[Warning: The below contains spoilers for MasterChef: Generations 14 Finale.] It was a battle for the ages during the Season 14 MasterChef: Generations finale. This time around home cooks classified as Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, and Baby Boomers compete not only for themselves but to represent the time period they were born into.
At stake was also $250,000, trophy, kitchen, and kitchenware. and the title of America’s MasterChef. Judges Gordon Ramsay , Aarón Sánchez , and Joe Bastianich narrowed down the field to a Top 3 after the pressure cooker in the form of Ramsay’s Rooftop Restaurant Takeover.
From there, the remaining group had to endure the Mystery Box Challenge with a dish inspired by a restaurant review. The ultimate test was keeping up with Gordon’s pan-seared salmon to decide the trio would go to the finale. When the kitchen haze settled, it came down to Gen Z’s Becca Gibb and Millenials Kamay Lafalaise and Michael Leonard.
They were tasked with creating a three-course meal including appetizer, entree, and dessert to highlight their generational backgrounds and culinary skills. In the end, Leonard’s representation of his evolution using a menu with truffle tortellini, an herb-crusted rack of venison, and peach cobbler earned this season’s MasterChef title. We caught up with the 27-year-old “Culinary Maestro” to talk about his experience and what’s next.
How was it not only representing yourself but your generation this year? Talk about pressure.