Noticeably missing is Chef Graham Elliot whoparted ways with theMasterChefkitchento pursue other opportunities.
A party that includes both Gordon Ramsay and Wolfgang Puck?
Several individuals who work in marketing!
Credit: Greg Gayne /Fox
And various other people who like to yell their occupations into a camera.
But first, 40 must become 20.
This week, 10 cooks will make it through to the next round.
Now, lets hand out some aprons!
Were all rooting for Brandi in this fight.
The two chefs different styles are clear in the plates they offer the judges.
Brandis steak dish is full of down home southern flavors.
Its not the most beautifully plated dish, but it tastes great.
Christina loves the simplicity of it all.
THE BATTLE OF THE CUPCAKES
With Christina Tosi as a judge, theres no getting around some dessert challenges.
This comes as welcome news to Miami-based college studentAndreaand all-American galTaylor; theyre both baking fiends.
But tonight, only one girl rocking a sweet tooth can grab a spot in the MasterChef kitchen.
Andrea and Taylor have 45 minutes to make the best cupcakes of their lives.
No pressure, ladies!
Andrea, though one of our youngest competitors, seems immediately comfortable in the kitchen.
She makes a guava cupcake with cream cheese icing to showcase the Cuban influence in her cooking.
Taylor, sadly, buckles under the pressure.
Come on, Taylor: YOU HAD ONE JOB.
The apron easily goes to Andrea.
NEXT: Sure, they can fight fires, but can they cook?
So, Gordon and Christina, callManny,Joe,Eric, andFreddyin to cook their firehouse specialties.
Each of the guys has a distinct style of cooking.
Freddy is the oldest of the four and is confident under pressure maybe a little too confident.
The firefighter decides to make a chicken curry in just 45 minutes.
Well, theyre the judges for a reason, and they are completely right.
Everything is cooked well, but it needed more time to really blow them away.
Manny, a firefighter from Orlando also brings the heat with his steak in chimichurri sauce.
Mannys steak is cooked perfectly, and Christina loves the plantains on the side.
Manny also makes jokes about his gut being one big ab, so we love him immediately.
The final dish in this four-way battle comes from Brooklyn-based Joe.
If you havent already guessed, Joe cooks Italian dishes.
For Gordon and Christina, he offers up a pan-seared pork chop with Swiss chard and potatoes.
Unfortunately for the affable dude, his meat is overcooked and chewy.
Its pretty clear that theMasterCheffirefighter slots belong to Eric and Manny.
), and Joe works in high-end restaurant marketing.
Both love their cute kids.
Only one can win.
For his pork chop, David decides to double-down on his blue cheese.
Joe and his full suit decide to go a little more high-end, because of course he would.
He makes a bone-in pork chop with brandied cherries and a cauliflower puree.
The sides were good, but the hero of the plate, the pork, was undercooked.
There can only be one Hot Dad of season 7, and Gordon and Christina go with David.
A short montage reveals the other five contestants whove earned an apron in the first night of competition.
There you have it!
The first 10 spots of season 7 have been claimed.
Next week, more battles!
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