“MasterChef Junior” begins its sixth season Friday evening on Fox with restaurateur Joe Bastianich returning as a judge after a two-season absence and seven youngsters from the Los Angeles area among the 40 contestants.
The home cooks aged 8 to 13 will be split into two groups for Friday evening’s episode, which airs from 8-10 p.m. The 20 girls will be making a medium-rare filet mignon dish while the 20 boys will prepare a chicken breast dish. Twelve contestants from each group will advance to next Friday’s episode.
The Los Angeles-area contestants are Chuk Nwoka, a 10-year-old from Los Angeles; Elliot Koplan, a 12-year-old from Westlake Village; Emily Chavez, a 9-year-old from Sylmar; Jadon Nim, an 11-year-old from Arcadia; Maria Dakis, an 8-year-old from Northridge; Mackenzie Patten, a 9-year-old from Newhall; and Zia Nelson, a 9-year-old from Pasadena.
In later episodes during the 15-episode season contestants will face a mystery box challenge with 26 ingredients, each representing a different letter of the alphabet; cooking a dish that represents their family heritage; preparing a meal for a couple and their guests at their wedding reception; and creating a chicken-and-waffle dish.
The winner will receive $100,000.
—City News Service