Master Chef Update

So I just returned from my audtion at the open call in Cambridge, MA for Master Chef USA season 3. I had a 1:00 pm audtion pre-scheduled, thanks to my online application and a twitter trivia contest that I answered.

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When we got there, there were about 50 people in line waiting to audition. After checking in, I was told to stand in a second line for those with special audition reservations and that I would go in with the next group. As I waited, I chatted with my fiancé and tried to mentally prepare for what was to come. We were told that we would have 3 minutes to plate our dishes and then a judge would come around to taste our food.

We were allowed into the room and given a 2' x 2' space on series of tables arranged in a horseshoe pattern. I was in the third spot on the right. We were told to unpack our food, but not to begin plating until they said go. I arranged all my ingredients on the table and got ready. I was very calm right up until the lady said, "Go, you have 3 minutes to plate your food!" All of a sudden, my damn hands started shaking like I was having a seizure. I was involuntarily throwing habernero flakes all over the place, quite a dangerous proposition. I never knew three minutes could go by so fast. I realized that I was not going to have enough time to plate my entire presentation as designed, so I left out the garnish and did my best to clean up the sauce and pepper flakes that were everywhere.

Once the dish was plated, we relaxed and waited for the judges to come around and sample our offerings. There were two judges tasting the food (though each only tried half of the offerings, presumably to speed the process along). My judge was a very friendly but somewhat dry British woman. She asked me questions about my dish and commented on how spicy haberneros are. She seemed to like my food and made a good number of notes on her paper. Next I was interviewed by what I will call the "personality" judge. She spoke to me for quite a while and seemed to like my energy and ideas.

After the judges made their rounds, one of the casting agents told us to wait a few minutes. She returned about ten minutes later and said that they would like to keep some people around for more questions and that regardless of whether we stayed or left, we might get a follow-up call. So she called off ten names, including mine (!) and told us to stay. The rest of the applicants were thanked and sent on their way.

The remaining ten of us were lined up and taken to another room where we were interviewed as a group. The gentleman doing the interview was a rather nice British chap and most of the questions had to do with our backgrounds and aspirations. Then they led us through a short culinary pop quiz, after which two people were asked to stay behind (not me this time). The rest of us were taken into the hallway where another member of the casting crew thanked us once again for coming and told us that we might still be called back at a later date.

And that was pretty much it. My fiancé and I swung by my office, which is nearby to Le Cordon Bleu where the audition took place, to drop off the leftovers for my coworkers and chat a bit about the experience. So now I guess it is a "wait and see" game. I am still hopeful that I might get a call back, but if I don't, no worries. I was blown away by all the support and "Good Luck" messages that I received from friends and family. Thanks to everyone for your support. Keep you fingers crossed, there is still hope that I might get to go to L A for the official group audition.