MasterChef US Season 6 for 2015

_{Image above: MasterChef - The Ultimate Cookbook. Available for sale below from Amazon.}

1. What is MasterChef?

MasterChef is a U.S. cooking competition series where talented "home cooks" compete for the title of the best home chef in all of America. The series is part of a franchise which began in the United Kingdom, originally back in 1990. Today, there are versions of MasterChef produced in more than 40 countries around the world.

Contestants in the US version of the series typically compete in both individual and team challenges. There are "Mystery Box" challenges where the contestants have to come up with their own tasty and creative use of whatever ingredients they find under their box. Team challenges can involve serving a large group of people a satisfying meal under extreme circumstances, or working under the pressure of a professional restaurant kitchen. Elimination tests often involve preparing a particular classic dish or series of dishes such as an apple pie, steak dinner, or molten chocolate lava cake.

The prize for winning in the past has been $250,000, and in all series except for series 2 the publication of a cookbook authored by the winner.

2. When and where is MasterChef airing?

MasterChef Season 6 will premiere May 20, 2015 at 8pm ET/PT on the FOX network for a 2-hour season opener. After that the show will air for one hour, 8pm, every Wednesday night through the summer.

3. Who are the judges this season?

This year, MasterChef veterans Gordon Ramsay and Graham Elliot will be joined by new judge, Christina Tosi, who is replacing Joe Bastianich. Tosi is an accomplished pastry chef for New York City's Milk Bar.

4. Who are the competitors this season?

On April 23, 2015, FOX announced the names of the Top 40 competitors who will be featured in the premiere episode of the season ("Meet MASTERCHEF'S Top 40!") Of course, we know many of them will not make it on into the final competition...

5. Where were auditions held for this season of MasterChef?

Auditions took place in the Autumn of 2014 in the following U.S. cities: Atlanta, GA; Chicago, IL; Cleveland, OH; Los Angeles, CA; Memphis, TN; Miami, FL; New Orleans, LA; New York, NY; San Antonio, TX; San Diego, CA;  and San Francisco, CA.

6. Will there be a seventh season of MasterChef?

An official announcement about future seasons has not yet been made. When it has, you can be sure that the MasterChef Casting Website will be updated with information on how to apply and where you can attend open call events.

7. Where else can I find information on MasterChef?

There is FOX's Official MasterChef website where you can see episode previews and meet the series contestants, once officially announced.

MasterChef got off to a special 2-hour start on May 20, 2015. In the premiere, we met our new judging panelist, pastry chef and restauranteur Christina Tosi. We also saw the season start off with a new twist: the top 40 cooks had to face off in head-to-head battles between those with similar signature dishes: those with the better dish in 30 minutes earned a white apron while those who lost? Saw their dream of becoming MasterChef come to an end!

Read my full episode recap and review of Episode One: Let The Battle Commence at Spacial Anomaly.

In the continuation of the season premiere, there are nine more aprons available for the remaining chefs to battle it out to claim...or could there in fact be eleven? Turns out some will get a "second chance" to win their way into the MasterChef kitchen, while the rest will be going home for good.

Read by full episode recap and review of Episode Two: The Battle Continues at Spacial Anomaly.

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Ailsa Von Dobeneck

Alisa von D

alisavond

the curious TASTEBUD

Alisa Von Dobeneck

Amanda Saab

Amanda's Plate

amandasplate

Amanda's Plate

Amanda Saab

Brianna Watson

Charlie Chapman

Christopher Lu

Chirstopher Lu

tipseychef

Claudia Sandoval

Claudia Sandoval

Claud_Oval

Claudia's Cocina

Claudia Sandoval

Daniel "Dan" Collado

Dan Collado

Dan Collado

Darah Carattini

Darah Carattini

Derrick Peltz

Derrick Peltz

Drockvp

Derrick Peltz

Hetal Vasavada

Hetal Vasavada

chefhetal

Pretty Polymath

Hetal Vasavada

Jesse Romero

Jesse Romero

yjimmyjoseph

Poboy Jesse

Jesse Romero

Justin Banister

Justin Banister

Katrina Kozar

Katrina Kozar

KatrinaKozar

 Katrina Kozar

Katrina Kozar

Kerry Prince

Kerry Prince, Kerry the Cook

KerryCanCook

Kerry Prince

Mateo McConnell

mateo_mcconnell

Nicholas "Nick" Nappi"

Chef Nick Nappi

ChefNappi

Chef Nick Nappi

Olivia Crouppen

Olivia Crouppen, The Salad B-tch

Olivia Crouppen

Sara Zacek

Chef Sara Geanne Zacek

chefsassy85

Shelly Flash

Shelly Flash

Shelly Flash

Shelly Flash

Shelly Flash

Stephen Lee

Tommy Walton

Tommy Walton

Tommy__Walton

Tommy Walton

Veronica Cili

Veronica Cili

VeronicaFeast

mamacili

In the first real competition of the season, the top 22 face their first Mystery Box challenge. The winner gets to hand-pick who then must compete in an elimination test featuring an American classic: the apple pie. Two of those 22 then were eliminated.

Who went home? Find out in my complete episode recap at Spacial Anomaly.

The Top 20 chefs now face their first team challenge: at a theme park! They'll have to serve hungry park patrons and see who can make them the happiest. Members of the losing team will then have to face an elimination test based on making perfect cinnamon rolls.

Whose rolls were deemed the worst? You can find out in this week's recap and review.

The 19 remaining home cooks face a Mystery Box that could be hard to handle: live crabs! The winner then gets to choose whether each of the other contestants will have to make a sweet or savory dish featuring one popular ingredient.

What was it, and who went home? Read my full recap and review to find out!

The chefs find themselves in Las Vegas for a team challenge, where they must prepare 101 meals for Vegas entertainers. The losing team then faces elimination in a tough test, preparing steak for none other than Gordon Ramsay himself in one of his namesake restaurants.

Whose steak didn't make the cut? You can read my full episode recap to find out.

The home cooks have to tackle another Mystery Box, this time featuring breakfast-themed ingredients. The cook with the best dish then gets to choose between three classic "TV Dinner" combinations and the others must do their best to elevate the dish.

Who ended up failing to impress? Find out in my full episode recap and review.

There's a party going on, and it's a celebration of MasterChef's 100th episode! The remaining home cooks must create celebratory appetizers and entrees for an esteemed group of guests. The losing team then faces a birthday cake elimination test that will send two home cooks packing.

Whose candles were blown out for good this time? Find out in this week's recap and review.

This week features two tough challenges in the MasterChef kitchen: recreating two of Gordon Ramsay's signature dishes. Of course you know his classic Beef Wellington will be one of them, but who will fail on an elaborate scallop and quail egg appetizer? Find out in this week's full recap and review.

Rice is the focus of the next Mystery Box challenge, where everyone has a story to tell about their personal dish. And then the elimination test features a classic combo: peanut butter and jelly. Who's dish failed to get them into the Top 10? Find out in my complete recap and review.

The Top 10 home cooks find themselves out on the range, cooking a hearty steak meal for 101 cowboys and cowgirls. The losing team then has to prepare a fruit tart in the Dreaded Pressure Test. Find out what happened then in my full episode recap.

It's another team challenge, this time involving a dinner "family style" for a very special group of VIPs. The losing team then only has 25 minutes to prepare and plate a classic Italian pasta dish: gnocchi with sage and brown butter sauce. Who will fail to please the judges? Read the full episode review & recap to find out.

The chefs must demonstrate their skills cooking with fire - and alcohol - in a flambee Mystery Box challenge. Then, Southern cooking takes the stage in a pressure test featuring chicken and waffles. Who did the best and who failed to cook their chicken properly? Find out in my full recap and review.

It's a first this week in the MasterChef kitchen: a team challenge where they must prepare strictly vegetarian food! The losing team then must take things to another extreme: head meat. Find out who won and who went home in my full recap and review.

Coffee is the focus of this episode's Mystery Box, where the cheftestants must find innovative ways to use coffee products in their dishes, sweet or savory. Then it's time for the annual - and dreaded - tag team challenge, where three teams of two much recreate a summer party food assortment. Who fails to bring some real summer fun to the table? Read my recap and review for the details.

It's time for the dreaded restaurant takeover challenge - traditional every season when the competition gets down to the top 6 contestants. This year they must prepare appetizers and entrees in a top Japanese fusion restaurant in LA. The losing team of three must make three of the judges favorite pasta dishes in order to survive to cook another day: manicotti, egg yolk ravioli, and squid ink farfalle in seafood sauce. Who fails to be a true pasta master? The details are in my recap and review.

A single ingredient is what the home cooks must focus on in their Mystery Boxes this week. One chef is then safe, while the others must cook dishes featuring 20-ingredient baskets prepared by the safe cook, and three returning champions of past seasons. Who ends up failing to use their basket the best? The details are in my recap and review.

There are only four home cooks left to battle it out for this season. We begin with a team challenge where each pair of chefs must prepare an appetizer and entree featuring ingredients selected by Gordon Ramsay and Graham Elliot. The winning team is safe; the losing team must recreate Christina Tosi's Chocolate Malt Layer Cake. Whose cake is deemed the best, and whose the worst - and why? Find out in my recap and review.

This week's episode has led to a fair amount of controversy and debate over the choice to keep Claudia over Nick, when her cake looked like such an unfinished disaster whereas his looked great but had too much sugar in the batter. Not only did the judging seemed possibly unfairly biased but people have objected to Christina jumping in to check on Claudia's cakes and telling her when to take them out of the oven. But was that really showing an unfair bias, or just what the judges always have done, offering advice and tasting/checking on the contestants' progress?

In the first hour of tonight's finale, the top three must first prepare a stunning entree for 30 industry VIPs. One then gets a pass straight into the top two; the others must three tricky dishes for the judges: souffle, steak frites, and panna cotta. Who will finally battle it out for the MasterChef title? Find out in my full recap and review.

It's finally here - the grand finale of MasterChef Season 6! Claudia and Derrick battle it out head-to-head in a three course meal of a lifetime. Who will the judges reward with the trophy, $250,000, and the cookbook deal? The details are in my final recap and review of the season. 

If you are looking to catch up on previous seasons of MasterChef, you can find my season guides for them at the following links (all are on HubPages):

* MasterChef US Season 3

* MasterChef US Season 4

* MasterChef US Season 5

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