The one behind the pots and pans wears a backwards-turned blue cap.
Her name is Addison, and she is 9 years old.
They are debating concepts and best practices that I, a culinary knucklehead with barbarian taste, barely understand.
Credit: Greg Gayne/Fox
Something about … marinades?
And friends, we are well past that point.
Bounding to the rescue is Gordon Ramsay.
Talk to each other, he says with a soft voice.
you could do this.
Its a joy-watching thriller, not a hate-watching soap opera.
If only the adult world ran on such grace, right?
MasterChef Juniorshoots inside a warehouse kitchen lined with rows of cooking stations.
But thats just me.
(Hannibal the Cannibals Culinary School for Peculiar Childrenis a show I would watch.
Get on that, somebody.)
The fourth season ofMasterChef Juniorhas been the biggest yet.
Oh, and they bashed a giant pinata shaped to resemble Gordon Ramsays head, too.
The seasons youngest contestant, Kya, 8, might be the frontrunner.
She nailed the blindfold chicken challenge.
Ramsay has declared her a freak.
Potato pea samosa with coriander yogurt from India.
Mozzarella arancini with marinara from Italy.
Shrimp spring rolls with soy dipping sauce from Vietnam.
Beef bao buns with cucumber pickles from China.
Lamb kofta with tzatziki from Greece.
The secret to mastering the challenge would be organization, explained Ramsay.
they replied in unison.
Elliott looked to the clock hanging over the set.
Your time starts … now!
If you watchMasterChef Juniorand wonder, Do those kidsreallydo all their own cooking?
the answer, on this day, was yes.
The challenge, scheduled for an hour, was shot without breaks.
This happened maybe twice.
Come on, you two!
Regardless, my assumptions are incorrect, according to a Fox spokesperson.
Moreover, the kids never know what theyre cooking until the judges reveal the challenges on set.)
But it was clear that the number of items and variety of techniques required were vexing them all.
It struck me as a multi-tasking nightmare that would flummox any chef, young or old.
We had to up the ante because they have gotten that good.
They started well, launching their collaboration with a high five.
But both girls struggled to stay positive as the stress mounted.
USE THE KNIFE!)
Let me see that soy sauce THATS ENOUGH!
Ramsay actually made two trips to their station to help calm them down and focus.
you could do it, he said on his second visit.
Youre still a team.
At one point, Addison was cookingandemotion-coaching Amaya through her despair (Stop crying, Amaya!
Both girls sighed with relief when Ramsay asked everyone if theyd like a few more minutes of time.
(YES, CHEF!)
For me, their time came when Amaya moved in for a hug and Addison refused it.
Stop, said Addison.
In truth, everyone takes a break.
But they didnt give up.
… Its life, right?
Its a great skill to learn.
Theres even a shot of the two girls hugging.
I must have missed that beat when my nose was in my notebook, writing about themnothugging.)
Given their emotional and apparent organizational chaos, I thought for sure Addison and Amaya had whiffed the assignment.
Yet when I toured the aisles (littered with dropped veggies and messy with spills; kids!)
and checked out everyones work (no, I didnt get to taste; damn!
They got everything on the plate except one sauce!
We were just hoping [the teams] would get three out of the five!
The judges told me the hardest part of the show is the elimination.
To soften the blow on individuals, the show sends kids home in pairs.
Still, says Ramsay, We hate saying goodbye.
Its a real s thing to do.
I think the public is crying out for it, said Ramsay.
Its getting that big.
MasterChef Juniorairs Fridays at 8 p.m.
