Northern masters
‘MasterChef Canada’ gives a hit show distinct flair
Been watching the latest season of “MasterChef?” Don’t worry — new episodes of the Gordon Ramsay-headlined hit cooking show haven’t snuck onto TV screens while you weren’t looking, but its more northerly sibling might have creeped in under the radar.
This past spring’s season of “MasterChef Canada” premiered south of the Canada-U.S. border with back-toback episodes last week and continues to air Tuesdays on Cooking Channel. As with previous seasons of the Canadian version of the hit series, Cooking Channel is broadcasting the show a few months after it wrapped up in its home country, with a new episode airing Tuesday, Oct. 17.
But what’s different about the Canadian version of “MasterChef?” Well, not much — but also a lot. The basic trappings are all the same: A group of talented home cooks with dreams of careers in the culinary world take part in a series of challenges under the watchful gaze of three knowledgeable judges — chefs Claudio Aprile, Michael Bonacini and Alvin Leung in this version. Week after week, the weakest performer is eliminated, until the sole remaining home cook wins the “MasterChef” title and a nice heap of cash. Like its American parent, “MasterChef Canada” has team, mystery box, elimination and pressure test challenges, and the kitchen itself even has a very similar look and feel.
The big difference, though, is in the tone. Ramsay has a notoriously bad temper, and while he definitely tones it down for “MasterChef” — these are amateurs, after all, not trained chefs — the threat of one of his outbursts always looms. True to stereotype, the Canadian judges are just so much nicer, with their criticisms always accompanied by advice.
Of course, the show also has a healthy dose of Canadian culture. In this week’s episode, the season’s first team challenge celebrates Canada’s 150th birthday by challenging the home cooks to prepare a meal for 150 new Canadians who have just had their citizenship ceremony — what a way to say “welcome home!”
And that’s really “MasterChef Canada” in a nutshell: It’s “MasterChef,” but with some softer edges and a slightly different coat of paint. The fourth season of the northern hit airs Tuesdays on Cooking Channel.