Nick Nappi a contestant from Season Six of MasterChef was the guest on  MasterChef, Season 7. The episode that aired at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, June 22, 2016 on Fox. Nappi is a MasterChef success story, because he realized his dream of becoming an executive chef. He’s now the executive chef at Bar One in San Diego.

For their first team challenge the home cooks had to prepare food for Nick’s wedding to Janelle Gomez. The home cooks were asked to prepare an appetizer with scallops and a main dish with a rack of lamb. Nathan Barnhouse, a 20-year-old tuxedo salesman, from Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania and Terry Mueler, 26, a handyman from Long Island were the team captains.

The home cooks traveled to Hummingbird Nest Ranch in Santa Susana, CA  for their challenge.  The MasterChef cooks were able to choose their own teams for this challenge, so after Gordon Ramsey told them to move to their team,  only five people  elected to be on Nathan’s team and 12 people were on Terry’s team. Terry had to eject some people from his team, and send them to Nathan’s team.  So, D’Andre Balaoing, Alejandro Toro and Shaun O’Neale were sent to Nathan’s team, the Blue Team.

MASTERCHEF SEASON 7: Bride and Groom Janelle and Nick complete their weddign vows in  the all-new “A MasterChef Wedding” episode of MASTERCHEF airing Wednesday, June 22 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. Cr: Greg Gayne / FOX.  © 2016 FOX Broadcasting Co.

The Blue Team, led by Nathan,  to cater Nick Nappi’s wedding included: Alejandro Toro, Brittany Craig, Barbara Savage, Andrea Galan, Dan Paustian, D’Andre Balaoing, Shaun O’Neale, and Katie Dixon.

The Red Team, led by Terry included: Diamond, Brandi, Eric, Diana, Manny, Lisa-Ann, Tanorria Askew

The teams had only two hours to cater the wedding. The red team decided to make pan seared scallops with asparagus and lemon beurre blanc, followed by a roasted lamb entrée with polenta and a tomato gastrique.

Terry Mueller, Greg Gayne / FOX. © 2016 FOX Broadcasting Co.

Nathan had trouble handling the leadership role from the start. He tried to dictate what should be done, and his team member, Shaun, a 33-year-old DJ with a Type-A personality, complained about how he spoke to them. Nathan dictated that his team would prepare pan roasted scallops, charred romanesco and a blood red orange vinaigrette, a pan seared lamb entrée, mushroom pea orzo and a pistachio gremolata.

Things started off rocky for the blue team. Chef Ramsay chastised at the blue team for cooking the scallops too early. Shaun felt that he had to take over the team. So, there was a power struggle between the two of them.

MASTERCHEF SEASON 7 : Cr: Greg Gayne / FOX.  © 2016 FOX Broadcasting

On the red team, the burners to cook the food were constantly going out because of the high wind in the area. The home cooks were preparing their food outdoors, for this outdoors wedding. Next, a taste of the vinaigrette revealed that it was terrible and Barbara was responsible for it.

On the red team’s side, the cooks were able to serve their appetizers despite the wind. Nathan’s team, the blue team, got so behind schedule, and the lamb was undercooked.  Manny had trouble getting the heat consistent for the lamb, but luckily, he bounced back. The happy couple, Nick and Jenelle felt that the red team did better on the appetizer, while the blue team performed better on the main.

Nathan started to excel in leading his team and everything was running smoothly.  It looked like he had regained their respect. In the end, the red team, led by Terry, won the challenge, and the blue team was up for elimination.

MASTERCHEF SEASON 7: Contestant Manny, Cr: Greg Gayne / FOX.  © 2016 FOX Broadcasting Co.

Alejandro, Katie, Shaun and Nathan were excused from elimination. MasterChef judges, Gordon Ramsay and Christina Tosi felt that he did all that he could do under the circumstances.

The rest of the blue group was saved except for Barbara and D’Andre. Christina and Gordon felt that D’Andre should be allowed to stay, because although he made some mistakes, he didn’t stop working. Barbara was told that although she is a talented cook, she was not ready to be the next MasterChef.  Barbara was sent home.

Photo credit: Bride and Groom Janelle and Nick in  the all-new “A MasterChef Wedding” episode of MASTERCHEF airing Wednesday, June 22 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. Cr: Greg Gayne / FOX.  © 2016 FOX Broadcasting

The 20 home cooks prepared for their first challenge on MasterChef on June 15, 2016 on Fox. For this episode, in which Wolfgang Puck was the guest judge, the cooks prepared a dish for the celebrity chef.

Inside their first MasterChef mystery box was a box full of potatoes. The home cooks had 60 minutes to make a MasterChef-worthy dish primarily out of the potatoes. Of course, they also had the kitchen available with gourmet supplies, proteins and vegetables.

Bill Travers, the oldest contestant on the show, had a late start in making his potato pancakes.

The person who cooked the worst dish had to turn in his or her white apron.

Nathan Barnhouse, 20, was asked to step forward, because his twice baked potato with caramelized onion bacon and potato puree was going to get tasted. Wolfgang Puck said that his potato looked like it had already been eaten.
You have a long way to go,” Wolfgang Puck said.

MASTERCHEF: L-R: Contestant Cassie, Gordon Ramsay and Wolfgang Puck in the “Wolfgang Puck” episode of MASTERCHEF airing Friday, June 17 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. Cr: Greg Gayne / FOX. © 2016 FOX Broadcasting Co.

Cassie Peterson, 25 was next.

“Never has anyone said, This is the worst,” she said.

Christine Tosi, co-host and co-judge with Gordon Ramsay said that Cassie’s meal was too ordinary and commonplace.

Wolfgang Puck said that he wouldn’t eat the meal if it was served to him. He told her that color was very important. Cassie’s meal was primarily brown.

MASTERCHEF: Top 20: Bill Travers,
Retired.
Cr: Greg Gayne / FOX. © 2016 FOX Broadcasting Co.

Bill, 62, was next. Wolfgang Puck told him that he had to bake his potatoes longer, but his bacon was good. Gordon Ramsay was worried that his dish, potato pancakes and bacon, was not imaginative.

Cassie was sent home. Gordon Ramsay said that her potatoes were just awful.

Andrea, the 21-year-old student from Miami won the first challenge, so Andrea didn’t have to cook in the elimination challenge. She also had the opportunity to save half of the home cooks from elimination. She saved half of the women, and they all went to the top of balcony to watch the first elimination challenge.

Nathan was called up to the front again. This time, Chef Ramsay told him that his dish was stunning. He only needed carrots and a bit more sauce to nail the replication task.

Bill’s dish had no sauce and Israeli couscous instead of cauliflower couscous.

Terry Mueller got an honorable mention for his technique, but Nathan won the challenge. The two of them became team captains for the next challenge.

D’Andre Balaoing food was devoid of potential and finesse, so he was called to the front, and Gordon and Christina told Bill that it looked like he was lost. Bill was asked to leave the kitchen and was eliminated from the competition, but 25-year-old D’Andre was still in the running.

Bill was told that he was too set in his ways.