MasterChef USA

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MasterChef USA
MasterChef USA Logo.gif
Logo
Presented by Gary Rhodes
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons2
No. of episodes26
Production
Executive producerElizabeth Brock
Running time30-60 minutes per episode
Original release
Network PBS
ReleaseApril 1, 2000 (2000-4-1) –
June 30, 2001 (2001-6-30)
Related
MasterChef (American TV series)

MasterChef USA is an American competitive cooking show that aired on PBS from 2000 to 2001. [1] The series was hosted by Gary Rhodes. [1] The series format was based directly on BBC's MasterChef , which used Rhodes as host during 2001. The show had two seasons. [2]

Contents

The first season premiered on April 1, 2000 with a total of 13 half-hour-long episodes and 1 hour-long special. [3] 27 contestants arose from the auditions held in each region, in which office manager Nancy Vaziri of Homewood, Illinois won the title of MasterChef 2000. [4]

The second season started on April 7, 2001 with a total of 13 half-hour episodes and 1 hour-long special. [3] Similarly, 27 contestants advanced; wherein business owner Geoffrey Hill of Evanston, Illinois was proclaimed as MasterChef 2001. [5]

Production

Due to the success of the British Broadcasting Corporation cooking show MasterChef , PBS acquired rights to screen and West 175 make an American version of MasterChef. [1]

When it came to finding a chef to present the show, executive producer Elizabeth Brock initially wanted British cook Gary Rhodes for the job. "He is so alive on camera," points out Brock. "And he also has the unique ability to combine true expertise on cooking with his gift of communicating in an entertaining style." [6]

Summary

During the first 9 weeks, twenty-seven cooks from different regions faced-off in a challenge involving their best original two-course menu which must cost less than $60.00 and cook them in only two and a half hours. Nine contestants will be picked to move on to the next round where they will battle against another set of cooks from another region. From there, three will be picked to compete in the finale, where one of them will grab the coveted title for the next MasterChef. [2]

Season 1

The first season saw 27 cooks battling for a spot in the semi-final round. A set of three cooks competed in the Southwestern, Southeastern, and Northwestern regions while six cooks competed in a two-part challenge in the Midwestern, Western, and Northeastern divisions. [1] On May 27, 2000, the complete setlist of 27 cooks were revealed. [1] In the end, medical practice office manager Nancy Vaziri of Homewood, Illinois was proclaimed MasterChef 2000, winning herself a trip to CuisinArt Resort and Spa, a $1000 Williams Sonoma gift certificate, a subscription to the International Association of Culinary Professionals and a short-term editorial for Bon Appétit. [1] [4]

ContestantStateRegionOccupationStatus
Nancy Vaziri IL MidwesternMedical Practice Office ManagerWinner 24 June
Lynne Champion CA WesternBed and Breakfast OwnerRunner-up 24 June
Stephen Both DE NortheasternPainting ContractorThird 24 June
Gary Wall TX SouthwesternTelevision directorEliminated 17 June
Jennifer Spencer GA SoutheasternInsurance Underwriter
Bob Hafey IL MidwesternManufacturing ManagerEliminated 10 June
Lani Meltzer CA WesternSurgical Assistant
Dana Maxey NY NortheasternInvestment BankerEliminated 3 June
Scott Stevenson OR NorthwesternRealtor
Lew Sherwood NY NortheasternAdvertising ExecutiveEliminated 27 May
Pietro Fragale NY NortheasternHospital Administrator
Erminia Mack IL MidwesternHomemakerEliminated 20 May
Dhont Martial IL MidwesternSurgeon
James Morgan AZ WesternInformation DesignerEliminated 13 May
Michelle Fish AZ WesternScuba Diver
Kirk Cochran GA SoutheasternFirefighterEliminated 6 May
Nikki Norman FL SoutheasternCommunity and civic volunteer
Frances Maxwell WA NorthwesternStudentEliminated 29 April
Melanie Hartley WA NorthwesternNurse
Richard Russell VA Northeastern U.S. House of Representative Deputy Chief of Staff in ScienceEliminated 22 April
Shanti Jain NJ NortheasternHomemaker
Renee Evers NV WesternMusicianEliminated 15 April
Richard Kronick AZ WesternGraphic designer
Peter Flores IL MidwesternParalegalEliminated 8 April
Susan Achinapura IL MidwesternHomemaker
Kay Dalton TX SouthwesternMomEliminated 1 April
Richard Winters TX SouthwesternRancher
Ep# / Show-Ep#Original AirdateEpisode Title / EventRef.
Regional Cook-offs
1/1.11 April 2000Series Premiere: Regional Cook-off 1.1 - 27 amateur chefs from different parts of the country competed in 9 first-round challenges which will minimize the field to 9. In the first cook-off, Skitch Henderson and David Rosengarten judged the cooking of Southwestern cooks Gary, Kay, and Richard W. in a two-course menu challenge. Gary was announced through to the semi-finals, while Kay and Rick are eliminated. [3]
2/1.28 April 2000Regional Cook-off 1.2 - Midwestern chefs Nancy, Peter, and Susan are judged by George Wallace and Michel Nischan. Nancy was proclaimed the winner, sending Peter and Susan packing. [7]
3/1.315 April 2000Regional Cook-off 1.3 - Guest judges Robin Leach and Lidia Bastianich criticized Western cooks Lynne, Renee, and Richard K. Lynne won by a clean slate, defeating Renee and Richie. [8]
4/1.422 April 2000Regional Cook-off 1.4 - Northeast chefs Richard R., Shanti, and Stephen vied in a cookoff watched by Madhur Jaffrey and Carolyn O'Neil. Stephen triumphed, sending Richard and Shanti home. [9]
5/1.529 April 2000Regional Cook-off 1.5 - Northwestern amateurs Frances, Melanie, and Scott competed in a cookoff for Thierry Rautureau and Claudia Cohen. In the end, Scott went forward while Frances and Melanie walked. [10]
6/1.66 May 2000Regional Cook-off 1.6 - Southeastern contestants Jennifer, Kirk, and Nikki battled in a challenge judged by Nathalie Dupree and Colman Andrews. Jennifer advanced whereas Kirk and Nikki stayed. [11]
7/1.713 May 2000Regional Cook-off 1.7 - The second set of Western amateurs (Lani, Michelle, and Morgan) competed to satisfy judges Molly O'Neill and Vincent Schiavelli. Ultimately, Lani saved herself from elimination with Michelle and Morgan. [12]
8/1.820 May 2000Regional Cook-off 1.8 - Midwestern chefs Bob, Erminia, and Jack fought against each other to win judges George Wallace and Stephan Pyles. The challenge witnessed Erminia and Jack lacking skills compared to Bob, eliminating them. [13]
9/1.927 May 2000Regional Cook-off 1.9 - The last group of cooks from the Northeast (Dana, Lew, and Pietro) were judged by Jacques Torres and Jock Soto. Dana gained the last spot in the semi-finals while Lew and Pietro departed the competition. [14]
Semi-Finals
10/1.103 June 2000Semi-Finals 1.1 - Dana, Lynne, and Scott met in a semi-final round with judges Sissy Biggers and Kit Skarstrom. Lynne was the obvious winner, while Dana and Scott lost. [15]
11/1.1110 June 2000Semi-Finals 1.2 - A semi-final round cookoff features Bob, Lani, and Nancy cooking for Sheila Lukins and Claudia Cohen. After a long decision, Nancy was deemed safe. On the other hand, Bob and Lani left the competition. [16]
12/1.1217 June 2000Semi-Finals 1.3 - The last semi-final round saw Gary, Jennifer, and Stephen battling for Joan Nathan and Tanya Wenman Steel. Stephen proved stronger, eliminating Gary and Jennifer. [17]
Finale
Special 122 June 2000MasterChef USA Special 1 - The special featured a preview of the final-round cook-off. The episode also included interviews with the contestants and season highlights. [18]
Finale 124 June 2000Grand Finale 1 - The finale saw Lynne, Nancy, and Stephen cooking for Jacques Pepin and Robin Mattson in a three-course meal challenge. Nancy's menu which consisted of Mushroom Pâté in Filo Pastry Baskets atop Field of Greens, Morgh Pollo (Seasoned Pilaf of Roasted Chicken), and Fruit Tart Cheesecake was deemed more impressive, defeating Lynne and Stephen for the title of MasterChef 2000. [4] [19]

Season 2

The second season, like its predecessor, witnessed 27 cooks battling for a spot in the semi-final round. A set of three cooks competed in the Southwestern, Southeastern, and Northwestern regions while six cooks competed in a two-part challenge in the Midwestern, Western, and Northeastern divisions. [1] On June 2, 2001, the complete setlist of 27 cooks were revealed. [20] In the end, small business owner Geoffrey Hill of Evanston, Illinois was announced MasterChef 2001, claiming prizes that included an all-expense-paid two-week stay at Cuisinarts Caribbean resort, Le Creuset cookware, $1000 Williams-Sonoma gift certificate and other cuisine-related prizes. [5]

ContestantStateRegionOccupationStatus
Geoffrey Hill IL MidwesternBusiness OwnerWinner 30 June
David Ross WA NorthwesternAirline SupervisorRunner-up 30 June
Lala Cheema FL SoutheasternBiology TeacherThird 30 June
Josie Aaronson-Gelb CA WesternPublic Relations OfficerEliminated 23 June
Marion Stevens CA WesternRetired
Cindy Blakeslee VT NortheasternNon-profit Organization DirectorEliminated 16 June
Kyung Chang NY NortheasternSet Designer
Janet Moore MI MidwesternRetiredEliminated 9 June
Mary Boyd TX SouthwesternRealtor
Herman Liu NM SouthwesternManagement ConsultantEliminated 2 June
Kristen Ritchie OK SouthwesternCompany Vice President
Baron Long CA WesternProfessional Sales AgentEliminated 26 May
Martina Thurlow CA WesternAttorney
Charles Sweeney DC NortheasternCorporate Communications ManagerEliminated 19 May
Joan Churchill NH NortheasternTheatrical Designer
Camilla Saulsbury IN MidwesternStudentEliminated 12 May
Robert Whitt IN MidwesternReal Estate Firm President
Kimberly Davis FL SoutheasternSelf-employedEliminated 5 May
Peter Hyzak FL SoutheasternSales Manager
Gail Singer CA WesternReal Estate AgentEliminated 28 April
Heather Rizzoli CA WesternSelf-employed
Laura Chavoen NY NortheasternBusiness StrategistEliminated 21 April
Tirso Perez NY NortheasternRestaurateur
Joseph King WA NorthwesternSoftware DeveloperEliminated 14 April
Kathy Urbano ID NorthwesternCounselor
Kaylan Dutta MI MidwesternEngineerEliminated 7 April
Norita Solt IA MidwesternRetired
Ep# / Show-Ep#Original AirdateEpisode Title / EventRef.
Regional Cook-offs
1/2.17 April 2001Series Premiere: Regional Cook-off 2.1 - Midwestern cooks Geoffrey, Kaylan, and Norita prepared their best gourmet recipes against the clock to try and capture the regional title. With judges Bobby Collins and Susan Feniger on the tasting table, Geoffrey won the first round while Kaylan and Norita were eliminated. [20]
2/2.214 April 2001Regional Cook-off 2.2 - Northwestern contestants David, Joseph, and Kathy cooked for judges Jerry di Vecchio and Tom Douglas. David was deemed safe and through, sending Joseph and Kathy home.
3/2.321 April 2001Regional Cook-off 2.3 - Northeastern contestants Cindy, Laura, and Tirso prepared their best dishes to Laurin Sydney and Benjamin Ford. Cindy triumphed, leading to Laura and Tirso's departure.
4/2.428 April 2001Regional Cook-off 2.4 - Western chefs Gail, Heather, and Marion battled for a spot in the semi-finals. In the end, judges Jacklyn Zeman and Mark Peel announced Marion as the winner, kicking Gail and Heather out of the competition.
5/2.55 May 2001Regional Cook-off 2.5 - Southeastern cooks Lala, Kimberly, and Peter created their best recipes under the guidance of David Brenner and Mary Sue Milliken. Lala advanced while Kimberly and Peter walked.
6/2.612 May 2001Regional Cook-off 2.6 - The second set of Midwestern chefs (Camilla, Janet, and Robert) cooked under pressure. Judges Suzanne Rogers and Damian Mandola unanimously picked Janet, removing Camilla and Robert from the contest.
7/2.719 May 2001Regional Cook-off 2.7 - Northeastern contestants Charles, Joan, and Kyung served up their signature dishes to Tom Bergeron and Richard Kaupp. Kyung successfully granted herself a place in the next round, saying goodbye to Charles and Joan.
8/2.826 May 2001Regional Cook-off 2.8 - Western chefs Baron, Josie, and Martina presented their culinary skills and knowledge to Bill Nye the Science Guy and Michael Chiarello. Josie went through, whereas Baron and Martina didn't.
9/2.92 June 2001Regional Cook-off 2.9 - The last group of cooks from the Southwest (Herman, Kristen, and Mary) displayed their abilities to judges Suzanne Sena and Mark Miller. Mary grasps the last spot in the semi-finals, eliminating Herman and Kristen.
Semi-Finals
10/2.109 June 2001Semi-Finals 2.1 - Geoffrey, Janet, and Mary competed for first place in the finale. Judges Barbara Fairchild and Piero Selvaggio were impressed by Geoffrey, sending Janet and Mary packing.< [20]
11/2.1116 June 2001Semi-Finals 2.2 - Cindy, Kyung, and Lala were judged by A. J. Benza and Rick Bayless. Lala prevails, defeating Cindy and Kyung. [20]
12/2.1223 June 2001Semi-Finals 2.3 - The last semi-final round saw David, Josie, and Marion battling for judges Donna Mills and Allyson Thurber. David became the clear winner, while Josie and Marion went home.
Finale
Special 228 June 2001MasterChef USA Special 2 - The special featured a preview of the final-round cook-off. The episode also included interviews with the contestants and season highlights. [20]
Finale 130 June 2001Grand Finale 2 - The finale saw David, Geoffrey, and Nancy cooking for B. Smith and MasterChef 2000 Nancy Vaziri in a three-course meal challenge. Lala's menu which consisted of Shami Kabobs with Mango Chutney, Shrimp Curry with Browned Rice and Red Bell Pepper, and Sautéed Squash with Ginger Slices, and Jalabees proved better than David's Dungeness Crab Mosaic with Marjoram Mayonnaise and Pear Chips, Cedar-Planked Halibut with Mashed Potatoes, Garlic Broth and Frizzled Onions, and Toasted Hazelnut Ice Cream with Huckleberry Compote and Geoffrey's Creamy Yellow Pepper Soup Cibreo, Roast King Salmon with Pesto Glaze and Nutty Bundled Green Beans, and Caramelized Pineapple and Coconut Tart, winning him the title of MasterChef 2001. [20] [21]

Celebrity judges

Every challenge featured a panel of two celebrity judges. [1] Personalities are listed alphabetically:

Revival

On July 27, 2010, Fox premiered the similarly titled cooking show MasterChef among its primetime programs. The show, hosted and judged by British chef Gordon Ramsay and American restaurateurs Joe Bastianich and Graham Elliot, followed the new format of the BBC version. [22]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Who will be the first MasterChef USA?". Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved August 18, 2011.
  2. 1 2 "MasterChef USA 2001". Archived from the original on March 30, 2012. Retrieved August 18, 2011.
  3. 1 2 3 "Episode Detail: Regional Cookoff #1 - Masterchef USA". TV Guide . Retrieved August 18, 2011.
  4. 1 2 3 "Profile of a MasterChef". Archived from the original on March 30, 2012. Retrieved August 18, 2011.
  5. 1 2 "Port Orange has own MasterChef". Yahoo! Groups . Retrieved August 18, 2011.[ unreliable source? ][ dead link ]
  6. ↑ "Meet the MasterChef USA Host: Gary Rhodes" . Retrieved August 18, 2011.
  7. ↑ "Episode Detail: Regional Cookoff #2 - Masterchef USA". TV Guide . Retrieved August 18, 2011.
  8. ↑ "Episode Detail: Regional Cookoff #3 - Masterchef USA". TV Guide . Retrieved August 18, 2011.
  9. ↑ "Episode Detail: Regional Cookoff #4 - Masterchef USA". TV Guide . Retrieved August 18, 2011.
  10. ↑ "Episode Detail: Regional Cookoff #5 - Masterchef USA". TV Guide . Retrieved August 18, 2011.
  11. ↑ "Episode Detail: Regional Cookoff #6 - Masterchef USA". TV Guide . Retrieved August 18, 2011.
  12. ↑ "Episode Detail: Regional Cookoff #7 - Masterchef USA". TV Guide . Retrieved August 18, 2011.
  13. ↑ "Episode Detail: Regional Cookoff #8 - Masterchef USA". TV Guide . Retrieved August 18, 2011.
  14. ↑ "Episode Detail: Regional Cookoff #9 - Masterchef USA". TV Guide . Retrieved August 18, 2011.
  15. ↑ "Episode Detail: Semi-Final Competition #1 - Masterchef USA". TV Guide . Retrieved August 18, 2011.
  16. ↑ "Episode Detail: Semi-Final Competition #2 - Masterchef USA". TV Guide . Retrieved August 18, 2011.
  17. ↑ "Episode Detail: Semi-Final Competition #3 - Masterchef USA". TV Guide . Retrieved August 18, 2011.
  18. ↑ "Episode Detail: MasterChef USA Special - Masterchef USA". TV Guide . Retrieved August 18, 2011.
  19. ↑ "Episode Detail: Grand Finale - Masterchef USA". TV Guide . Retrieved August 18, 2011.
  20. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "MasterChef USA Season Two" . Retrieved August 18, 2011.
  21. ↑ "MasterChef USA Season Two Grand Finale Recipes" . Retrieved August 18, 2011.
  22. ↑ "America set to launch MasterChef with Ramsay". Nine News . Archived from the original on October 7, 2012. Retrieved August 18, 2011.
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