Tag Archives: Masterchef Canada

Masterchef Canada

MasterChef Canada gets Valentine’s Day premiere

From a media release:

Cupid’s arrow strikes a new batch of home cooks as Canada’s favourite food fight returns with MASTERCHEF CANADA Season 3 airing Sundays at 7 p.m. ET/PT beginning Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14 on CTV, CTV.ca, and the CTV GO app. With food and love intimately intertwined, gourmands and food-lovers from a diverse array of backgrounds and with varying expertise, step out of their homes and into the MASTERCHEF CANADA Kitchen to test their skills as they face-off against their fellow competitors. Challenge after challenge, viewers see who is meant to be as these talented home cooks turn up the heat on the audition process, preparing signature dishes for esteemed judges Michael Bonacini, Alvin Leung, and Claudio Aprile.

The premiere episode will be available to viewers early through an exclusive preview beginning Monday, Feb. 8 at CTV.ca, the CTV GO app, and on set top box. New episodes of MASTERCHEF CANADA will also be available on demand at CTV.caand on the CTV GO app, and will encore Mondays at 8 p.m. ET beginning Feb. 15on M3, Saturdays at 7 p.m. ET/PT beginning Feb. 20 on CTV Two, and Sundays at5 p.m. ET/PT beginning Feb. 21 on CTV. Viewers can check out past MASTERCHEF CANADA episodes back-to-back with Seasons 1 and 2 streaming now exclusively onCraveTVTM.

Finishing its second season with an average audience of 1.7 million viewers,MASTERCHEF CANADA was the #1 Canadian series last spring among total viewers, A18-49, and A25-54, and appetites are whet for a new season of drama and kitchen competition. At stake this season is a $100,000 cash prize and the title of Canada’s next MasterChef, giving the Season 3 finalists every incentive to put their signature dishes on the line for a shot at being the last one standing in the kitchen.

The Top 40 cooking for the MASTERCHEF CANADA title are:

  • Alawn Lai, a Real Estate Developer from Markham, Ont.
  • Alex Gabriele, a Sales Administrator from Montréal, Qué.
  • Allie Romao, a Staffing Consultant from Edmonton, Alta.
  • Amanda Caruso, a Costumer from Montréal, Qué.
  • Amanda Gill, an Athletics and Student Life Coordinator from Montréal, Qué.
  • April Lee Baker, a Homemaker from Calgary, Alta.
  • Carlo Lato, a Server from Montréal, Qué.
  • Carrla Cowley, a High School Teacher from Sturgeon County, Alta.
  • Coco Perron, in Customer Service from Montréal, Qué.
  • Danae Daniels, a Model from Vancouver, B.C.
  • Dave Kantor, VP Operations, Telecommunications from Edmonton, Alta.
  • David Young, a Carpenter from Moncton, N.B.
  • Domingo Lumanog, a Brand Manager from Calgary, Alta.
  • Dru Davids, a Graphic Designer from Edmonton, Alta.
  • Elizabeth Bowers, an Administrator from Toronto, Ont.
  • Ernie Chow, a Management Consultant from Toronto, Ont.
  • Fanassa Kettle, a Pharmacist from Montréal, Qué.
  • Jacqueline Clark, an Accountant from Abbotsford, B.C.
  • Jasdeep Sra, a Carpenter from Surrey, B.C.
  • Jennifer Baglione, a Salon Manager from Maple, Ont.
  • Jeremy Senaris, a Building Plan Examiner from Winnipeg, Man.
  • Jose Torres, a Flight Attendant from Calgary, Alta.
  • Julia Mark, a Makeup Artist from Burnaby, B.C.
  • Kendra Olesen, a Server from Saskatoon, Sask.
  • Les Barr, a Farmer from Digby, N.S.
  • Mags Kandis, a Writer and Designer from Wellington, Ont.
  • Mary Berg, an Insurance Broker from Toronto, Ont.
  • Matthew Astorga, a Digital Design Consultant from Pitt Meadows, B.C.
  • Michelle Nault, a Teacher from Bolton, Ont.
  • Mike Johnson, a Student and Cheerleader from London, Ont.
  • Nicole Olthius, a Stay-At-Home Mom from Cardston, Alta.
  • Reno Vaccaro, a Phys Ed Teacher from Montréal, Qué.
  • Robyn Held, an Investment Banker from Toronto, Ont.
  • Sean Hickey, an Auto Worker from London, Ont.
  • Shawn Karls, a Doctor from Montréal, Qué.
  • Terry Adido, a PhD Law Student from Edmonton, Alta.
  • Travis Petersen, Manager, Oil and Gas Industry, Calgary, Alta.
  • Veronica Cham, a Lawyer from Toronto, Ont.
  • Vince Spitale, a Contractor from Pickering, Ont.
  • Zhara Mian, Unemployed from Toronto, Ont.

 

In the premiere episode (Sunday, Feb. 14 at 7 p.m. ET/PT), following national auditions to discover Canada’s most promising home cooks, the finalists handle their first pressure cooker of the competition as they prepare their signature dish for judges Michael Bonacini, Alvin Leung, and Claudio Aprile. For some, this will be the kiss of death as the judges’ discriminating palates will determine whose plates are worthy of a coveted white apron. With the home cooks requiring a ‘yes’ from each judge to receive an apron this season, it’s harder than ever for the finalists to make it into the coveted Top 14. When the competition continues during the second episode, airingSunday, Feb. 21 at 7 p.m. ET/PT, a select number of home cooks will compete in a head-to-head challenge with the hope of advancing in the competition and reaching the Top 14.

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Masterchef Canada, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Link: Women Behind Canadian TV: Cathie James

From Bridget Liszewski of The TV Junkies:

Women Behind Canadian TV: Cathie James
“I’m not trying to make any kind of statement in my hiring, but I have found in this business, that for this kind of television, on the story side of it, I think women just have a greater affinity for shaping this material. We are dealing with real people and a lot of our job is just listening to them and getting them to tell us, in the most honest and compelling way, their stories. I hate to generalize but that is just something that female culture is more in tune to. We are listeners. I’ve found that sometimes when I’ve put men in those roles they just aren’t as interested in the material.” Continue reading. 

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Featured, Masterchef Canada

Set visit: MasterChef Canada cooks up Season 3

A cardinal rule in a reality is never, ever come off as cocky or over-confident in front of someone who is judging you. Two MasterChef Canada contestants learned the hard way when they received a dressing down from Michael Bonacini, Alvin Leung and Claudio Aprile during the first day of production on Season 3.

CTV’s culinary competition—set to return in early 2016—started rolling on two months of production with plenty of drama. Myself, along with longtime film and television critic Chris Jancelewicz, spent several hours in the series’ super-secret set hidden just west of Toronto and it was a pretty impressive sight. One corner of the expansive building is devoted to shelves piled with pots and pans, another area is set up for confessional one-on-ones and a conga line of fridges are labelled with daily ingredients. Once a warehouse, Proper Television transformed it, putting in the water, power and gas lines needed to create stations for each of the finalists to prepare their dishes for judging.

Bell Media

It’s one thing to watch the finished product on television; it’s quite another to witness the raw emotion in-person. One after another, competitors hoping to move past the auction round had an hour to prep their signature dish in front of their fellow contestants and show producers before rolling their cart in front of the judges for a final five minutes of finishing touches and plating. Devoid of a music track, those minutes with Claudio, Alvin and Michael were a study in stress. Peppered by the trio’s questions about who they were and what the heck they were doing, sweat beaded on foreheads and stammering began. I squirmed as the chefs stepped forward for tasting, delivered their remarks and abruptly turned their backs on the contestants and walking away. Claudio was especially good at this; he’s developed quite the withering stare for Season 3.

Were aprons awarded while I watched? Yes, though fewer than I imagined. I can’t tell you who advanced and who didn’t yet, but I can say that Season 3 of MasterChef Canada promises to be the most challenging yet.

MasterChef Canada returns in 2016 on CTV.

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Featured, Masterchef Canada

MasterChef Canada winner David Jorge cooks up his next move

David Jorge may have won the MasterChef Canada title, trophy and $100,000 windfall, but his two sons, JJ and Nuno, didn’t do too badly either for keeping Dad’s win a secret for months.

“My children did an amazing job,” the Surrey B.C. native said the day after he beat out Line Pelletier for the culinary win. “Even their kindergarten teacher complimented them on keeping the secret. The deal was that if they kept it quiet we’d take them to Disneyland. So we’re doing that.”

Many thought Season 2 of the reality competition was Jorge’s to lose. After all, despite one or two minor flubs along the way he’d been near or at the top of the pack, winning Mystery Box Challenges and keeping himself up in the gallery—and safe—from elimination. His domination was pre-planned in advance back home before Jorge flew east to compete, though he did have to tweak his season finale three-course meal a little bit and swap in the tomato appetizer because fellow competitor Cody Karey made a similar pasta plate earlier on.

Not only did Jorge win consistently, but he was a good guy about it. The result? Rather than turn on him and try to take him out, the MasterChef Canada finalists could only cheer him on from the sidelines. Jorge admits that wasn’t part of his plan, but who he is.

“Unfortunately, or fortunately, I’m one of those people who wants to be everybody’s friend,” Jorge said with a laugh. “I didn’t get to cook in the first episode, so I made a huge meal for everyone. I bought a lamb and roasted that—I tried to do it in an hour—so by the time they had settled in I had this huge meal ready for them. When you feed somebody, they become immediate friends.”

Jorge may have won a crucial $100,000 to put towards a restaurant in Surrey or Vancouver, but he’s not rushing anything yet. The concrete business is still putting bread on the table for his family, so there are no plans to quit that in the near future. Jorge’s immediate plot? Seek out investors to help get his eatery off the ground.

“I’ve been waiting for this news to come out before I started to talk to anyone about partnerships,” he said. “I’m hoping to do something within the next year, but I don’t want to jump into anything just because.”

Season 3 of MasterChef Canada is casting now. Head to the show’s website for details on how to apply.

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Featured, Masterchef Canada

Review: And the MasterChef Canada winner is …

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After weeks of competition, countless dishes, tough challenges and buckets of tears, MasterChef Canada crowned a Season 2 winner: concrete worker David Jorge edged out Line Pelletier to take the title, trophy and $100,000 grand prize.

“I am the best home cook in Canada and no one can take that away from me,” David said moments after he was named winner, sharing the good news (and more than a few tears) with his wife, mother and two sons. He plans to use his windfall to start his own restaurant.

Master_David

“I’m not going to give up because there is always another road to the finish line,” Line said after her close defeat. The finale was incredibly tight and I have to admit it did look like Line was going to snag the crown. Not only do cooking competitions tend to reward competitors who evolve week to week like she did, but her underdog story certainly made her one of the show’s sweethearts.

But nothing could stop David, whose culinary skills led him to numerous weekly wins and a spot at the top of the show almost every week.

In an interesting twist to what the pair did week to week, David opted for more rustic adaptations for his appetizer, main and dessert while Line went more high-class, proving she could compete with her counterpart. David’s early gaffe, leaving membrane on his sweetbreads, was erased by a stellar pork and seafood entree and layered lemon dessert. Line started off strong with a surf and turf app followed by an elk and potato main that landed a little left of the mark with judges Claudio Aprile, Alvin Leung and Michael Bonacini. I thought her dessert of a cheese plate was a little simplistic, though its multiple ingredients wowed the judging trio.

Unlike some cooking shows where one or more undeserving competitors squeak into the finale, I was pleased David and Line made it. Both definitely earned the right to be there and came off as giving, caring people who were respected by their fellow competitors.

Notes and quotes

  • Guys, is the making a heart with your fingers still a thing?
  • I really wish the editing for this episode had allowed us to see Line make those cool curled crackers for her appetizer.
  • When Claudio is freaking out over time, like he was with David during the dessert round, you know you’re in trouble.

What did you think of this season of MasterChef Canada? Comment below or on Twitter via @tv_eh.

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