June 01--After he served his slow-cooked, honey-glazed garlic chicken at the Chicago casting call for "MasterChef," the next stop for CTA computer systems administrator Corey Rice was a spot in the top 40 of the Fox cooking competition.
The West Englewood native, RPM Steak server Diana Bilow, Ukrainian Village nutritionist Caitlin Meade and Park Forest nail technician/caterer Takeila Peebles are vying to win "MasterChef," set to premiere its seventh season Wednesday at 7 p.m. The prize is $250,000 and a cookbook deal.
In the two-part premiere, half of the 40 home cooks survive head-to-head battles to advance in the competition. The contestants are judged by celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay and Christina Tosi, founder of Milk Bar in New York. Chicago chef Graham Elliot left the show after last season.
The Chicago casting call in September marked the second time Rice auditioned for the show. He said he wasn't going to try out after getting cut from a previous season, but a chance encounter with Steve Harvey, who films his NBC talk show at the WMAQ-Ch. 5 studios, inspired him to give the competition another shot.
"When you see a door close, you don't ever want to give up," said Rice, 35.
Bilow, who grew up in Plainfield and lives on the North Side, made a "nacho napoleon" from homemade tortilla chips and braised chicken thighs at the Chicago casting call for her spot in the top 40.
"Everyone was pretty excited I did something out of the box," said Bilow, 23.
Bilow and the 39 other contestants traveled to Los Angeles for a chance to advance to the top 20. Bilow said it was "nerve-wracking" to learn that one-on-one battles determined her fate, but said she was excited to serve Ramsay.
Bilow, who said she learned to cook from her family and has worked at restaurants for last decade, hopes to parlay her experience on the show into a career as a personal chef.
"I'm a little burnt out on the restaurant industry," Bilow said.
Meade already has her own business, nutrition company Cate's Kitchen Fit, which promotes healthy eating through meal plans, cooking classes and grocery store tours. A "MasterChef" fan, Meade said her time in an apron dates back to age 5.
"The first memory I have cooking was making crepes with my dad in the kitchen," said Meade, who grew up in Rogers Park.
For the "MasterChef" casting call, she made lamb sausage jambalaya with honey jalapeno cornbread, which was a hit.
"Going into it, you're just so scared," said Meade, 25. "It was the first good sign of auditions."
Peebles, 38, made a waffle BLT chicken sandwich for her initial audition. She said a friend submitted her information to "MasterChef" and she didn't expect to get far in the casting process.
Peebles, who owns the catering company Easy Living Cafe, learned her kitchen skills from her stepmother, who told her the best way to get a man is by cooking. She said she was nervous and excited going into her top 40 battle, a taco competition.
"A lot more people should try out ... This was the best thing I could have ever done in my entire life," Peebles said.
RELATED STORIES:
J4 Chicago-area home cooks competing on 'MasterChef'
Watch young River Forest chef chide Steve Harvey for his hygiene
Young River Forest chef talks 'MasterChef Junior' win, culinary dreams
