MasterChef Canada (season 1)

The first and inaugural season of the Canadian competitive reality television series MasterChef Canada, featuring Michael Bonacini, Alvin Leung and Claudio Aprile premiered on CTV on January 20, 2014 and concluded on April 28 with Chinese-Canadian chemical engineering university student Eric Chong winning the inaugural season. Filming began in September 2013 and wrapped up in November 2013. At the age of 21, Eric was the youngest winner of MasterChef Canada at the time of his victory. He held the record until June 2018, when Beccy Stables won the top prize of Season 5 at age 19, becoming the youngest female champion in the history of MasterChef Canada.

MasterChef Canada
Season 1
Country of origin	Canada
No. of episodes	15
Release
Original network	CTV
Original release	January 20 (2014-01-20) – April 28, 2014 (2014-04-28)
Season chronology

After his victory, Chong partnered up with Chef Alvin Leung to open up Rebel and Demon "R&D" Restaurant located in Spadina, Toronto, specializing in East Asian cuisine and his was promotionally featured in a restaurant takeover in season 3. Chong also guest starred in an episode of the second season and the fifth season.[1][2]

Top 16

Contestant	Age	Hometown	Occupation	Status	Winnings
Eric Chong	21	Oakville, Ontario	Chemical Engineer	Winner April 28	5
Marida Mohammed	31	Toronto, Ontario	Stay-at-Home Mom	Runner-Up April 28	7
Kaila Klassen	24	Penticton, British Columbia	Realtor	Eliminated April 21	6
Tammara Behl	38	Calgary, Alberta	Special Needs Teacher		8
Michael "Mike" Green	30	Winnipeg, Manitoba	Journalist	Eliminated April 14	5
Pino DiCerbo	36	Mississauga, Ontario	Stay-at-Home Dad	Eliminated April 7	6
Julie Miguel	30	Woodbridge, Ontario	Bankruptcy Analyst	Eliminated March 31	2
Danielle Cardozo	28	Fernie, British Columbia	Employment Development Officer	Eliminated March 24	4
Carly Tennant	30	Vancouver, British Columbia	Retail Clothing Store Owner	Eliminated March 17	3
Dale Kuda	26	Toronto, Ontario	Household Manager	Eliminated March 10	1
Dora Cote	37	Edmonton, Alberta	Plumber	Eliminated March 3	3
Joshua "Josh" Gale	26	Vancouver, British Columbia	IT Sales	Eliminated February 24	0
Daniel "Danny" Raposo	36	Brampton, Ontario	Construction Worker	Eliminated February 17	0
Brooke Feldman	32	Toronto, Ontario	Make-up Artist	Eliminated February 10	0
Meghan Toth	30	St. Catharines, Ontario	Stay-at-Home Mom	Eliminated February 3	0
Benjamin "Ben" Miner	33	Ottawa, Ontario	Stand-Up Comedian		0

Elimination table

Place	Contestant	Episode
		3		4	5		6	7		8	9		10	11		12	13	14		15
1	Eric	HIGH	IN	LOW	DNP	LOW	NPT	WIN	IMM	WIN	IN	WIN	PT	HIGH	HIGH	LOW	LOW	LOW	WIN	WINNER
2	Marida	WIN	IMM	WIN	IN	IN	WIN	HIGH	IN	NPT	HIGH	LOW	WIN	IN	LOW	WIN	WIN	HIGH	WIN	RUNNER-UP
3	Kaila	IN	IN	WIN	WIN	IMM	PT	IN	WIN	LOW	HIGH	IN	LOW	IN	HIGH	WIN	WIN	WIN	ELIM
4	Tammara	IN	IN	WIN	IN	IN	WIN	IN	IN	WIN	HIGH	WIN	WIN	HIGH	WIN	WIN	WIN	ELIM
5	Mike	IN	IN	LOW	HIGH	IN	WIN	IN	LOW	WIN	IN	IN	WIN	WIN	IMM	WIN	ELIM
6	Pino	IN	WIN	WIN	IN	LOW	NPT	HIGH	WIN	WIN	IN	LOW	WIN	IN	WIN	ELIM
7	Julie	IN	IN	WIN	IN	IN	WIN	IN	IN	PT	IN	IN	PT	IN	ELIM
8	Danielle	IN	IN	WIN	IN	WIN	WIN	IN	IN	PT	WIN	IMM	ELIM
9	Carly	HIGH	IN	WIN	IN	IN	WIN	IN	IN	WIN	IN	ELIM
10	Dale	IN	WIN	NPT	HIGH	IN	LOW	IN	LOW	ELIM
11	Dora	IN	IN	WIN	IN	WIN	WIN	IN	ELIM
12	Josh	IN	IN	PT	HIGH	IN	ELIM
13	Danny	IN	LOW	DNP	IN	ELIM
14	Brooke	IN	IMM	ELIM
15	Meghan	IN	ELIM
	Ben	IN	ELIM

     (WINNER) This cook won the competition.

     (RUNNER-UP) This cook finished in second place.

     (WIN) The cook won the individual challenge (Mystery Box Challenge or Elimination Test).

     (WIN) The cook was on the winning team in the Team Challenge and was directly advanced to the next round.

     (HIGH) The cook was one of the top entries in the individual challenge, but did not win, or received considerable praise during an Elimination Challenge.

     (HIGH) They were one of the top in a team challenge but they didn´t win.

     (IN) The cook was not selected as a top entry or bottom entry in an individual challenge.

     (DNP) The chef was injured or sick and couldn´t participate in the challenge.

     (IN) The cook was not selected as a top entry or bottom entry in a team challenge.

     (IMM) The cook did not have to compete in that round of the competition and was safe from elimination.

     (IMM) The cook was selected by Mystery Box Challenge winner and did not have to compete in the Elimination Test.

     (PT) The cook was on the losing team in the Team Challenge, competed in the Pressure Test, and advanced.

     (NPT) The cook was on the losing team in the Team Challenge, but was exempted from the Pressure Test

     (LOW) The cook was one of the bottom entries in an individual elimination challenge or Pressure Test and they advanced.

     (LOW) The cook was one of the bottom entries in a team challenge and they advanced.

     (ELIM) The cook was eliminated from MasterChef.

Episodes

The episodes started airing on CTV on January 20, 2014.

No. in series	No. in season	Title	Original air date	Production code	Viewers (millions)	Rank (week)
1	1	"White is the new Black"	January 20, 2014 (2014-01-20)	101	1.777	11
The 50 cooks selected from across Canada prepared their signature dishes for presentation to the judges (Michael Bonacini, Alvin Leung and Claudio Aprile). 26 contestants were presented with MasterChef aprons and advance to the next round.[3]
2	2	"Chicken Little"	January 27, 2014 (2014-01-27)	102	1.653	14
The 26 cooks had to prepare a dish using any part of a chicken with only one pan and burner. The cooks were also supplied with a limited pantry of produce. Only 16 contestants kept their aprons. A first group consisting of Mike, Marida, Julie, Meghan and Josh was called and advanced into Top 16. Two more groups were then called forward, where the group consisting of Tammara, Eric, Pino, Ben, Danielle, Carly and Brooke was advanced, while the other group consisting of Rob, Sarah, JD, Alison, Natalia and Jordan was eliminated. This leaves 8 home cooks: Bubba, Dale, Danny, Dora, Evan, John, Kaila and Sparkle, where their dishes will be tasted by the judges to decide which of them will be moving forward. The first pair called forward was Dale and John. Dale was advanced, while John was eliminated. The next pair was Bubba and Sparkle. Both Bubba and Sparkle were eliminated. The third pair was Kaila and Evan. Evan was eliminated, while Kaila was advanced. The final pair was Danny and Dora. Dora and Danny both advanced into the Top 16.
3	3	"First Kick at the Box"	February 3, 2014 (2014-02-03)	103	1.824	10
Mystery Box 1: The top three dishes were made by Carly, Eric, and Marida. Marida won the first mystery box. Elimination Test 1: Marida was granted immunity and had a choice of ingredients from Canadian land, air, or sea for the other cooks in the challenge to use. She chose the smelt. The judges also allowed her to choose one other to be safe from elimination and she chose Brooke. The two best dishes were Pino's and Dale's. Meghan, Danny and Ben were called for having the worst three dishes of the challenge. In a surprise double elimination, Ben and Meghan were sent home.
4	4	"The Puck Drops Here"	February 10, 2014 (2014-02-10)	104	1.654	7
Team Challenge 1: The competitors have to cook for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Pino and Dale were the team captains. Pino was the Blue Team captain, and Dale was the White Team captain. The teams had to make one pasta dish and one fish dish for the challenge. Pino chose Marida, Julie, Carly, Tammara, Dora, and Danielle. Dale chose Eric, Brooke, Mike, Josh, and Kaila. Danny could not cook because he was sick with the flu. After the Leafs, alumni and family members voted, the Blue Team won with 26 votes to 11. Pressure Test 1: The cooks had to cook a Raviolo al Uovo, which was a ravioli with a liquid egg yolk inside and a fried sage leaf at the top. Dale decided to save himself and Danny. Kaila's pasta was considered the best and she, along with Josh, were sent to safety. Eric was also sent to safety. Finally, Mike was saved, meaning Brooke was eliminated.
5	5	"Where's the Beef"	February 17, 2014 (2014-02-17)	105	1.999	9
Mystery Box 2: The cooks had to create burgers with a meat grinder using many different meats. Near the end of the challenge, Eric severely cut his hand and was forced to sit out, leaving him with no dish to present. The best dishes were Dale's, Kaila's, Josh's, and Mike's. Kaila won the Mystery Box challenge. Elimination Test 2: Kaila was immune from elimination and able to choose a Canadian ingredient which was paired with a bottle of Alexander Keith's Hop Ale. She chose apples. She was also allowed to force two home cooks to create desserts, and she chose Eric and Josh as her targets for elimination. Dora's dish was deemed the best, followed by Danielle, making them team captains in the next challenge. The bottom three were Eric, Pino and Danny. Danny's dish was deemed the worst and he was eliminated from the competition.
6	6	"Edible Art"	February 24, 2014 (2014-02-24)	106	1.618	20
Team Challenge 2: The cooks were sent to Toronto's distillery district for their next team challenge to serve many famous artists. The judges were allowed to decide the winning team. Dora chose Carly, Mike, Marida, Julie, and Tammara for the Red Team, while Danielle chose Dale, Josh, Eric, Kaila, and Pino for the Blue Team. The cooks had to prepare three canapés. The Red Team came out on top, and the Blue Team had to face a pressure test. Pressure Test 2: The Red Team was given the power to choose two contestants to give immunity from the Pressure Test. They chose Pino and Eric. For the Pressure Test, the four home cooks were assigned to prepare a cheesecake, with the best cheesecake being placed in a magazine. Danielle's was deemed the best. Josh's cheesecake was deemed the worst, and he left the competition.
7	7	"Brains Before Beauty"	March 3, 2014 (2014-03-03)	107	1.853	16
Mystery Box 3: The 11 finalists faced a Mystery Box challenge that takes them back to their roots. The top three were Pino's, Marida's, and Eric's. Eric won the Mystery Box challenge, granting him immunity. Elimination Test 3: The judges presented Eric with ten different cuts of beef from an Alberta cow, ranging from premium steaks to offal. For his advantage, Eric got to decide which home cook would cook which cut of meat. Targeting Kaila, he assigns brain to her, liver to Mike, oxtail to Pino, sweetbread to Carly, kidney to Marida, cheek to Dora, tongue to Danielle, tomahawk steak to Dale, bone marrow to Tammara, and flank steak to Julie. The top two dishes were Kaila's and Pino's. The bottom three were Mike, Dora, and Dale. Dora's dish was deemed the worst, and she was eliminated.
8	8	"Major Steaks"	March 10, 2014 (2014-03-10)	108	1.885	12
Team Challenge 3: The remaining home cooks went to CFB Trenton for the team challenge of cooking a rib-eye steak with two sides for 151 members of the Canadian Forces. Kaila became captain of the Red Team and she chose Danielle, Dale, Julie, and Marida. Pino became captain of the Blue Team and he chose Eric, Mike, Tammara, and Carly. The Blue Team won with an overwhelming 107 out of 151 votes. Pressure Test 3: The Red Team had to select one of their own to save. Marida was made safe. In this pressure test, the home cooks were challenged to make salmon wellington. Danielle creates the best Salmon Wellington, winning the Pressure Test. Kaila and Dale were left in the bottom two. Dale's dish was the worst, and he was sent home.
9	9	"Great Canadian Bake-Off"	March 17, 2014 (2014-03-17)	109	1.784	11
Mystery Box 4: The top 9 finalists were given a Mystery Box that contained ingredients that the judges enjoyed working with. There were four top dishes: Tammara's, Danielle's, Marida's, and Kaila's. Danielle's dish was deemed the best. Elimination Test 4: Danielle was given immunity. Then she was presented with three classic regional Canadian desserts, one of which she would choose for the other eight home cooks as base to recreate a new one. Targeting to eliminate Marida and Kaila, Danielle selected the Nanaimo bars. The top dish was Tammara's followed by Eric's, making them team captains in the next challenge. The bottom three were Pino, Marida, and Carly. Carly's dessert was deemed the worst and she was eliminated.
10	10	"Meals on Wheels"	March 24, 2014 (2014-03-24)	110	1.833	11
Team Challenge 4: At the Nathan Phillip Square in Toronto, the eight home cooks were asked to run a food truck, either Mexicana or Italiano. Tammara chose the first one, leaving the other to Eric. At first Tammara, Marida, Mike and Julie formed the Blue Team while Eric, Pino, Danielle, and Kaila formed the Red Team, but the judges gave Tammara the advantage of trading a member. She exchanged Julie with Pino. They had two hours to cook and serve a dish with the assigned style. The Blue Team won by a narrow margin of only 15 dollars. Pressure Test 4: The Red Team had to take part in this Pressure Test. The competitors had 80 minutes to recreate a Baked Alaska. Eric was safe. Julie was deemed the second best. Danielle was eliminated.
11	11	"Claws Out"	March 31, 2014 (2014-03-31)	111	1.777	15
Mystery Box 5: The contestants had to cook lobster. They were given 45 minutes. The top three dishes were Mike's, Tammara's, and Eric's. Mike was declared the winner. Elimination Test 5: The contestants had to recreate a Chinese Dim sum platter identical to a modeled platter. Mike chose the teams of Tammara and Pino, Julie and Marida, and Kaila and Eric. This was a tag team challenge: one chef at a time could cook while one gave orders with each member switching in a while. Tammara and Pino produced the best recreation, thereby winning the challenge while Julie and Marida's platter was deemed the worst. Julie was then eliminated.
12	12	"Line of Fire"	April 7, 2014 (2014-04-07)	112	1.820	13
Team Challenge 5: Tammara and Pino were team captains in a "Restaurant Takeover" of judge Claudio Aprile's Origin North. Restaurant owner Aprile chose the teams. The Red Team consisted of Tammara, Kaila, and Mike, while the Blue Team consisted of Pino, Marida, and Eric. The judges determined the Blue Team to have the worst performance and subject them to the pressure test. Pressure Test 5: The Blue Team had to create a box of one dozen donuts, with at least three different types. Marida's donuts were deemed the best. Eric makes eight different flavors with varying degree of success while Pino's donut size was inconsistent and some of the dough was not risen properly. In the end, Pino was judged to have made the worst box of donuts and was sent home.
13	13	"Family Style"	April 14, 2014 (2014-04-14)	113	1.842	7
Team Challenge 6: The five remaining contestants were reunited with their families, and then asked to create a family style meal, consisting of an entrée and two sides, for a combined table of family members and judges. The remaining five contestants were split into two teams. Marida was allowed to select one or two members for her team. Marida chose only Tammara to create a team of two, leaving Eric, Kaila, and Mike as members of the opposing team. Marida and Tammara were judged to have done the best with the challenge and were safe from elimination. Pressure Test 6: Eric, Kaila, and Mike faced off in the pressure test. The judges asked the three to make a Steak frites dish consisting of medium-rare New York strip steak, crispy French fries, and Béarnaise sauce. Kaila had the worst fries, but was sent to safety first. It all came down to Eric whose Béarnaise was overly thick and Mike whose steak was undercooked. The judges then decided that Mike was sent home.
14	14	"Not Your Average Joe"	April 21, 2014 (2014-04-21)	114	1.936	8
Mystery Box 6: Guest judge Joe Bastianich from MasterChef U.S. assembled the box with his favorite Italian ingredients, adding a white wine from his vineyard. The judges revealed that the person with the worst dish will be sent home immediately, in addition to the winner receiving an advantage in the elimination challenge. Kaila's was named as the winning dish. Tammara was deemed to have cooked the worst dish and was eliminated. Elimination Test 6: The remaining contestants got a choice of seafood. Kaila chose first and selected scallops. Marida chose razor clams, and Eric received crab. Kaila was eliminated, setting up a final between Marida and Eric.
15	15	"And Then There Were 2"	April 28, 2014 (2014-04-28)	115	2.216	7
Eric and Marida compete for the title. They were instructed to create a three-course meal, and the best meal will win the $100,000 and the title of MasterChef Canada. They were given one hour to make each course. For the appetizer, Marida creates a pumpkin callaloo soup with coconut lime crème fraîche, crispy pig tail, and lime pepper sauce, while Eric creates a crispy pork belly with vegetable dumplings and wasabi mayonnaise. In the entrée round, Eric makes lobster with egg noodles, and Marida composes taro-leaf steamed black cod with pigeon pea purée, mango chutney, and cucumber. In the dessert course, Marida makes an apple crumble with coconut ice cream and rum sauce, while Eric makes an Asian take on a banana split, composed of tempura-fried bananas with red bean and green tea ice cream. Eric was declared the winner of the first MasterChef Canada.

References

3. "CTV - Masterchef Canada - Details". Bell Media. Retrieved 2014-04-27.