Ben Starr

The Ultimate Food Geek

Tag: Season Two

  • MasterChef Top 9: Scallops and Pigs

    I think, by now, we’ve established the fact that I hate mystery boxes.  So you can imagine that I’m less than thrilled that it’s time for another one. We lift our boxes and I see 3 massive, gorgeous scallops, still in their shells.  “Diver’s scallops,” announces Gordon.  That means these scallops are each foraged, by…

  • MasterChef: Mothers and Benedicts

    So they drive us to Pasadena and drop us off at this MASSIVE swanky hotel, and I’m immediately afraid.  If I have to cook cuisine that matches the sophistication of this place, I’m screwed. It’s a team challenge with Tracy and Giuseppe as team leads.  I couldn’t be more conflicted about whose team I want…

  • MasterChef: Giant Lobsters and $500 Truffles

    If I’ve learned anything on MasterChef, it’s that you can be on top one day, and out the door the next.  So even though I’m coming off a pretty triumphant week, winning the catfish challenge, being a team leader, and making a 6-layer pumpkin carrot cake that Gordon Ramsay said was one of the best…

  • MasterChef: Celebrities and Cake

    Did all that just REALLY happen? Watching it felt like a blur. These were easily the two most intense and personally trying challenges I experienced on MasterChef. I’ll try to condense them into words, but I’m not sure it will work. Team leader. That’s nothing new to me. I’ve been president of this or that…

  • A MasterChef 4th of July

    Many of you have been asking about the relationship between the contestants during and after the show, and I’m happy to report that we all pretty much adore each other.  We grew VERY close during the filming and have remained extremely tight since.  Just in the past month, I’ve been to LA to visit Adrien,…

  • MasterChef: Veggies and Catfish

    The only difference between de-ja-vu and mys-te-ry-box is that one of them has 4 syllables. I am sick of mystery boxes. I hate them. My only consolation is that you can’t be eliminated on a mystery box. I lift today’s mystery box and underneath is a treasure trove of veggies. I may be a Texan…

  • MasterChef: Harleys, Sausage, and Steak

    So we get in the van and we drive and drive and drive. We pull over for a bit. Then we drive some more. Where the heck are we going? I guess it doesn’t matter. We’re driving the Pacific Coast Highway along the rugged beaches and coastline north of Los Angeles through Malibu toward Santa…

  • MasterChef: Baa Baa Black Sheep

    Another day…another mystery box. Man, I hate mystery boxes. I don’t know why, I guess it’s the pressure and the time limit. But last week, I was the worst of the bunch on the mystery box challenge with my strawberry-balsamic glazed salmon and pistachio crusted fennel and potato cakes. This week, I’ve got to redeem…

  • MasterChef: Pizza for 350!

    Our first group challenge!  And suddenly I’m back in middle school gym class and the captains are picking their team.  Christian and Suzy are the first to be picked.  No surprise there.  They seem to have emerged first as the two contestants with the most knowledge and experience.  I’m fresh off a day where I…

  • MasterChef: Hats!

    Some of you have been commenting about the hats and wondering what the story is with them.  Before I left for MasterChef, my Mom made me a bunch of hat/apron combos to take with me to the filming.  (She’s a very accomplished seamstress.)  After a couple of days wearing the different hats, Gordon got frustrated…