The mini MasterChef apron is finally back on the menu. After a three-year hiatus, MasterChef Junior — which has launched the careers of kids who know how to flambé, sauté, and everything in between since 2013 — returns with season 8 on March 17. While Gordon Ramsay, Aarón Sanchez, and newbie Daphne Oz prepare to judge a fresh batch of young home cooks, many junior MasterChefs of the past are continuing their paths toward culinary excellence. Some of the show's winners are still cooking in their 20s, but others have taken a step away from the kitchen. Take a look at what the show's former champions have on their plates.
 Though Weiss made his mark on the show back in 2013, he's still on Gordon Ramsay's mind. The judge mentioned the first-ever MasterChef Junior winner in a 2019 episode of Hot Ones, saying, "This guy is a prolific chef, he's barely 19 years of age, and for the last five years, he spent weekends and holidays in some of the most amazing restaurants across the world." Now 21, Weiss provides culinary experiences around New York City with his company Dinners by Alexander. In the last few years, he has studied at the Culinary Institute of America and interned at the James Beard Award-winning restaurant The Barn at Blackberry Farm.
Guleff won at 11 years old with the title of Cupcake King. The young chef was named Southern Living's Best New Chef at 13 and made Time's Most Influential Teens list a year later. At 15, Guleff gave a TEDx talk called, "The Art of the Flavor." Now 19, he's a freshman at Pepperdine University and last year became the first chef to offer a virtual dining experience NFT.
After taking home the MasterChef Junior trophy at 12, Odom immersed himself in Japanese cuisine, moving to the country for almost two years to study under a 3 Michelin star chef. The 20-year-old moved back to San Diego in fall 2021 and launched a private dinner and catering company, Restaurant Neo. "My goal is to put my own spin on Japanese fine dining (particularly Kaiseki cuisine) and to harness a bounty of local California produce to create something truly unique," Odom said on Instagram last September.
The first girl to win the title, Osta Smith went on to compete in Dancing with the Stars: Juniors and MasterChef Junior: Celebrity Showdown. At age 10, she was the youngest MasterChef Junior victor at the time, though she's now tied with season 6 fellow Chicagoan, Beni Cwiakala. Her cooking account has been inactive since 2019.
Stewart's enthusiasm and pineapple upside down cake are her legacies in the MasterChef Junior kitchen — where she was the first contestant to win after being eliminated. She's continued her legacy by touring with MasterChef Junior Live through March 2020 and contributing to MasterChef's #AtHomeWith series that year. Now in her junior year of high school, Stewart has started her own company, JustJas, LLC, focused on "girl empowerment and motivational speaking."
Cwiakala's signatures in the kitchen were her bold confidence and risky decisions. Now 15, the high schooler is still cooking, though her Instagram feed consists mostly of Instagram Live book reviews (hence the video series' title "A Cook with Books.") She added in her last book recap that she plans to share a review of the MasterChef Junior season 8 premiere. The Chicago native also raised money for restaurant relief in 2021 as part of a live cooking demo fundraiser.
The reigning champion has taken his talents to TikTok, where he continues to cook up a storm. The gluten-free chef contributed to MasterChef's #AtHomeWith series in 2020 by sharing a black bean soup recipe. Che, 15, continues to appear on cooking shows like The ChinTwins and hosts cooking demos on YouTube. MasterChef Junior airs Thursdays at 8 p.m. on FOX.
|
Who won the latest season of MasterChef Junior?
Related Posts
Copyright © 2024 ShotOnMac Inc.
