." " Mm-hmm." "It's authentic." "That's what you've got." "You've definitely got heart on a plate, let me tell you." "Slightly confused... the collard greens with peanut butter." " Is that cust..." " Yeah, that's how we do it." "Sometimes there's no meat back home, so they're going for the protein." "So they add the peanut butter because meat can be kind of expensive." "Thank you." "(Gordon) Joe, yes or no?" "I think that plate is a complete..." "Mirror image of you." "I see you in the plate." "I see your ethnicity." "I see your personality." "And even with a couple of defects, it's a big, resounding yes from me." "I totally appreciate what you're trying to do." "It really, really needs seasoning." "So, for me, it's a no." "I'm sorry." "[Exhales deeply] I totally understand supplementing the peanut butter for protein." "I get all that, but is that Masterchef?" "[Crowd groans, applauds]" "(Announcer) But disappointment soon turns to delight..." " Great job." " Thank you." "(Announcer) As more home cooks walk away with an apron..." "Which brings today's total so far to 11." "But has this next hopeful figured out how to get her cakes ahead in the competition?" "Wow." "That is dope." "Look at Joe." "He looks like a granddad." "[Laughter]" "Is Joe smiling or no?" "I actually found one picture" " on the Internet of you smiling." " Bloody hell." "You need a bigger base for Graham." "[Laughter] Oh, gracious!" "Damn it!" "Graham just keeled over in his cake." "They're caricatures... they're not supposed to be exact." "(Gordon) It's actually delicious." "I mean, really delicious, indeed." "This is the best thing we've eaten today." "(Announcer) So Audrey from Texas wins an apron." " And for the very first time..." " Delicious." "(Announcer) Gordon bites his own head off." "Can tonight's final home cook end the day on a high?" "I'm Christine, from Houston, Texas," " and I'm a graduate student." " Let me move this out of here." "My husband's here supporting me." "He's my biggest fan." "I love food." "I love eating it, I love creating it." "I feel like regardless of what your background is, your gender, your religion, food is something everybody has in common in this world." "And so I think food is what connects people together." "I'm definitely a competitive person." "I really want to get this apron." "I am here for a reason." "I'm supposed to be graduating school, but I've set aside my thesis to get an apron and become the next Masterchef." " Wow." " (Graham) Wow." " Wow." " Wow, wow, wow." "Wow." " Um, welcome." " Thank you." " Um, first name is?" " My name is Christine." "Christine, in the history of Masterchef, we've never had a blind contestant." " Welcome." " Thank you." " Thank you, chef." " The gentleman with you?" "That's my husband." "His name is John." " Right." "What are you cooking?" " (Graham) Great." "I'm cooking Vietnamese comfort food." "It's a catfish braised in a clay pot." "And I pickled vegetables to go with it, and some rice." "Okay, Christine, you've got five minutes" " to complete that dish." " Thank you." "(Gordon) Just in front." "Justinfront?" "You were there, just a little bit higher, darling." "Oh, okay." "Thank you." " There we are." " Thank you." " Christine?" " Yes, chef?" " Were you born blind?" " No." "No, chef." "When I was, um..." "Maybe about ten years ago," "I was diagnosed with an autoimmune condition that affected my nerves..." "My spinal cord and my optic nerves." "And so I lost my vision gradually over the past ten years." "In your mind, you're visualizing what you put on a plate." "Yes, that's correct." "You know, I felt the plate and things like that before." "And a lot of it is obviously by memory." "Do you ever think that your disability somehow could be an advantage in a competition like this, or just in cooking in general?" "Yes, chef." "Please excuse my chewing." "Yes, it is." "Because I can't see," "I won't be worrying about what other people are doing." "I love the fact that you're tasting everything." "I have to." "I can't see." "One of my teaching methods with young chefs today is that we put a blindfold on them, and they understand the texture, the taste, which is accelerated quicker when your eyes are closed and you're concentrating purely on the senses." "Yes." "Correct, chef." "My rice did not turn out to par, so I'm not..." "I'm not serving it to you." " Okay, I guess I'm done." " Thank you." "(Gordon) The catfish, how did you cook it?" "With some caramel that I made by just caramelizing sugar on the stove and using coconut soda as well..." "And with shallots and garlic." "And the base of the broth is made up of what?" "Fish sauce." "Love the fact that you kept the fish on the bone." "Why?" "Catfish is just..." "It's really tender, and I didn't want to pick it apart and make it look unappetizing, so I left is as a steak." "I think it looks more appealing." "And that's just the way Vietnamese people eat." "[Sighs] You know, you're gonna be judged like everybody else in this competition." "Yes, chef." "The dish does need the sort of stability." "It's a staple done beautifully, but missing the rice." "Yes, chef, I understand." "I'm sorry." " Thank you." " Thank you." "So what's the idea behind cooking it in the clay pot?" "It's supposed to aid with the quicker caramelization and braising of the product you put inside, chef." " It's got a beautiful aroma." " Thank you, chef." " Thank you so much." " Thank you, chef." " Hi." " Hi, sir." "I'm Joe, obviously." "I've heard you give me looks, but luckily, I can't see it." "[Chuckles]" "You have a great advantage that as you talk about your food, not only are you able to express it in words," " but your face speaks volumes." " Yes." "Your eyes beam with happiness and pride and passion, and you have a lot to be proud of." " Thank you, sir." " It's an amazing..." "Amazing accomplishment." "Thank you, sir." "[Sniffles, sighs]" "(Gordon) Okay, Joe..." "Yes or no?" " 100% yes." " Thank you, sir." "Graham, yes or no?" "Um, everybody has a story and has things that they have to overcome." "Judged solely on that dish..." "Yes, chef." "I'm a yes." "Oh, God." "Thank you, chef." "Your personal challenge aside, for me, that's one of the most delicious dishes I've tasted in this competition so far." "Do you know what I'm gonna give you?" " A white apron." " A white apron." "Congratulations." "Thank you." "I'll come and get it." " Congratulations." " Thank you so much, chef." "I mean, really, good job." "Thank you." "Thank you." " Well done." " Thank you." "(Gordon) Wow." "[Cheers and applause]" "I'm so touched that they all complimented me on my food, and they believed in me, so I feel ecstatic." "That's amazing." "For everyone in America, you can overcome anything you want to overcome and get what you want to get." "And I'm gonna be the next Masterchef." "Stop." "(Announcer) Tomorrow night on Masterchef..." "The search for the greatest home cook continues..." "You didn't even taste your food." "(Announcer) Taking us to the country's heartland..." "It's hard to believe that that was cooked by an amateur." "(Announcer) With some outcomes that will surprise... and shock." "You're gonna walk away with the culinary [bleep]" "(Announcer) As husband and wife go head to head." " I'll take her down." " I've came here to win." "(Announcer) Others, go to any length to get ahead."