MasterChef: The Wall — At Home with Rebecka

Step inside a shouting match of significant proportion where a 8-foot wall separates contestants from their partners. We are tasked with creating a dish that looks "exactly" like our counterparts on the other side of the wall. No peeking allowed; just shouting instructions and, at times, tossing missing ingredients over the wall in the hope of landing without a loud plop on the other side.

Teams Of Two

We file into the MasterChef kitchen in awe of the enormity of the WALL. Adam has an advantage from the previous challenge and gets to pick his partner. He picks Michael. Gordon says the only way to keep tonight fair is to let the rest of us choose our partners. He says, choose your partner...go! Yikes! It's a mad dash! I head for Murt, when he dashes right past me straight towards Becca. Dang! I see Horacio rush towards Kamay; oh no, you don't! I wrap my arms around her as if I was holding on for dear life! Instantly, we are Team Kamay and Rebecka.

Dreaded Wall Or A Game of Charades

After the harrowing Tag Team Challenge, I was dreading The Wall. To my surprise, it was like a game of charades with food. I love playing charades, which energizes me, especially with a fabulous teammate like Kamay. She is a powerhouse competitor. Surprising myself, I am having fun with this challenge.

The Evolution Of Our Dish

I wanted to show the judges that I could be a team player, so I offered her the LEAD position on the team. We had five minutes together in the pantry to share our recipe ideas and get our ingredients. After some back-and-forth, we couldn't decide on a protein, so we grabbed both scallops and striped sea bass. We will decide on the fly! The fish will be served with sweet potato purée, fried okra spears, patty-pan squash, and a herbed vinaigrette. Kamay suggests warm spices for our sweet potato mash. It's a great idea that we should have gone with.

Our five minutes were up before we could blink, and we headed out to the Wall! I pray we didn't miss any ingredients, as we cannot reenter the pantry once we start cooking.

Who Takes The Lead

Our time starts, and Kamay takes the lead. Or does she?

We are slicing and dicing, yelling, and trying to find a gap in the wall to hear one another. Kamay is still working on her potatoes; mine are already cooking in the pot, so my mind is racing to the next steps. I'm antsy, waiting to get directions, and my bossy personality takes over somewhere in the chaos, forcing Kamay to back down. She asks for a few minutes, YIKES! I'm dying to move forward and push to make the striped sea bass; the rest is history.

Being in charge is wired deep within my DNA, so I'm forever grateful that Kamay takes it in stride and goes with the flow; Kamay is a super teammate.

Scolded

Gordon finds the time to scold me about being bossy-funny coming for the boss man himself! He tells me that he and I are alphas who want to be in control and laughs when I say we would probably kill each other in the kitchen! Gosh, I'd love to have the opportunity to play that out in real life!

Time Up

Time is up. Gordon instructs us to cover our dishes with a cloche before we go up to be judged. We meet our partner for the first time at the pass. I feel terrific about our cook, and Kamay looks worried, so now I'm worried. We wait as the Blue Team of Murt and Becca deliberates at the judge's table. Their dishes are praised so highly that I have great admiration but a pit in my stomach. Our hearts fluttering with anticipation, we are called to the judge's table for further inspection.

Almost Perfect

The cloches come off, and thank the heavens, we have the same plate, and our food looks remarkably the same. The judges are amazed at how closely our plates resemble each other. They say that the same person could have cooked our dishes. We have a few minor issues but are thrilled to present two virtually identical plates and walk away with heads held high.

In The Top

Becca and Murt receive top honors for their stellar performances. Gordon doesn't stop there; he announces another team, Kamay and me, has performed exceptionally! YES! All four of us head to the balcony as the first to enter the hallowed grounds of MasterChef Top 6!

In The Bottom

Horacio and Warren, Adam and Michael. The judges say that both teams struggled with communication and execution.

Horacio and Warren bid farewell to the MasterChef kitchen in another double elimination. I'm sad to see my dear friends and fellow Boomers leave together, and in one motion, I'm now the last Boomer standing. It's another day of bitter-sweet wins, losses, and goodbyes.

Next Up-Restaurant Takeover

I'm already shaking in my boots!