MasterChef – One Year Later; Avon Walk For Breast Cancer; A Special Foodie PenPal Package; and a MAURPOWERFOODIE GIVEAWAY!!!

Last night marked the premier of MasterChef Season 4, and I could not help but feel a rush of nostalgia, as it was just 1 year ago that I was going through the excitement of being one of the top 100 in Season 3. From news appearances to interviews and features in papers, tribunes, websites, and magazines, it was an amazing time. An experience I am so fortunate to have had, and the birth of MAURPOWERFOODIE! Can’t believe that this was but 1 year ago…

I still have not worn that shirt since the show. But I did do something else for the first time since being on the show. I used the ingredient which quite arguably sent me home… Black Garlic.

For my dish on the show, I decided to use a smear of black garlic on the plate for presentation and too add a depth of flavor. This did not go over well with the judges (the infamous skidmark remark) and in retrospect was a horrible use of the ingredient. Well I decided what better way to pay tribute to the amazing experience I had on the show and how far I have come since by using Black Garlic the right way in order for a MasterChef Season 4 Premier/Season 3 1 Year Anniversary Dinner. So last night I had my friend Alyssa over for dinner and the show. And the meal was fantastic. Black Garlic Rubbed Steak, Black Garlic Butter Corn on the Cob, and Loaded Smashed Baked Potato. As you can see, Alyssa enjoyed it thoroughly:

MasterChef was a huge step on my culinary journey and has led me towards many things. As for last night’s premier… what a great episode! Definitely some amazing talent this year, some unfortunate flops, the judges were on top of their game in both entertaining and giving some solid critiques. So happy to see my boy Luca Manfe from Season 3 back after his heartbreaking elimination last year and can’t wait to see what he does this year to redeem himself. One thing some of you may remember me conquering after MasterChef was walking 40 MILES for the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer!

Well, I am happy to announce that I am walking again this year I have a fundraising goal I have to make of $1800.00, so please, help me out and make a donation to help put an end to Breast Cancer. And be sure to see below how your donations can help you win today’s MaurPowerFoodie Giveaway!

Speaking of that giveaway… I decided to do it because my Foodie PenPal whom I sent a package to last month, Judy Thompson, was nice enough to actually send me one back. So I figured to pay it forward, I would give away a PenPal box just like the one I sent Judy to one of my luck followers. First things first, what did Judy send me? An amazing collection of snack foods: Chocolate covered marshmallows, Chocolate covered potato chips, Chocolate covered cherries, caramel waffle crisps, and almond biscotti. All of which were delicious and have since been devoured.

Which brings us to what you have all been waiting for… the GIVEAWAY! Your own MaurPowerFoodie PenPal Box, featuring some of my favorite snacks and ingredients and pictured below:

So, how do you win??? Easy! All you have to do is follow these simple instructions:

1) (Mandatory) Subscribe to this blog. Make sure you confirm your e-mail. You must be a subscriber to be eligible to win. If you are already subscribed, you ARE already eligible.

2) (Mandatory) Comment on this post stating your desire to win! This qualifies you for your first entry into the random drawing as well as qualifying you for the additional entry options below.

3) (Optional-Worth 1 additional entry into the random drawing) Follow me on Twitter @MaurPowerFoodie and Tweet “Enter to win @MaurPowerFoodie’s #FoodiePenPals #giveaway! http://t.co/XPV8WFZhyS” linking to this blog post.

4) (Optional-Worth 1 additional entry into the random drawing) Like me on Facebook (MaurPowerFoodie) and post on my Facebook wall that you want to win the MaurPowerFoodie Giveaway!

5) (Optional- Worth up to 5 additional entries into the random drawing) Make a donation to my Avon Walk For Breast Cancer page. Every $20 donation is equal to 1 entry up to $100.00. Be sure to then comment on this post that you donated and how much so I can make sure you get the right number of entries.

There you have it! It is as easy as that to earn anywhere from 1-8 entries for the MaurPowerFoodie PenPalPackage, and the drawing will be done May 31st at Noon EST and announced as part of my FoodiePenPal Reveal Day Post, so be sure to ENTER NOW!!! Winner will be contacted by e-mail to make arrangements to get your address to send your prize to Good luck everyone.

Until next time, this is Jason “MaurPowerFoodie” Maur signing off. Can’t wait to see who the winner is

MasterChef: Premiere Day – Morning News Appearance and Interviews

Well, it is finally premiere day for MasterChef season 3 and that means A LOT of publicity going on!

First and foremost, I was on the FoxCT morning show earlier today doing a cooking demo and interview about my time on the show. It was a lot of fun and featured pulled pork, a deliciously refreshing cocktail, and my Bacon, Garlic, and Egg Fried Rice. Thank you so much to FoxCT for having me. Watch the video of my demo and interview here.

Also on the show that morning fellow contestant and good friend Arnaud Bourgeois, a pilot from Woodbury, CT.

BUT THAT’S NOT ALL! There was also a featured article and in depth interview posted today on abovethelaw.com. Find out some of my thoughts and feeling on the judges, my fellow competitors, the experience, and my future in the culinary world. Also published today was a brief article in the ABA Journal.

AND YET THERE IS MORE!!! This is a two night premiere… so tonight I will be tweeting live from my house as I watch the episode, but tomorrow I will be tweeting live from a premiere party in Boston with fellow contestants (including my dear friends Aj and Anna Rossi, the first husband and wife duo in the top 100), contestants from previous seasons, and of course, the press. I will post pictures and talk about the party shortly afterwards.

Well, until next time this is Jason “MaurPowerFoodie” Maur signing off! Enjoy the premiere everybody… I know I will.

One Last MasterChef Update!

Tomorrow is the premiere of season 3 of MasterChef on Fox. Be sure to look for me as I try to earn an apron from Chef Gordon Ramsay, Joe Bastianich, and Chef Graham Elliot, three of the toughest critics there are. The show premieres tomorrow (June 4th)  night at 9 PM on Fox. BUT THAT’S NOT ALL!!! For those of you in CT, be sure to tune in or set your DVRs for tomorrow morning at 9 AM for the CT Local Morning Show. I will be on doing a cooking demonstration of my Bacon, Garlic, and Egg Fried Rice and one of my Pulled Pork recipes, as well as doing an interview on the show. There will also be a feature about me on AbovetheLaw.com posted some time tomorrow.

Will Chef Ramsay’s disapproval of my plating be my downfall? Do I earn a coveted apron, or do I have to settle for top 100 out of over 50,000 amateur chefs across the Country? Will I wear the same outfit on the morning show as I did on MasterChef, seen above? All of these questions and so many more to be answered tomorrow. Tune in!

Also, for more news on the show and some more preview pics be sure to check out my other update posts: MasterChef on Fox… An Update and MasterChef Season 3.

Until next time, this is Jason “MaurPowerFoodie” Maur signing off. See you on TV tomorrow. Enjoy!

MasterChef on Fox… An update, some pics, and a preview!

Hey everyone!

As you may recall me mentioning in an earlier post, I was recently in California filming as I was one of the top 100 Amateur Chefs selected from all over the country to compete on this year’s season of MasterChef on Fox! The show premieres June 4th. Be sure to tune in to watch me compete.

Well, there was an updated preview, and that’s right, I, the MaurPowerFoodie, was in it a few times.

Watch as I listen and take in the Judges’ Opening Speech!

Then see me again as I am cutting and preparing my dish!

See my home-made stove top smoker!

See me get the crowd revved up as I finish cooking!

See me present my dishes to the Judges: Gordon Ramsay, Joe Bastianich, and Graham Elliott

And finally… See none other than Gordon Ramsay tear apart the plating of my dish!(Not gonna lie, this was tough!)

 

Was the dreadful plating enough to be my downfall, or did the quality of the food prevail? Find out on MasterChef this season, June 4th, 9 PM, on FOX.

At the very least  we know I was not the worst dish in the competition (also featured in this clip!) You can see the entirety of the preview clip and a list of all 100 finalists here!

Master Chef Season 3

I am extremely excited to finally be able to announce that I was selected as on of the top 100 amateur chefs in the country and was granted the opportunity to compete on MasterChef. The show premieres on June 4th at 9 PM. It was an amazing experience for which I will always be grateful, not only for the step it allowed me to take on my culinary journey, but for the amazing people I met and have become such a huge part of my life. To be able to cook a dish for Gordon Ramsay, Joe Bastianich, and Graham Elliot was a true honor. What did they have to say? You will have to tune it to find out.

Please be sure to check out the premiere and keep your eye out for me, Jason “MaurPowerFoodie” Maur.

For more information, be sure to check out the official press release or Fox’s MasterChef page.