MasterChef title eludes local man
Cesar Cano knocked out a Mexican-inspired dinner that was worthy of the most accomplished restaurants in the country. But in the endi, it was not enough to clinch the title of MasterChef.
The 33-year-old English teacher at Pasadena Memorial High School narrowly missed winning Fox’s “MasterChef ” competition during a nailbiting two-hour finale Wednesday night. The $250,000 grand prize and the title of being one of the best amateur home cooks in the country went to Gerron Hurt, a 25-year-old English teacher from Louisville, Ken.
But Cano, a fan favorite, brought passion and complexity to the dishes he created in the finale, which pitted him against Hurt and Ashley Mincey, 28, of Opa-Locka, Fla.
The contestants were tasked with cooking a three-course dinner during the final episode. Throughout the competition, the Mexico-born Cano injected Latin flavors into his dishes. For the appetizer course he created an infladita — a squid ink corn disk deep fried to a puff and filled with a creamy lobster mixture and a roasted poblano pepper sauce. His entree, which judges called difficult and daring was pan-seared duck with an almond and guajillo chile mole. His duck was deemed overcooked but his complex mole drew the judge’s praises. So too did his dessert, a flourless chocolate cake with tamarind caramel and spicy peptic brittle.
Cano said he chose a menu that represented his heritage and his home.