Two of the three young chefs in Georgia moved on to the next round and are in the top 10 in the fifth season of "MasterChef Junior" on Fox, airing on Thursday evenings. They are among 40 talented kids between ages 8 and 13 who were selected from a nationwide search for the best junior home cooks across the country.
But there may be a twist.
Jasmine Stewart, 12, of Milton, was eliminated Thursday night. Justise Mayberry, 11, of Sugar Hill and Afnan Ahmad, 13, from Jonesboro won a pie-making competition to earn a spot in the top 10.
Meanwhile, Jasmine's Smore cupcake with a 7-minute frosting fell short and she was one of two contestants let go. But the show hinted at the very end of the episode when showing previews to the next episode that judges may bring back a small group of contestants to give them another shot. Will Jasmine, who consistently impressed the judges, be one of those contestants? Tune in Thursday from 8-9 p.m. on Fox to find out.
On Thursday, judges praised Jasmine’s cupcake but said she spent too much time on getting cupcake just right, and too little time using the blowtorch (which was a key part of the cooking challenge). Jasmine also slipped and fell, and her plate fell on the floor. But she maintained an upbeat attitude.
“I fell, broke a plate . . .still got up and finished the dish. I am proud of myself for hanging in there and never giving up.”
The culinary competition features a series of delicious challenges — from steak to scallops to cupcakes. They also cook a meal for more than 40 first responders. This season also includes the first-ever vegan challenge. Surprise guests and diners also include renowned chef Wolfgang Puck and the Muppets. The young chefs also got a huge surprise when former First Lady Michelle Obama was featured as a special guest on a recent episodes. The top junior home cooks received a mystery box challenge inspired by the White House garden.
On Thursday night, celebrity guest was Richard Blais,arguably the most successful "Top Chef" alum out of Atlanta, Blais was the third runner up on Season 4 in Chicago and the winner of All-Stars Season 8. (The owner of two Flip Burger Boutique locations (one in Virginia Highland was previously the HD1 hot dog spot), Blais now lives in southern California.
The host is Gordon Ramsay, British star chef of "Hell's Kitchen." He is joined by renowned pastry chef Christina Tosi. Together, these food experts coach and encourage the hopefuls to cook like pros and teach them the tricks of the trade along the way. One of the young chefs will be named the country's newest MasterChef Junior and will take home a trophy — and a $100,000 grand prize.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution recently interviewed local contestants about their love of cooking and about being on the show, which was filmed in Los Angeles. They were not allowed to discuss the results.
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