All language subtitles for MasterChef.US.S02E02.720p.HDTV.x264-DIMENSION.HI

Previously on
MasterChef...

(Narrator) Thousands lined up
from around America,

for the chance to compete.

I'm gonna be
the next MasterChef.

I am the next MasterChef.

MasterChef,
here I come.

One hundred were chosen
to present their signature

dishes to the MasterChef judges.

Gordon Ramsay ate Sushi
off of me.

Some tasted success.

All right.
Yes.

Ahhh!

Others went down in flames.

I'm willing to learn.

Sorry, that's a no.

But the judges came
to one conclusion.

We've given out
quite a few aprons

and we don't do that lightly.

The standard is there.

(Narrator) Tonight, even more
home cooks, step up to the plate.

Prepare to be taken down
by your mama.

In a bid to win an apron...

I have to fight.

And take their first step

on the road to becoming

America's next MasterChef.

MasterChef 02x02
Auditions #2
Original Air Date on June 7, 2011

== sync, corrected by elderman ==

It's the beginning of day 2 and the
judges are hungry for perfect dishes.

Anticipation is in the air as
the first batch of home cooks

create the dishes that could
change their lives forever.

First up, a pool boy
is about to dive in

and put his own twist
on a British classic.

So I'm doing an
English-style sausage roll

with a Italian twist on it.

My names Dustin,
I live in Orlando, Florida

and I'm a pool technician.

I really like my job.
It's really mello,

laid back you know. Do what
I wanna do really.

Cooking has always been
one of my passions.

I love cooking Italian food.

I have
the Italian background.

What you
got going here, son?

My mom introduced me
to cooking.

And now she got diagnosed
with breast cancer.

So everything
my mom's been through--

I mean, really, it's...

You know, she's really--
like, I look up to her.

I mean, she's
been through a lot.

And she raised four boys,
counting my dad, you know.

So she's
a strong Italian woman.

But she's the one who
brought me into the kitchen,

so I would love to win
MasterChef for her.

(Narrator)
What Dustin doesn't know

is his mom has secretly
flown in from Florida

to support him.

Heh!
[Giggles]

Wha--
[Cheers and applause]

Ha-ha!
Seriously?

Seriously!

And right now she's going
through some tough times

with, you know,
breast cancer and stuff,

and you know,
it's just amazing

that she just
found time to fly out here

you know, just for
her baby boy, you know?

I was so excited

that I could be out here
to do this.

I'm so excited.

[Cheers and applause]

(Narrator)
After their one hour
in the prep kitchen,

each home cook is
then given five minutes

to complete their dish
in front of the judges.

If two judges think
a home cook has what it takes,

they'll be awarded
a MasterChef apron

and move to the next
round of the competition.

How you guys doing?
How are you?

Good.
First name is?

My name's Dustin.
Good, what are you cooking?

So I'm doing a traditional
English-style sausage roll

with an Italian twist on it.
Wow, hold on a minute.

Sausage roll?
Yeah, a sausage roll.

Here?
Yeah.

Well, I figure--
I figured English, Italian.

Try to, you know, kill
two birds with one stone.

I'm [bleep] Scottish.

Ah...
[Laughing]

That's worse.
I love sausage rolls.

Look how excited
this guy is.

I love them,
what's your twist?

Well, instead of
using the banger sausage,

I used
a spicy Italian sausage.

And then I also made
a little creamy marinara

to go on the plate.
Kinda spicy and sweet.

In England, it comes in
a paper bag, the sausage roll.

Look at you.
What have you wrapped it in?

It's actually just
puff pastry.

I just hope
you guys like it.

[Scratching noise]
Listen to that noise.

Would this be, like,
a main course or a hot dog?

I mean, what do you--
hot dog?

Don't insult
the [bleep] sausage roll.

Hot dog? No.
Look at that thing.

What's that?
A little parmesan cheese.

Oh, God.
What's that now?

What's the second...
Add a little parsley.

Trust me, look at--
wait, I'm not done.

I'm not done here.
What's that?

Little basil Pesto
just for show.

Just for show.

You're putting Pesto
on a sausage roll?

Not on it.
Around it.

I've gotta go first,
I'm sorry.

The sauce,
what's in there?

Just marinara, cream,
a little bit of garlic, pepper.

[Chuckles]

Oh, chef, how about
some for the rest of us?

[Chuckles]

Oh.

Stop him.
[Chuckles]

That...

Was [bleep] delicious.

Thank you so much.
Thank you.

Thank you.
I appreciate that.

Amazing, sorry.
[Chuckles]

That was amazing.

Do you got any left over here?
Some--any end pieces?

All right.
[Sighs]

It really is yummy.

I'm psyched.
Thank you very much.

Now, if I didn't know
any better,

I would accuse you
of pandering to the judge,

but obviously it
worked, so.

You're playing
to his childhood memory?

Can I eat this with my hands?
Is this, like, a...?

Hey, eat it however
you wanna eat it.

[Chuckles]

I don't know, I never even
heard of a sausage roll

until about
five minutes ago, so...

It goes hand in glove.

Pint of beer,
sausage roll.

Yes or no?

Uh, yes.

Graham, yes or no?
Yes.

Come here.
That's it, you've got it.

That was delicious.
Really good, indeed.

Thank you very much.
Well done.

Yes, Dustin!
I knew it!

(Narrator)
So the very first
home cook of the day

wins an apron.
I knew it!

A sausage roll.
I feel full now.

[Cheers and applause]
[Yelling indistinctly]

(Narrator)
But can the next in line...
[Bleep]

(Narrator)
Roll through just as easily?

I'm making
a honey apple-smoked risotto

with an egg yolk.
I'm slightly worried

the fact that
it's not even moving.

It's lacking flavor.
Oh!

I think we got a fumble here.
It's a no.

No.
No.

No.
No.

We went
all over the country,

and you're
one of the 100 people

that made it to California.

[Laughing]

Hello?
(Narrator)
Next...

Does a single mom
from Sopchoppy, Florida

have the stomach
for this competition?

The wine
is for my nerves.

It's my secret weapon.

My name
is Christine Corley,

and I live in Florida,

and I'm a single mom.

[Squealing, laughing]

Most people
don't wanna go home and cook.

But that's all
I really wanna do.

It's like
a stress reliever.

My dad's a great cook.
This is my dad,

who's cleaning a squirrel.

So for
all the redneck cooking,

I'll go to my dad
for advice.

But my style of cooking
is modern.

Winning would mean

knowing that I could
provide a great future

for me and my son.

[Cheers and applause]

I think I have what it takes
to be the next Master Chef.

Hey.
[Giggles]

I had to have a drink
on the way here, so...

Hey.

Hi.
Hi.

Hi, I'm Christine.

Great,
what are you cooking?

I'm cooking soft-shell crab.
Nice.

Creamy polenta,
and some coleslaw.

Okay.
I'm a little fruitcake,
so...

Okay.
Yeah.

I'm from Sopchoppy.
I'm a single mom, recently.

Okay.
Sorry to hear that.

That's all right,
he was a [bleep].

[Chuckles]
They always are.

They always are,
that's right.

[Sizzling sounds]

Aw, man.
Well, you don't get that one.

You get this one.

Let us know
when you're ready--

I'm ready.
For us to taste.

Let's go.

Okay, Christine,
I'm first.

Polenta is instant?

No, sir.

Gonna steal the claw.
Don't tell him I did that.

Oh, bad boy.
Mm-hmm.

Put that claw back down.
[Chuckles]

Christine.
Yes, sir?

Love the confidence.
Thanks.

What kind of food
did you grow up with?

Crap.
Crap, as in...?

Like, [bleep].
Oh, [bleep], right.

I grew up very poor,
so it's like fried chicken

and S.O.S.--
Which is [bleep] on a shingle.

It's like toast,
and then we put ground beef,

and then we put
some white gravy on it.

Both: [Chuckles]

Okay.

Joe, yes or no?

I think that everything
together on that plate

might make
a good sandwich.

But as a MasterChef dish...

I'm gonna have
to say no.

All right, Graham,
yes or no?

[Clears throat]

I think there
are few things in the world

that are as sensuous as
a soft-shell crab...

And I thought
you did it justice.

Oh.
- And I loved the slaw, too.

Not a fan of the polenta,
but I'm giving it a yes.

Thank you.

Um...
Soft-shell crab...Polenta,

definitely not.
Doesn't work at all.

You seem to have a...

a connection with food.

Yeah.
And you were sort of

almost dealt
a dysfunctional card

growing up on the crap that
you just explained that you ate.

I loved the slaw.
Thank you.

But I think what you've
done to the soft-shell crab...

Um...

Let us know
when you're ready--

I'm ready.
For us to taste.

Let's go.
(Narrator)
So far,

Christine,
a single mom from Florida,

got a no from Joe,
and a yes from Graham.

Her fate now lies in
Gordon's hands.

I love the slaw.
Thank you.

But I think what you've
done to the soft-shell crab...

Um...

was phenomenal.

Congratulations.

For me it's a yes.

[Laughing]

Put this on with pride.

[Crying, giggles]

And get out there.

Well done.
Good job.

Mm-hmm.

[Cheers and applause]

Just wanted to
make everybody proud.

I knew something
would happen one day.

I just needed a break.

(Narrator)
While Christine toasts
her victory,

[upbeat reggae music plays]

The next home cook
is ready to celebrate

before he's even begun.

How are you?
Whoo!

[Claps]
Fireworks!

[Clicking noise]
I'm ready!

Ready you're not,
crazy you are.

A little bit.

What are you cooking
for us today?

Today I have
a bacon strawberry

with a garlic
horseradish lebony

and a orange-blueberry
vodka reduction.

All right,
what were you smoking

when you put
that dish together?

Joe, would you like
to go first?

(Joe)
Sure.

It's kinda like
bacon bits.

Look at that.
Come on.

Sadly, the dish
leaves me filled with dread.

You're not
only outside the box,

you're on the [bleep] Moon.
Ugh!

No!
[Chuckles]

Definitely not.
Thank you.

Aw...
[Applause]

[Clicking noise]

(Narrator)
Jason's chance
to impress the judges

didn't quite end with
the bang he'd hoped for.

Yeah,
tell you, that's good.

(Narrator)
Can this next group

of home cooks do any better?

[Speaking broken French]

Why are you speaking French
when you're not even French?

I know
that you speak French,

and just to say hello.

I cooked to you

white chocolate brownie
surprise today.

I'm just gonna try these
and make sure they're good.

Next.
I'm not even gonna eat this,

because I think
it's conceptually wrong,

it's executed poorly,
it smells bad.

What have you done
to the COD?

I baked it.
For how long?

Three weeks?

It sat there and just
went to [bleep] sitting there.

Yeah, it's like you
[bleep] on it.

Yeah.

Disgusting.

This is something
that people like me to make.

Are they still alive?

You did it two ways,

we hate it three ways.

No, no, no, no, no.

Thank you.

(Narrator)
The day's already half over.

But so far, only two
home cooks have earned aprons.

Joe turns up the heat.

This dish
that you present,

it's a reflection
of what you think of us.

So if you put down
something that's

overcooked, underseasoned,
overseasoned,

you're saying that
we don't really give a damn

about what's going on here.

This is
an opportunity for you.

Don't waste your time,
don't waste our time.

Understood?

Okay, now
let's see some good dishes.

(Narrator)
So no pressure
on the next in line.

I'm a bit of a mess.

My name is Derrick,
and I'm in a death metal band.

I make my living
sitting in front of a computer

all day building websites.

A little piece of me dies
when I think about that.

So to see
my passion of cooking...

That's it.

[Cheers and applause]

How are you?

Good, chef, how are you?
Very well, indeed.

Thanks, buddy.
What are you cooking?

I have homemade chorizo
on a potato sopa

with some
fire-roasted salsa.

So you made
the sausage at home?

No, no, no,
I made it here.

It's a blend of pork belly
and pork rib meat.

Do you have a passion
for making sausage?

Oh, everything I
can do myself is what I do.

Like, I make my own bread.

You know, I haven't
bought pasta in two years.

What's in the bowl?

This is
fire-roasted salsa.

I roasted tomatoes and
poblanos under the broiler.

I threw them in the
food processor with some lime.

Now we are ready to taste.

Okay, brave move,
homemade chorizo.

I mean, very brave.

Is that you at your best
on a plate?

Yeah, it's-it's--
I feel like it is.

I'm just really thrilled

that you guys are
even just tasting this.

Love the energy.

You've got
a big pair of [bleep]

to come in here and make
a chorizo sausage

in under 60 minutes.

Did it work?

Yes, it did.
[Sighs]

I'm in. Delicious.
Thank you, Chef.

I had no idea where
you were going with that dish.

It's not something
that sounds

particularly intriguing
to me.

When I tasted it,

it was...

Amazing.

Just frying the sopa--

the fry technique on that
was so perfect.

It was crispy,
it wasn't greasy,

it was light,
it wasn't damp.

You nailed it.
Really great, top to bottom.

Congratulations.
I'm a big yes for you.

Thank you, chef.
Graham?

You're what this
competition's all about.

Ha-ha!
Come here.

Thank you.
Thank you, chef.

Awesome.
Good stuff.

Good stuff.
Thank you.

For me...
Thank you for everything.

One to watch.
You are the one.

[Cheers and applause]

I've never even seen
a dish that looks like this.

But it tastes amazing.

This guy really
knows what he's doing.

[Cheers and applause]
Baby, I told you!

To cook for
three culinary geniuses--

that was pretty bad ass.

(Narrator)
Coming up...

A lawyer pleads her case.

If there's any chance
for me to fight for this,

I have to fight.

It's not court of law.
Please.

(Narrator)
And the competition
gets out of control.

Pieces of [bleep].

Security.
[Loud bang]

Well done.

(Narrator) So far tonight

just three home cooks
have been awarded an apron

and taken their place

in the next stage
of the competition.

Up next is Bob Rafferty
from Massachusetts.

[Tractor humming]

Farmer Bob believes
his organic ingredients

will sow the seeds
of MasterChef success.

What I love
about farming is that

I can take
the pick of the crop.

That if I wanna make
an eggplant parmesan,

that I can go pick
the perfect eggplant.

You're looking at
America's next Master Chef.

First name is?
My name is Bob.

I'm from
Lowell, Massachusetts.

I'm an organic farmer.

Animal farming?
Vegetables.

But I also do work
with another poultry farmer

in order to get
the composted manure,

to stay organic on my farm.
What are you cooking?

What I'm doing
is what I like to call

a reverse surf & turf.

So the protein is actually
the tuna in this one,

and then I have
the coconut chicken medallions

with the Chinese five spice.

What happened to the pepper?
Did someone slice it?

It looks like a crown.

Uh, yes, I
carved out the top of it,

to make a dipping cup
out of it.

Okay, creative, Bob.
Wow.

You talk passionately
about organic farming,

yet we have no ingredients
from the farm,

and you've got Ahi tuna
from the pacific.

Right.
I'm a little bit confused.

I did not bring
anything from my farm.

There you are, gentlemen.

Are we ready to taste?

Be my guests.

Well, the tuna,

I wanna slice through there.
Okay.

And it's seared, it's gonna
be pink, chilled, stone cold?

What am I looking for
in there?

There should be
some rareness in the middle.

It is rare.

[Sighs]
Bob.

Bob, Bob, Bob, Bob, Bob.

All right, Bob.

Joe, yes or no?

Um, I don't think it's

kind of at the level
we're looking at,

so I'm gonna say no.
Graham.

I don't question
your integrity,

but I do question
your cooking skills.

I'm a no.
[Sighs]

There's no charm
in your food.

Farmer Bob, I'm sorry,
e-I-e-I-no.

I probably
should've just stayed

with New England style
comfort cooking.

Which I didn't.
I tried.

[Cheers and applause]
I tried.

(Narrator)
But unlike farmer Bob,

not everyone can
dish it out and take it.

How we doing today,
gentlemen?

Good.
What are you cooking, big boy?

Today we are
going to be cooking

something
called redneck Sushi.

Redneck Sushi?
Redneck Sushi, yeah.

So it's a blend
of Sushi and barbecue.

First time
I've ever heard of that.

What's the secret of it?
The barbecue sauce
that I make,

it's a white
barbecue sauce.

A white--
a white barbecue sauce.

It's basically
just a mayonnaise base.

What is the actual meat?

What cut, what animal?
It's a chicken breast.

Is it braised?

Normally what I do is
I do a beer butt chicken.

I spice rub it,
put the beer inside of it

to make sure it's
really nice and moist.

I've never had chicken
in a Sushi.

It's ready for
you gentlemen to eat.

[Coughs]

[Bleep]
You call that Sushi?

Yeah, absolutely.
I can call that Sushi.

It-it's clearly a no,
I'm sorry.

It works for me,
so I think it's a yes.

For me, it's a no.

Pieces of [bleep].

Those guys
are so full of [bleep].

They don't even know
what the [bleep] They're doing.

[Banging thud]

That guy's gonna come back
and kick your ass, man.

Security!

(Narrator)
The next home cook

has put everything
on the line

in an attempt
to achieve her dream.

[Giggles]
My name is Esther.

I live in L.A.,
I'm 28 years old,

and I'm an attorney.

I was good at it, but
I recently quit my law firm job.

Ah.
Ah.

So I could pursue food.

So now my world
is the culinary world.

I feel like as much as
it was a big risk for me,

my husband has given me
the opportunity to do this

so I wanna do well for him.

[Cheers and applause]
And I'm gonna bring it.

I'm gonna bring it like
no one else has brought it.

I'm gonna kill it.
I'm gonna stomp on it.

[Laughing]

I'm coming.

Hi.
How are you?

Well, thank you.
How are you?

I'm doing all right.

Uh, right,
what are you cooking?

I am cooking a Korean
spicy braised COD with daikon,

two ways.
Great.

And what's your day job?
What do you do for a living?

I'm an attorney.
Okay.

And actually, I was at
a big law firm until last year

when I quit my job
because I realized that

no matter how high
I get as an attorney,

it's not gonna fulfill me.

I'm a little
bit puzzled the fact

that you've given up
a high-powered job.

After a couple years,
I'm like, "okay,

what does my soul say?"

Your soul says
something is wrong,

and you have to
find out what it is.

And that's what it was.

Yeah.
I have to go into business.

My soul tells me you've
got 15 seconds left...

Okay.
To get it on a plate.

Otherwise, we'll
be tasting fresh air.

Happy?
Yes.

Right, how do you
rate your food out of ten?

What would you give yourself?
Marking?

It would be a nine.
Mm-hmm.

A nine?

The daikon's actually
meant to be eaten with the rice.

You asking me or
telling me?

I'm--

mmm.
Daikon, fine, pleasant.

So there's
something missing there.

In the bottom, there's supposed
to be a pool of sauce

that is hot.
You forgot the sauce?

That's what
I planned to do, and...

I'll make
smarter mistakes.

All right.

A little more acid
would've given it a kick

to really set off
the richness of the fish.

What do you think, chef?

For me, the sad news
is that it actually...

Looks better than
it tastes.

In there, you might
see something missing,

but I hope you
see something in me.

You're not gonna
sit there and preach to me...

Mm-hmm?
That that is perfection.

For me, it's a no.

Oh.

I can feel the determination
in the room.

This means so
incredibly much to me.

I believe that...

I wanna see more
of what you can do,

so I'm gonna
give you a yes.

Joe, please.

Is there anything
I can say?

I don't think you need
to plead your case anymore.

Okay.
It's not court of law.

We're looking for
America's master chef.

If there is any chance
for me to fight for this,

I have to fight.

It's certainly not
a restaurant quality dish.

Joe, please, I wou--
there's some mistakes

in the execution.

The whole thing is,
at the end of the day,

it's not that impressive.
Please.

For me, it's a no.
Oh.

(Narrator)
28-year-old Esther gave up

her career as an attorney

to pursue
her love of cooking.

I'm gonna give you a yes.

(Narrator)
Could it be the biggest
mistake of her life?

If there is any chance
for me to fight for this,

I have to fight.

Joe, please.

At the end of the day,
it's not that impressive.

Please.

But...

You are impressive,
and I'm gonna say yes.

Because I think that
I see something in you

that I wanna see more of.

Don't let me down.

Thank you.

Oh.

[Cheers and applause]

I'm grateful, but...
I have a lot more to do.

I'm ready to fight.

You're guilty.

We'll see what happens.

(Narrator)
Esther successfully
pleaded for her apron...

But can the next in line
engineer his success

with a very different
approach?

Go, Alvin!
I'm Alvin.

I'm 28 years old,
from Houston, Texas.

America's never seen
a Master Chef like me.

I've got over there
a homemade immersion circulator,

and what I'm doing with that
is creating an egg

with a uniform texture
all the way through.

[Bubbling noise]
Molecular gastronomy

is a fancy word for saying
science in the kitchen.

We take common foods

and mix them with
slightly uncommon ingredients.

We can alter the textures,
alter the format of food

and really create surprising
elements to put on a plate.

You're the best, Alvin.
[Chuckles]

[Cheers and applause]

What is
on that trolley?

Well, I have a homemade
immersion circulator here.

It has held the water bath
at 63.2 degrees celsius

in which
I've cooked an egg,

which is really
the star of my plate.

Loco moco,
the Hawaiian classic.

A braised beef short rib,

short grain sticky rice
in a wonton shell,

and then top it off
with the 63-degree egg.

Is that it?
This is it.

So...Wow.

Judging the egg,
it should just flow and melt.

Knife in.

Is that what you wanted?
Yeah.

It's pretty close.

Some short rib action.

That egg kinda
breaks into the rice.

Yes.

I wish I had
two mouths to eat this.

Thank you so much, Chef.

Graham, yes or no?

I'm a yes.

Thank you, Chef.
Joe, yes or no?

Yes.
Definitely yes.

You have
three big yeses.

Thank you, chefs! Oh!
Congratulations.

Yeah!
Get that on.

Thank you so much.
Well-deserved.

You are a freak genius.

You can't be that creative
and not work in the industry,

let me tell you.
Get out of here.

All right.
Well done.

[Cheers and applause]

This apron means that
I will be the next Master Chef.

Game on.

(Narrator)
For the next two home cooks,

MasterChef has become
a family affair.

You could put
anyone here next to me,

and I just
can't really fathom

the whole that's
my mom right there.

I'm competing
against my son,

but I think I've had
a couple of years on him.

So I think
he better watch out.

I wish her
the best of luck

and that they'll be
no hard feelings

if she goes home early.

[Cheers and applause]

Prepare to be
taken down by your mama.

[Applause]

Hello.

Hello.
Good afternoon.

Howdy.
First name is?

Denise.
Denise.

And who are you with?
My son,

who's competing
against me today.

He's what?
Oh.

He's competing against me.
Wow.

Family feud.
Yes.

So our big question is
are you better

than your mother?

Yes.
Ooh.

I know I can cook better,
I just--

you throw your mom
under the bus pretty easily.

I'm not throwing
my mom under the bus!

Is he competitive?
Very.

I'm not being mean
to my mom, but...

He's being honest.
I'm being very honest.

I mean, I love my son,

but this is
like one against one.

Okay, let's put it this way,
who's the better cook?

I am the better cook.

I mean, she can pretend

and have all these
dreams of being better,

but I know
I can cook better.

If you get through
and he doesn't...?

So sad.

Right.
[Chuckles]

Who does it mean
most to?

He's ambitious, a lot
younger than you, clearly,

but, for you?

I-I've always
been someone's daughter,

someone's wife,
someone's mom,

someone's something.

And I like to
do this for myself.

And what are you cooking?

I'm cooking
hot and spicy green beans

with sausage.
Great.

What are you cooking?

I made chicken paprikash,
sauteed spaetzle.

Brilliant.

Done?
Yes.

Thank you.

All right.

Green beans.
Yes.

Hot and spicy green beans
with sausage.

Ready.
Sir.

Last time I had this
paprikash was in London.

The most amazing
Hungarian restaurant there.

It's got that warmth.

It should deliver
that sort of richness,

that blend of the heat.

So this meat should
just fall off the bone

without having to
pry it off.

I don't know.
Maybe not in my restaurant.

Okay.

The secret of a good spaetzle
is that lightness.

Perfect.

The flavors,
there's some good spice.

The sesame seeds I think had
a nice toothsomeness.

What kind of mushrooms
are these?

Those are baby bellas.

Rich.

Mmm.

Tastes nice.

Beans are
slightly overcooked.

Minced pork is tasty.

Soy, ginger, garlic,
sesame seeds--nice.

But it's half a dish.

Your biggest competitor
in this competition...

Is yourself...

For not letting go.

(Narrator)
The first mother and son
to compete

in MasterChef history

are putting their food and
their relationship on the line.

All right,
who's the better cook?

I know I can cook better.
I am a better cook.

(Narrator)
Now it's time to find out

whether Denise's
spicy green bean dish

or Kyle's
chicken paprikash

is good enough to
win an apron.

Joe, yes or no?

It's not a dish,

and it doesn't really say
anything about her

or the competition.

And it's just
completely irrelevant.

The sausage is
delicious.

I'm no.
You're no.

Graham, yes or no?

Just as a side dish

versus everything
that we've seen

and all the competition
that's here,

I'm a no.

And I'm saying...

That is not MasterChef.

Thank you.

Thank you.

All right, Joe.

Yes or no, please.

Call it
chicken cacciatore,

call it paprikash,
whatever you wanna call it.

I think it's kind of fatty,
lacking in acid

and a little bit
pedestrian.

I-I-I say no.

I completely disagree.
I think it's very rustic,

and it has some soul behind it,
and it's yummy.

So I'm gonna be a yes.

For me,
that's a ballsy dish.

Right.
To put forward.

Mm-hmm.
Not just in MasterChef,

but to compete
against your mother.

Mm-hmm.

For me...

I wanna see more.
It's a yes.

Congratulations.
Thank you.

If I was you,
I'd keep this rolled up,

because I don't think
your mom's gonna be very happy.

Thank you very much.
Well done.

Thank you.

[Cheers and applause]

Hopefully, the next time
I see my mom

is when they open
the doors at the finale.

That's right,
put it on, yeah.

[Cheers and applause]

(Narrator)
Next through those doors,

a midwestern truck driver

is about to go down
a very different road.

[Rooster crowing]

My name is Tony,
I'm a 51-year-old truck driver,

and cooking is
an addiction for me.

Oh, wow,
those are dry rubbed good.

Around my town,
I'm pretty much known

as the barbecue guy.
Oh, yeah, perfect.

Being a chef has been
my dream for some time.

I've always wanted to go
to a culinary arts program.

But I've raised
a family all my life,

I worked in the steel industry
for 20-something years.

See you, guys.
[Cheers and applause]

This is absolutely my time.

It's taken quite a while,
but everything I've done

throughout
the whole course of my life

is leading up to
what's happening right now.

Hello, gentlemen.
How are you?

How are you doing?
Wonderful, thank you.

Good.
Your first name is?

My first name is Tony.
Tony, good to see you, buddy.

I see you're
working very methodically

and not scrambling,
not panicking.

When I'm in
the kitchen is where

I have
my most confidence,

and it actually
is one of the things

that I enjoy the most.

What are you
making for us today?

I've got
a pan-seared mahi mahi,

over a bed of
paella-style rice,

with a mango salsa.
Wow.

Sounds intriguing.

Gentlemen,
I present you my dish.

Graham, off you go.
All right.

So with mahi,
there's always

a chance to overcook it,
you know.

'Cause there's
just not a lot of fat.

Right.
You know, and so it

should be...
Nice, have some slight little

opaqueness
going through it.

So let's kinda go
right here.

That looks...

Pretty perfect.

Good job.
Thank you.

You know,
I think you could've gone

a little more lime
and a little bit of salt.

I think that really
would've brought it out.

Thank you very much.
Thanks, Tony.

How you doing, Tony?

I'm doing wonderful,
thanks for asking.

Where do you go with this?
Where does this take you?

My vision is
to own my own restaurant.

I wanna bring some
culture food to my small town.

It's a meat and potatoes
community.

The only fish that
they experience in our town

is the fried fish at
the legion on Saturday night.

Mmm.

That fish
is cooked perfectly.

Unfortunately, the rice

should be 100 miles away
from that fish.

Damn!

Joe, yes or no?

I'm 100% yes.
Mm-hmm.

Good dish, congratulations.
Thank you.

Graham, yes or no?

I second that notion, yes.

Thank you.
And for me,

it's three big yeses.
Congratulations, well done.

Both: Good job.
Thank you.

Put this on.
Looking forward to see

what else you
got to bring us, bro.

That was good.
Thank you.

Well done.
Thank you so much.

Well done, congratulations.
Thank you.

Thank you very much.

[Cheers and applause]

Would've said yes
on the fish alone.

Look at that.

Delicious.
Yep.

My destiny
is coming to fruition.

It's happening.
I made it.

[Cheers and applause]

(Narrator)
Up next,

is the final
home cook of the day...

I purposely added
that much spices.

(Narrator)
Just too hot to handle?

Breathe.

Congratulations.

(Narrator)
As the sun sets on day two...

A flurry of home cooks
bag aprons.

[Cheers and applause]

Almost done.

(Narrator)
But can the last contender

finish the day on a high

with a Dash...
Whoo!

(Narrator)
Of Latin flare?
So hot.

I'm Alejandra, I live
in Playa del Rey, California,

and I'm an architect
and an urban planner.

Still have a minute.

Growing up in Venezuela,
I was in the kitchen with my mom

since I was
a very young girl.

Very excited.

It's been a big part
of my life.

All right.

I definitely have what it takes.
To be the next Master Chef.

Hello.
Hi.

How are you?
I'm doing great, thank you.

Good, and
what are you cooking?

I'm making up--
well, my interpretation

of a Peruvian dish called
camarones salteados

which is a shrimp sauteed.

What's
your full-time job?

I'm an architect,
so I'm college educated.

I have a masters
in urban planning.

I actually lost my job
at the beginning of 2009.

20 seconds left.
Okay.

Okay.
Done.

That's it?
You're happy with that?

Hopefully the flavor
will show you my skill.

Okay...

Right.
You work in architecture.

Well, not anymore.

It's been two years of
a lot of financial struggle.

But I have $150,000
worth of student loans.

But I didn't know the market
would crash the way it did

and that
I would lose my job

and not be able to produce
and provide for myself.

So being here means
a lot to me.

Breathe.

Okay.

Sorry, I'll stop.

[Sighs]

How'd you cook the shrimp?

I brined it,
I marinated it quickly.

Visually, the shrimps
looked overcooked,

but you've--you were
very smart by brining them.

And they actually
taste delicious.

Thank you.
Mm.

To me, what really
sets everything off

is the onion.
It really works with

the sweetness of the shrimp

and, you know,
the acidity of the tomato.

It's
a really balanced dish.

What do you think about

the spice level
on a dish like this?

It's a bold dish,
but I like bold flavors.

I purposely
added that much spices

to bring
that combination out.

What's fascinating...

Is how good you are.

Yet you're
not even trained.

It's like
a missed opportunity.

It kind of like tells
your story on the plate.

I think it's really
one of the best things

we've eaten so far.

I think that
the judiciousness of spicing

is really spot-on.

One yes.
Graham, yes or no?

Two yeses.
That's all it takes.

It's never too late.
It's a definite.

Three out of three,
well done.

Congratulations,
you deserve it.

And more importantly,
it didn't cost 150 grand.

Well done.
Thank you.

[Cheers and applause]

I'm living the dream,
right this moment.

I left home to come here
to do big things,

and I'm now ready for
the next step.

She nailed it.
Yeah, she did nail it.

(Narrator)
Next time on MasterChef...

Just put your [bleep]
on the line.

(Narrator)
The audition come to a close

as America's best home cooks
fight for the final aprons.

The pressure's on.

(Narrator)
Some hopes are dashed.

You're lucky you haven't
[bleep] killed somebody.

(Narrator)
For others...

Give that to your dad.

(Narrator)
Dreams become reality.

That's why they came
to this country

was for us
to pursue our dream.

(Narrator)
And a star is born.

[Imitating Julia child]
When you take the beautiful fish

and you just sort of
dip it in the egg...

(Narrator)
As the search

for America's
next Master Chef--

oh, you know what?
[Exhales]

That's fine.
Continues.

== sync, corrected by elderman ==