Masterchef!

(Gordon Ramsay) From coast to coast,

city to city,

and town to town...

Thousands upon thousands of talented amateur cooks

lined up...

I'm an insurance salesman.

I'm an at-home mom.

(Gordon) To take part

in the most intense culinary competition on earth,

as the smash hit from across the world

comes to America.

(Woman) If I got on the show,

it would be a fulfillment of a lifelong dream for me!

I'm so excited!

(Gordon) They'll compete to win a quarter-million dollars...

[All cheering]

Sear their name in culinary history

with their very own cookbook...

I'm ready to bring it.

Let's do it!

(Gordon) And become the first American ever

to go from amateur cook to masterchef.

At every step of the competition,

they'll be judged by three of the toughest figures

from the culinary world.

I'm Graham Elliot from Chicago.

At 27, I became America's youngest four-star chef.

Believe me, I know a thing or two about cooking

and eating.

My name is Joe bastianich.

I own 20 of America's best restaurants

and three award-winning Italian wineries.

I don't care if your roommate tells you you're a good cooking

your kids--we're gonna tell you how it really is.

And, of course, there's me,

Gordon Ramsay.

I've been in the restaurant business for 20 years

and have 28 restaurants worldwide.

Now I'm looking for the one person good enough

to become America's first masterchef.

This is such an honor

that you're eating my food right now.

I can't even tell you.

(Gordon) Let's go.

They'll compete under extraordinary pressure...

20 minutes left, folks!

Cook like your life depends on it!

Are you joking around? 'Cause if you're taking this serious,

you would have seasoned the food.

No, I'm taking it very serious.

(Gordon) All while facing challenges

designed to stretch their creativity...

Your future will be determined

on how well you cook just one stunning egg.

Test their palates.

Identify ingredients

inside that pot.

Cumin. Your guess is cumin.

(Gordon) And prove they can cook the meal of a lifetime.

(Man) I know how important this day is,

so I don't want to give them one dish

to complain about.

It's a wedding, guys. You can't just say,

"I don't know where the salmon is." Come on!

(Gordon) They'll learn how tough it is to feed an army.

You still got food in the ovens!

(Man) Oh, my God.

Oh, by the way. It's cooked perfectly.

And as the competition heats up...

Ah, [Bleep].

Most of them will go down in flames.

Boring, boring, boring.

Take off your apron. You're out of the competition.

Cook like you're cooking for the emperor.

(Gordon) And after weeks of sweating,

slicing, dicing...

Come on!

Glorious victories...

(Graham) That dish gives me hope.

It's inspiring.

(Gordon) And epic failures...

It's a bad dish. You know it, I know it.

Only one of them will become America's first...

MASTERCHEF.

Tonight, from the tens of thousands of hopefuls,

only a select few were invited to Los Angeles to compete.

Oh, my God! Aah!

We're going to Hollywood, baby!

I'm gonna be cookin' for Gordon Ramsay

in Los Angeles.

They come from every possible background.

I'm a software engineer.

I'm a mother of three children.

I'm an attorney. I'm a construction worker.

I'm a physician.

(Gordon) They will present a single dish...

Vietnamese chicken and rice.

Catfish arcadia.

It's our loaded baked potato.

It's called funeral potatoes.

For one chance to prove they have the skill...

That's out of control.

That's the best thing i've had today.

And the passion to make the final cut,

because of the 100 people in this room,

only 30 will earn one of these--

a Masterchef apron.

As thousands of amateur cooks compete...

[Crying]

(Gordon) To become America's first...

[Dramatic music]

MASTERCHEF.

(Female announcer) It's day one of the Masterchef competition.

We've traveled across the country

in search of America's greatest amateur cook.

In this room are the people that made a big impression

with their flair, passion, and potential.

But just 30 of them will win an apron

and stay in the competition.

I'm gonna be America's first masterchef

because I believe in myself.

People say there's people who cook to live,

and there's others who live to cook.

And, uh, I live to cook.

Yes.

(Jake) I want to say to the other people in the competition

to bring it, because I am [Bleep] For real,

and it is on like Donkey Kong, you know?

I am definitely here to compete.

[Cheers and applause]

Welcome to Masterchef. I'm Gordon Ramsay.

I'm Joe bastianich.

And I'm Graham Elliot.

This is a unique opportunity.

For one of you, you're gonna be crowned

the first-ever American masterchef.

[Cheers and applause]

Cook the dish of your life.

Show us why you're here.

We've been doing this a lifetime.

I've opened up some of the greatest Italian restaurants

in this country.

You have a unique opportunity to make the transition

from home cook to masterchef.

If you absolutely commit

and let that passion show,

you guys'll make it.

The main goal today

is to win one of these--

the Masterchef apron.

Getting this means that you're gonna be moving forward.

And the way that you do that is to make a dish.

that is delicious and amazing

in one hour.

Becoming America's first-ever masterchef

comes with a unique prize.

First of all,

a quarter-million dollars.

[Cheers and applause]

He busts out and he says,

you know, "it's a quarter of a million dollars."

We're like...

"Holy moly, that's a lot of money."

Secondly, publish your very own cookbook.

[Cheers and applause]

You've come a long way to get here.

But this is where the rubber meets the road.

-I don't care

if your roommate tells you you're a good cook,

your kids, your moms.

We're gonna tell you how it really is.

Think of the best dish you've ever tasted

in your entire lives.

I'll guarantee you, I've tasted better.

Make this count.

As amateur chefs,

there can only be one masterchef.

Good luck.

[Cheers and applause]

If I was masterchef, all I can say is, "wow."

Being able to get up every single day

and know when you go to work that you're gonna love

doing whatever it is you're doing that day--

that's--that's what life's all about.

[Applause]

(Announcer) Our amateur cooks have just one hour

in the prep kitchen to cook the dish of a lifetime.

Whew! It's hot up here.

(Announcer) They'll be judged on taste and presentation.

Our first contestant, Chris, is in high spirits,

thanks to his signature ingredient, beer.

I am cooking some beer cheese soup for you.

Yes, I said beer cheese soup.

It's gonna be so good.

Ooh.

Cheese and beer pair so well together

that it's just-- it's a gimme.

(Announcer) Will it be the secret to success,

or will he be the first to have his dreams smashed?

Good afternoon, chef. How are you?

Hi. (Gordon) First name is...

Chris.

Chris. From where?

I'm originally from Houston, Texas.

What are you cooking for us?

I brought beer cheese soup.

Beer cheese soup.

I put a lot of beer in my food.

I love to cook with beer.

I sautee shallots, green onions,

garlic, and celery,

flour and butter-- then beer.

Then beer, add some cream,

and then add the grated cheese,

let it just melt right in, and boom.

What's your fascination with beer?

Everything sounds like it's doused in beer.

I love--well, I love craft beer.

I really do.

There are some really amazing chefs

that are cooking with beer.

I mean, cooking with wine,

everybody knows people do that.

It's common. Everybody does it.

Cooking with beer, it's like,

"I don't know. It sounds kind of funny.

I don't know about that." -It might work.

Let's taste it. We'll see what it is.

-But I mean, i am not opposed

to using a good beer to make a good soup.

It's got a really nice consistency, actually.

This is what it's supposed to look like? Yes, sir.

It's kind of brown. -It's very brown.

Thank you.

Ay yi yi yi yi.

(Graham) You know, I think there's

definitely things that you can improve on that.

But I would have no problem

sitting down and eating a bowl of that.

It's a bad dish. You know it, I know it.

All right, chef, what do you think?

What do I think?

That has to be the most disgusting soup

I've ever tasted in my entire life.

Definitely no.

Sorry. I-- a guilty pleasure.

Say it. Yes.

No.

Thank you.

L-leave that beer here.

(Gordon) Are you crazy?

You'll be dead if you ate a bowl of that.

You would be dead.

You can't eat a bowl of that [Bleep]. Crazy.

(Announcer) With two "no" votes,

Chris is officially out of the competition.

But there are many more hoping to get hold

of a Masterchef apron.

Love of food came from where? Uh, boyfriends.

I've always dated chefs.

I have a thing for chefs.

She's a chef groupie.

There's nothing wrong with that, Gordon.

I have a yucca and sweet potato encrusted snapper.

-My advice to you--

continue dating chefs,

cause you're never gonna be one.

No.

I am making blackened catfish

over a bed of yellow rice. It's good.

Is that dish

worthy of that apron there?