"Previously on MasterChef..." "The search for America's greatest home cook began, and just 100 were invited to Los Angeles to face the judges..." "Good luck." "And had one shot at preparing a dish worthy of winning an apron." "Day one saw some amazing results..." "You are the one to watch, my friend." "Oh, thank you, guys." "And some epic failures." "It is the worst dish we have ever tried." "Now, the battle for a place In the MasterChef kitchen continues." "Yes!" " I just wonder if she's the real deal." " Let's find out." " Where's he going?" " I don't know." " Challenge." " Good luck." "America's home cooks serve up some bold flavor." " I did a bourbon glaze." " You trying to get us drunk?" "Yes, of course." "Iit's all happening right now... on the world's biggest cooking competition." "It's a no." "Gordon, I think you're completely wrong." "It's day two of the auditions, and more home cooks from across the country arrive ready to pursue their culinary dreams." "Being here today is the beginning of me actually realizing my food dream." "I need to be a chef." "I want my own restaurant." "Food has always been the front-runner in my mind, and if you can put your passion into a career, that's, like, the perfect life." "I wasn't able to get a title when I was playing professional football so this is my super bowl right here." "This is... this is me right now gunning for that trophy." "As the judges take their places for round two, home cooks from across America will have just one shot to prove they have what it takes to become a MasterChef." "Go, Bime." "Go, Bime." "First up today is Bime, a 35-year-old father of three..." "That's the reason why I'm here, everybody." "It's for my babies right here." "Who hopes his Puerto Rican flair gives him an edge in the competition." "I have three reasons why I got here." "Briana, Amaya, and Ariel-- those are my daughters." "They inspire me to be a better me, you know," "So that's why I'm here, and that's why I'm here to win MasterChef, because I want to be a great chef for them." "Oh, America, I wish you could smell this right here." "Cooking is my dream." "Cooking is what I love." "So that's why I'm here, and when I follow my passion and my dream, I go all out, and I always win." "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 join the select few that move on to the next stage of the competition." "Yes, sir." "Uh-huh!" "In the building, MasterChef." "You don't need to look no further." " You found him." " Love the energy." "First name is?" "My name is Albaya Cruz Reya Riba la Cuzala Tesero, III." "You can call me Bime, like, the next MasterChef will... who?" ""Be me," baby." " You got five minutes." " Now, what are you cooking?" "I'm cooking, for you guys, it's a traditional Puerto Rican dish," "Mofongo con camarones." "A mofongo is a mashed up fried plantain and shrimp." "We got shrimps that we put in there too." "The love of food, Bime, comes from where?" "Cooking has been my everything in life." "It puts a smile on people's faces." "My daughters-- they love my cooking." " Your daughters?" " These are my girls right here." "That's the reason why I'm here, man." "Just want to make them proud, you know?" "Do you cook for them at home?" "Every time, man, to them, I'm the world's greatest chef, man." "They be like, "yo, daddy, you the best chef."" "Time up, buddy." "Please put the dish in front." "Thank you." "All right, Bime." "Let's hope the food's as good as the gas that's coming out of your mouth." "Have you tasted it?" "To me, it's good." "My palate says it's good." "All right, Bime." "How you doing?" "If you win this title and everything else, it means so much to you," "But what's it going to mean to them?" "You're going to be able to not see 'em for weeks?" "If that's what it takes." "A better me for them is the path I'm on, man." "You know, I just want to make them proud, you know, and I don't even like opening up like this, but they--they're-- they're my" "What's the last thing that they told you before you came in here?" ""we're proud of you."" "Yeah." "This is a serious competition." "There's a lot of serious people out there." "You have the emotional stability to go through this?" "You can't cry every time someone says your dish is no good, or the next guy's better than you." "I'm your future rival, you might not believe it, but I'm your future rival, man." "Without a shadow of a doubt." "Graham, yes or no?" "That dish had a great spirit, had a lot of flavor." "I think you have both of those as well." "I'm going to be a yes." "Thank you." " Joe, yes or no?" " You know, I'm just wondering." "Is this really a Caribbean dish or just kind of, like, shrimp scampi faked" "With some plantain put in it?" "I don't like fakers." "It's a no." "That dish is not perfect," "But there's soul, and there's heart." "And there's great flavor in there." "What I'm concerned about-- when was the last time you spent a good couple of months away from your girls?" "Never." "Come on, this guy doesn't have what it takes." "He cries every five minutes." "You're not... going... to see your three girls for a while." "Congratulations." "Put this on." "Good luck." "Thank you." "Whoo!" "You guys got sucker punched on that one." " Got an apron." " You got an apron?" "Yeah." "I'm the next MasterChef." "You know that." "Our next home cook is Jessie, a small-town southern belle who has some very big dreams." "There's a lack of cooking culture where I'm from." "We don't have any huge grocery stores or seafood markets or farmers markets." "I mean, it's rural." "That's a little bit of a challenge because I'm not used to working with some of the great things that other people may have had the opportunity to, but one of the biggest draws of being on the show" "was the learning factor and being around such greatness." " Welcome." " Hey, guys, how are you?" " Nice to see you." "First name is?" " Jessie." "What are you cooking?" "I'm cooking sea bass en croute." "I have a chive beurre blanc to go with." "Wow, yeah, you got five minutes to blow us away." "What do you do for a living?" "I'm a yacht stewardess." "How long throughout the year are you on the boat?" "It's kind of like a year contract thing, but you get a month off here, you get weekends, and the best part is go on fishing trips, dive for our own lobster-- that's the best part." "So it's ready for you guys." "Great." "Thank you." "So sea bass en croute?" "Mm-hmm, sauteed onions, and mushrooms, some soy sauce." "I did a leek cream white wine reduction." " With spinach on top." " Mm-hmm." "Pastry nice and flaky." "It has a lot of textures." "And how much do you love fish?" "Love fish completely." "I mean, I live on a boat." "I'm around fish all the time, So seafood's one of my favorites." "And how many fish have you caught in your life?" "Oh, couldn't count 'em." " That many?" " That many, yeah." "You know, I look at you, and the sort of bubbly approach you have to food, and yet," "You come up with a dish from the '80s." "Do you know what I mean?" "I expect something a little bit more, sort of modern, that's all." "It's quite puzzling." "That's good." "The beurre blanc really cuts through the acid." "Great, thanks." "This looks interesting." "You got a lot of things going on in this dish." "I tried to bring as much as I could." "Sometimes, the best things in a dish are the things that are not in a dish." "Um, Joe, yes or no?" "I just--it's kind of, like, throwing everything at me." "It's too much." "It's a no." "Sorry." "Okay." "I'm going to disagree." "I think that while there are a lot of different things going on there, the flavor's there." "I think that you have shown some technique, and I'd like to see what else you can do." "I'm a yes." "Thank you." "So it all comes down to you, Gordon." " Whew, I'm" " I can cook." "There's some serious competition out there, and, you know, like, you're going to waste your time on passing someone-- I don't know." " Yeah, but you know" " It was tasty, though." "I just wonder if she's the real deal, that's all." "I'll prove it to you." "All right, let's find out." "Wait here a minute." "Where's he going?" "I don't know." "Challenge." "Good luck." "Jessie." "With a yes from Graham..." "Challenge." "...and no from Joe..." "Good luck." "Jessie needs to prove to Gordon Ramsay..." "Jessie." "...that she's the real deal." "Hold these, please." "Stand over here." " So you love fish, right?" " Uh-huh." "Good." "Just stand over in front." "Come around, please." "Thank you." "In this competition, you have to deliver every time." "Now, when was the last time you actually filleted a fish?" "Could have been a couple months." "Couple of months?" "Watch closely." "Two fillets." "Trim it up." "Let the knife do the work." "Looking for six stunning portions." "Now, one, two, three, four, five, six." " Confident?" " Let's do it." "Let's go." "Six stunning fillets, please." "She's doing good." "Jessie, will you do me a favor?" " Yes, sir." " Pass me my jacket, please." "Thank you." "Congratulations." "You made my life." "Thank you." "Well done." "Relax." "She pulled that one out of the bag." "I mean, I got to know if it's the real deal or not." " Yeah." " There's her tail, there's my tail." "(Graham) yeah, good tail." "This apron represents so much hard work, so much family support, all self-doubt out the window." "Here's to being the next MasterChef." "So Jessie from Georgia walks away with an apron." "MasterChef hopefuls come from every corner of America and every walk of life." " Ramsay!" " Handsome fella." "Wow." " Oh, my god." " Wow." "What is that?" "Looks like the terminator." "What an entrance." "What are you cooking?" "It's called melanzane involtini." "Clearly a farmer." "I am." "We're having hash and eggs this morning." "I teach students in the research of robotics." "Today, I'm cooking Chilean sea bass." "Cooking crawfish etouffee." "Classic American apple pie." "I'm doing a traditional baked Alaska." "You're still burning stuff." " You guys are in for a treat." " Wow." " Wow." " That's amazing." "That's incredible." "What's it made out of?" " That's butternut squash." " Wow." " Hey, Gordon, how are you today?" " "[bleep] off."" "It's a little bit underwhelming." "What are you looking at, baldy?" " Good job." " Thank you." "Wow." "Unfortunately, it's not MasterChef level, and I'm going to be a no." "For me, it's a no." "It's a no." "It's a no from me." "The dessert is good, but it's a little bit too sweet, and I'm going to be a no." "I'm a yes..." "To Charlie..." " But a no to you." " Understood." "I think there's enough potential to earn you an apron." "Yes!" "Graham, you're not gonna jump on that thing." "Graham, no, no." "No, no." "Graham?" "Medic!" "Next up... is 26-year-old James from Texas." "I've got a lot of reason to win today." "Everyone goes through hardships." "Everyone's--there's not anyone ever born who has an easy life, but just like everyone else," "I've had struggles growing up." "We grew up poor." "You know, I lost my father last year to a bad case of emphysema, and I lost my mother several years ago." "She died from Hodgkin's lymphoma." "It really kind of tempered my resolve towards a lot of things." "My parents really believed in my cooking ability." "they always pushed me to do something with it, and if I don't do anything with it," "I don't feel like I'm doing their memory justice." "It was, like, burned into my memory that I had to do something bigger, and I know this is it." "Hello." "Hi, how are you?" "Good." "First name?" " James." " James, what are you doing?" "I am doing a crispy pork belly with a lentil hash." "Okay, great." "Five minutes." "Off you go, buddy." "Okay." "What's the food dream?" "To do a gastro pub that explores food beyond just the average thing." "Great." "You know, when you don't have a whole lot of money growing up, the cheapest cut of meat can be one of the best dishes." "Done?" "Yes, sir." "What did you season it with?" "A little bit of lime, garlic, sea salt, black pepper," "A little bit of smoked paprika, and cayenne pepper." "Touch of olive oil." "Well, this is good." "It's very creative, it's very simple," " but yeah, I like it." " Thanks." "Thank you." "Interesting." "Thank you." "What do I get out of you?" "If I make this investment, what do I get back?" "You get the commitment that I will put in more than 100% every day." "You don't have any fight in you." "I have a lot of fight in me." "I don't see it." "I've given up everything in my life that I had going to be here today." "I've been through hell and back in the past three or four years of my life." "I've lost my mother." "I've lost my father." "The only thing I have is my fiancee, and I pushed my own wedding aside because I knew that this is where I'm meant to be, and I absolutely will prove that to you if you give me the chance." "Graham?" "Lentils need seasoning, but the ability to be able to take pork belly and instead of braising it for hours, cut it thin, cook it, be" "You know, able to improvise on your feet" "I'd like to see you continue that path, so I'm a yes." "Okay." "Joe?" "Our job is not only to taste on the plate, but to discern through the crap to get to the people who really have passion to take this journey with us." "Quite frankly, I don't see it." "I have it." "I absolutely do." "I'm a no." "James, what have you got that we haven't seen?" "I've got every ability to be the next MasterChef." "I just need the chance to prove it to you." "I know this probably wasn't the best representation of my skill," "But damn it, I know I can do better." "I can do this." "I know I can." "I didn't come here to go home." " But you're so timid." " And I'm not." "Well, this competition's going to eat you alive." "It's going to give you the biggest kick up the ass" " you ever had in your entire life." " And I'm ready for it!" " And that is what I'm worried about." " I'm not worried about it." "First sign of pressure, you're going to disintegrate." "I won't." "I absolutely will not." "I will not break." "Aww!" "Yeah!" "Yeah!" "Dude." "I'm floored right now, man." "I'm devastated in the best way you can be." "This is the beginning of a journey for me." "I had to fight for it, and I will continue to fight." "Ah!" "Coming up..." "Gentlemen." "Will it help any of the home cooks..." "I love you, Gordon, god!" "If I could take you home, I would." "...to make passes at the judges?" "We went to the super bowl, but this is what I want to do." "Eddie, time out." "In the quest for a MasterChef apron..." "Gentlemen." "...some home cooks think they need to serve up more than a winning dish." " Hello." " What are you cooking?" "Alligator andouille sausage." "Cupid's cookies, because you're going to fall in love with it." "Pan-seared salmon with cherry glaze on it." "Wait a second, what are you--what are" "What are you doing with the chocolate then?" "Darling, don't waste too long washing your hands, 'cause we got to get-- we got to get going, babe." "You asked what I was going to be making?" "Okay." "That's not the pepper you've just taken a bite out of, is it?" " That's right." " Ugh." "I love you, Gordon, god!" "If I could take you home, I would." "What would you do to us if we went home with you?" "Oh, [bleep]." "You would not be able to walk the next day." " Oh, my god." " Are you-- is this scary?" "This is so not what I dreamed our first date would be like." "I love you to pieces." "Don't tell my husband." "My husband is out there right now." "I told my fiance his ass is gone... if I can ever take you away," "And he goes, "you would dump me for him?"" "I said, "In a [bleep] minute."" "This is a great way to find out if you suck, right?" "Then you know you-- this is, like, my passion with every fiber of my being, I could" " Can you shut up for one second, please?" " Sorry, yes." "Excited?" "It doesn't feel real." " I feel like I'm in a dream." " Feels like that for us." "I'm ready for you to tell me how much you don't like the dish." "What makes you think that I would give you that satisfaction?" "You can kiss my grits." " It's a no." " 100% no." " How many people are you with?" " 11." " Could you go get them, please?" " Oh, yeah." "Come on!" "Her heart's in those cookies, guys." "Come on!" " It's a no." " Aww!" " Sorry." " Thank you." "Thank you." "Thank you." "The next home cook is ready to face the judges all on her own." "I was born ready, 'cause I'm a beast in the kitchen!" "I am Sasha Foxx, honey." "And now, I'm here to take the place-- my rightful place where I'm supposed to be." "Hey, y'all!" "The three most handsomest men I've seen today!" "Whoo-hoo!" " Nice to see you." "First name is?" " Sasha." "Sasha, what are you cooking for us today?" "You got five minutes." "Okay, today, I did a fried chicken, but I used a cornish hen." "Smart." "And I got some crepes here for you guys, and I did a bourbon glaze." "You trying to get us drunk and take advantage of us?" "Yes, of course." "♪I really, really want♪" "♪an apron, yes, I do♪" "♪Amen.♪" "Yes!" "Whoo!" "Whoo!" "Somebody pinch me." "Why do you think you've got what it takes to win MasterChef?" "Because..." "I'm Sasha Foxx..." "And everything I do, I do well." "I cook good." "I look good." "I smell good." "Everything I do, I do good, honey." "Best believe that." "Okay, time's up." "So it's a southern fried chicken with french crepes and an orange maple glaze sauce." "All right, Graham." "Give me the privilege of being the first one of you three gentlemen to taste my savory dish." "Put a little Sasha in your mouth, baby." "Don't be scared." "That is foxy chicken." " It is foxy." " That is foxy chicken." "Mmm, oh, gosh, yes." "Hey, mm-hmm." " Graham, you having fun?" " All right, Graham." "Hot stuff, hot sauce." "You know, red is my favorite color." " Oh, thank you." " Mm-hmm." "Mm-hmm!" " That's a lot of chicken." " Mm-hmm." " You're a lot of woman." " Yes." "Now, you sure enough told the truth about that." "Sasha." "So what's the secret behind your food?" "Me, and I can turn around, and you could really see what's the secret behind me." "Do you know what?" "I'm a big fan of the chicken, but I'm not a massive fan of the crepes." "Yeah, they could probably use a little work." "Yeah." "Uh, wow, setting the personality aside," "Yeah, I mean, you're on fire, aren't you?" "You are a very, very talented girl." "Thank you." "Your food's delicious." "You cook from the heart." "It's a big, big, 100% yes from me." " Yes!" " Graham?" "Fried chicken is probably the most American dish." "You've mastered it, and I want to see you go further." "I'm a yes." "Yes." "Hallelujah, it's a big yes." " Congratulations." "Oh, my god." "I got three yeses!" "Well done." "Come here." " Congratulations." " Thank you!" " Well done." " ♪Thank you♪" "Deuces!" " Bye, guys!" " Bye, Sasha." "Thank you, lord." "Whoo." "♪I am the next MasterChef♪" "♪Whoo♪" "Coming up..." "Can an ex-NFL star achieve a new dream?" "You play in any big games?" "I was with the patriots, and we went to the super bowl." "I had to retire 'cause I broke my wrist." "...and does a contestant from last season..." "It's me." "It's me." "...have any hope of a second chance?" "We've been down this road before." "I'm sorry." "It's day two of the auditions." " That dish had a great spirit." " Congratulations." "And this year on MasterChef, It's been tougher than ever to win an apron." "♪Thank you!" "♪" "And so far, tonight, only seven have been successful." "Yes!" "Yeah!" "Our next MasterChef hopeful is Rudy, a home cook who is as fearless in the kitchen as he is in his own life." "In October 2003, San Diego was hit by what is now one of the worst fires in history." "I spent about a year in hospital." "75% burns." "And they kept me in induced coma for two months of that time" "Just because the pain would have been so intense," "I probably wouldn't have survived." "When it comes to cooking, I really put myself back in the situation and said: "Anything I could do before, I'm going to learn to do again."" "So really, there hasn't been a thing that" "I have not figured out a way to get around or do." "Oh, I'm sure I'm going to get that apron." "With bread coming out golden brown like that," "How can I not?" "Winning MasterChef would give me the opportunities to help so many people in this world, to be able to change so many lives, to make them understand that just 'cause I'm disabled doesn't mean I'm done." "I will be America's next MasterChef." "Welcome." "Ah." " Nice to see you." " Nice to see you too." " First name is?" " My name is Rudy." " Rudy, where are you from, bud?" " San Diego." "I'm known in San Diego for having survived the 2003 San Diego fires." "How were you involved?" "I lived up in the area, and there wasn't any warning," "So people like me had to go door-to-door and actually warn people." "To get out?" "I went and got about four or five houses cleared." "Wow." "Because I was the last one to leave," "It turned into me being stuck behind the lines, so I had to cover my face and go through the fire the hard way." "So as you can tell, lost an ear, lost a finger." "I'm blessed." "I'm here for a reason." "Can you explain this dish to us?" "Okay, you have buffalo meat." "Buffalo meat." "It's a native american taco, so we take what would be the flour for a regular tortilla," "And we fry it up." "Then from there, I have a lime fresh salsa." "Done." " Great." " Thank you." "The buffalo, how'd you cook it?" " I took some olive oil." " Mm-hmm." " Golden-fried it." " Mm-hmm." "And I took some butter for the flavoring." "There's a lot of seasoning, bay leaf, pepper." "You name it, it's all in there." "Buffalo is slightly dry." "As you know, buffalo doesn't have much fat in it." " No, very lean." " Rght." "Right." " Thank you." " Thank you." "Welcome." "So buffalo and some refried beans." " Is that what that is there?" " Correct." " Okay." "You cook with confidence, let me tell you." "Joe, yes or no?" "Sometimes at MasterChef, we say you have to be able to communicate a piece of who you are through the food you put on a plate." "I think that your story is compelling and certainly moving." "I wish your food was as well." "I'm sorry." "For me, it's a no." "Graham, please." "See, for me, I think that, that is him on a plate, you know?" "I think that even though it might not be as refined or upscale, I guess, for lack of a better word," "I think that the rusticity, there is some depth of flavor, and the technique of the fry bread," "I think, is really, really neat." "I've never seen that done before," "So I'd like to learn more." "And so for me, it's a yes." "Thank you, sir." "I totally disagree with Graham." "It's poorly conceived." " I don't see it in the plate." " I disagree." "I-I" "We have one yes and one no." "Is that the best dish that you can cook?" "Is that the dish that could win MasterChef?" "I thought, maybe other than the meat, which I" "It did dry out a little bit more." " I thought it would have been great for you." " Sure." "I think you're very, very inspirational." "For me..." "I think you're very, very inspirational." "It's the moment of truth for Rudy and his buffalo taco." "So far, it's a no from Joe and a yes from Graham." "Now, all that stands between him and a MasterChef apron is Gordon Ramsay." "This is a competition, and you've got one shot at it." "We have to judge you on what you've done." "For me..." "It's a no." "And I think you just got to continue at it." "Sir, I don't fear rejection." "If you don't go through these tests, You can't make yourself better" "Well, just continue cooking." "I will." "Thank you." "Thank you." "Thank you." "Yeah, the buffalo was dry, too dry." "It's a shame." "Thank you all, though." "I tried." "I'm still proud of what I did." "The fact that even one of them complimented me is huge." "You know, I didn't get through, but if you look," "I made friends." "So Rudy fails to win an apron," "And many more soon discover." "It's harder this year to win an apron..." "It's a no." "...than ever before." "It's just not MasterChef level, so I'm a no." "That's something I'd expect to see from a nine-year-old," "Not a captain." "It's a big no." " Okay." " Thank you." " It just wasn't there." " I understand." "Unfortunately, I like your hair better than the dish, sadly, so for me, it's a no." "It's good, but it's not good enough." "It's a no." "It's boarding school pudding at best." " Wow." " It's a no." "Sorry." "Would it be okay if I hug you anyway?" "Oh, thank you so much for the opportunity." "Group energy hug." "Can our next hopeful do any better?" "Let's see if 32-year-old Eddie can score an apron." "You know, ever since I finished playing football," "Cooking is my new sport." "I actually made it to the NFL the hard way." "I didn't get drafted, so I had to prove myself," "And I made it." "So after I finished playing football, the only thing I could see is turning myself into, like, this chef." "It's something that I really, really love to do." "Getting an apron, it'll be the feeling like when I first got my first check in the NFL." "It was like, "okay, finally, you know, I'm good enough."" " What's up, chefs?" " Good to see you." "First name is?" " Eddie." " Eddie." " You gonna catch it?" " No, no, he won't, he won't." " Block Joe." " He'll miss it." "He'll miss it." " Gordon, that's a football." " Uh, yes." "Thank you." "Yeah." " American football." " There's a big difference between..." "Big difference." "American football and soccer." "Welcome." "What are you cooking?" "I'm making a jerk meatloaf over a ginger and coconut sweet potato mash." "Now, you've got five minutes." "Let's go." "Let's do it." "You play in any big games?" "I had to retire 'cause I destroyed my knee." "I broke-- I fractured my wrist." "That was the year when I was with the patriots, and we went to the super bowl." "Wow." "And right before we went to the playoffs," "I was in the weight room, and I fell back, and I had 125-pound dumbbell in my hand," " and it snapped my wrist." " Ouch." "I ended up retiring after that 'cause I wasn't the same." " Look at you." " That's nice." "What would your old teammates say" "If they saw you paintbrushing a piece of meatloaf?" "They're gonna laugh." "They're gonna laugh their ass off." " Okay, you done?" " Yes, sir, I'm done." "You see, you've gone all foo-foo." "If there's one thing you don't do with a meatloaf, it's take it all fancy, right?" "Whose recipe is this?" "This is mine." "I made it up myself." "There's something intriguing in there." "Damn." "The meatloaf is definitely the star, but this could use a touch of seasoning." "We'll see." "Thanks." "It's sweet, but it's interesting." "It's very rich." "I like the heat in that." "What is that?" "I got some scotch bonnets in there." "Very interesting." "Um, Joe, yes or no?" "It's a food that speaks about you." "It's very personal, I think, and being able to express that personality through food is a big accomplishment on its own," " So I am a yes." " Thank you." "The meatloaf itself, which is the star, is delicious." "It just looked a little sloppy." "It doesn't do enough for me," "So I'm a no." "The dish has got to have balls." "It doesn't need to be foo-foo'd around." "It's a meatloaf." "Eddie." "Sir?" "Come pick up your apron." " Get serious." " Yes, sir." "Because the competition is very serious." " That dish has got potential." " Thank you so much." "I hope he's right." "Let's do it." " Thank you so much." " My man." "Wow, you're in the game." "Yeah!" "This is my redemption right now." "This is my championship." "This is my super bowl." "No one is going to compete harder than me." "I know what it takes to get to the top 'cause I've been to the top." "Whoo!" "Coming up..." "You broke my heart." "A contestant who waited a whole year for a second chance." "We've been down this road before." " I understand." " I'm sorry." "Our final home cook of the day is a familiar face from last season, who has been given a second chance." "My name is Luca." "I'm 31 years old." "I'm from New York city." "Originally, I'm from Aviano, Italy," "And I'm a restaurant manager." "My dream is to open my own restaurant in New York city and have a big sign with my name outside the door." ""Luca."" "This is fantastic, man." "I'm so happy to be here again." "I competed last year in MasterChef, and I did my beautiful dish, and then it was all down to chef Gordon Ramsay." "For me, it's a no." "I know you can do better." "Continue cooking." "Because next year, I think you can come back and completely rise above the competition." "I was very sad when I didn't get an apron because this could be really a life-changing opportunity for me," "But I am coming back today as a better chef." "This moment is about achieving my dream." "Nothing can stop me." "I'm super excited to see the judges again." "They better remember my name, 'cause this time, they won't forget it." "LLuca, Luca, Luca, Luca!" "It's me." "It's me." "Ha ha." "Ah, ha." "Uh, Luca." " You remember my name?" " I do remember your name." " How on earth could I forget it?" " Did you miss me?" "Chef Ramsay," "You broke my heart." "You broke my wife, my mother's heart." "You broke all America heart." " All of Italy was crying, Gordon." " All Italy is crying." "Yeah." "Bravo." "What are you making for us today?" "I'm making broccoli rabe ravioli." " Okay, time starts now." " Thank you, chef." "So how did you pick yourself up on the back of the devastation last year?" "How did you re-motivate yourself?" "I just knew that I didn't make the best I could, so, you know, you just need to realize the mistakes that you make and improve from your own mistake." "Tell us about the ravioli." "Is this your mother's recipe," " your grandmother's recipe?" " Not really." "This is a dish that I made just for you." "Normally, the broccoli rabe would be a garnish." "People love broccoli rabe." "Why not incorporate it in a pasta?" "Because, you know, broccoli rabe can be very chewy." " Mm-hmm." " So it's very risky." "It is risky, but I studied all the components and tried to balance them together." "Good." "Buon appetito." " Grazie." " Grazie." "Luca, Luca, Luca." "So you blended it, so it's like a puree of broccoli rabe and ricotta together." "I did, I steamed-- yeah, pan-steamed them first with some shallots and garlic, and then I blended with the ricotta and the nutmeg." "Had you won last year, we'd probably be partners in our restaurant already in New York." "Well, it's better late than never." " How are you, Luca?" " I'm great." "Nice to see you." "Nice to see you." "So on top is balsamic?" "I made just a little reduction of balsamic." "It's a nice filling-to-pasta ratio." " Great, thanks." " Thank you." " Luca." " Yes, chef." " Welcome back." " Thank you." "Who made the pasta?" "I did make the pasta, chef." "So mark your dish out of ten." "6 1/2." "Joe, I'm going to go back to you." "Not perfect." "I think there's some issues." "The sauce is a little bit grainy." "Pecorino romano is a very difficult cheese to use," "But in the greater context of your MasterChef journey, Luca," "I think that you have a lot to give, and I want to see you cook." "I want to see you compete, so I'm a yes again." "Thank you." "Thank you." "Grazie." "Graham, yes or no?" "The ravioli itself, the pasta, the filling, it's perfect." "But the sauce, it just-- it kind of ruins it for me." "It's almost overly salted, and I don't like the texture." "I was a no last year, and sadly, I'm a no this year." "I apologize." "I understand." "We've been down this road before, and you've got a big pair to come back into this competition and put broccoli rabe inside a ravioli." "I made the right decision last year, and I'm going to make the right decision again this year." "Luca, I'm sorry." "You're not going back to your job in New York, 'cause you're in MasterChef." "Congratulations." "Wow." "Here's your apron." "Well done." " Thank you." " Now..." "Yes, chef?" "Be more confident." "Slow down." " You'll surprise yourself." "Congratulations." " Thank you." "Can I hug you?" " Well done." "Good job." " Thank you." "I will improve." "Bravo." "Grazie." "Ciao." " Thank you." " All right." " Thank you very much." " Less is more." "Bravo." "Thank you!" "Forza Italia." "Bravo." "Thank you, grazie!" "I feel fantastic." "I got the apron." "This is big redemption." "Whoo!" "Mama, papa, I made it!" "Whoo!" "Next time we'll be talking, I'll be the next MasterChef." "Next week on MasterChef," "Those who won an apron must now fight to keep them." "Half of these people are going home." "This is the biggest challenge of your lives." "As the battle to win entry into the MasterChef kitchen gets underway," "Some will rise to the challenge..." "But most will see their dreams go up in smoke..." "Time to go home." "As the search continues for America's next MasterChef." "When I say the competition is on," "I mean it is on."