MasterChef revealed its Top 14 finalists during Tuesday night's broadcast of the new Fox culinary competition.
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The 14 finalists were determined after MasterChef judges Gordon Ramsay, Joe Bastianich and Graham Elliot narrowed the competition's 30 remaining finalists to 14 via two tests in which the amateur cooks were required to perfectly chop onions and cook a dish featuring a single egg.
"If you can't cut an onion, you have no place to be in the kitchen," Bastianich told the finalists before the onion test began.
Six finalists were eliminated during the onion test: Paul Berger, an attorney from Boca Raton, FL; Hollie Dorethy, a homemaker from Wylie, IL; Scott Fischer, a sales executive from Aurora, IL; Joe Gill, an equipment builder from Alvarado, TX; Jennifer Thall, a homemaker from Peabody, MA; and Ryan Wesley, a dock worker from Woodland Hills, CA.
The 24 remaining finalists then moved on to the egg test, which gave them 30 minutes to them to prepare a dish based around a single egg.
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"We know you can chop under pressure, what I want to see next is whether you can cook under pressure," Ramsay said. "Your future will be determined on how well you cook just one stunning, single egg."
"Make sure this egg shines and it's the hero of this dish," Ramsay added after Elliot explained the finalists could chose from among a wide selection of additional ingredients to prepare their egg.
After tasting the resulting dishes, the judges then eliminated 10 more finalists: Max Almerico, a sales manager from New Orleans, LA; Azmina Aboobaker, an attorney from Dallas, TX; Charmaine Cheung, an assistant to the Attorney General from Denver, CO; Adeliz Garcia, a legal assistant from Whittier, CA; Josh Hoy, a rancher from Cedar Point, KS; Roberto Liuzzo, a photographer from Woodbury, NJ; Robin McMahan, a sales associate from Duluth, GA; Darryl Pierce, a publicist from Denver, CO; Tamar Poyser, an unemployed woman from Keasbey, NJ; and Whitney Webster, a marketing representative from Venice, CA.
The eliminations left 14 amateur cooks to compete in the competition's Top 14:
- Sheetal Bhagat, a 37-year-old teacher from Chicago, IL
- Anthony "Tony" Carbone, a 31-year-old server from Boston, MA
- Jake Gandolfo, a 38-year-old construction worker from Santa Cruz, CA
- Faruq Jenkins, a 30-year-old bartender from Glendale, CA
- Sharone Hakman, a 28-year-old financial advisor from Los Angeles, CA
- Jenna Hamiter, a 23-year-old homemaker from Euless, TX
- KimDung "Slim" Huynh, a 22-year-old student from Harvey, MS
- Mike Kim, a 34-year-old server from Redondo Beach, CA
- Lee Knaz, a 27-year-old bartender from Venice, CA
- David Miller, a 29-year-old software engineer from Newton Centre, MA
- Whitney Miller, a 22-year-old student from Poplarville, MS
- Tracy Nailor, a 42-year-old doctor from Atlanta, GA
- Sheena Zadeh, a 26-year-old marketing executive from Anaheim, CA
- Avis White, a 47-year-old elderly caregiver from Vacherie, LA
"From thousands that applied for the first-ever MasterChef across the U.S., we're down to 14 -- that's you guys!" Ramsay said. "Within that 14 there is one unique, first-ever individual to be crowned MasterChef America. Next time, we enter the MasterChef kitchen for the very first time!"
MasterChef's next episode will air Wednesday, August 18 at 8PM ET/PT on Fox.
About The Author: Steven Rogers