In the nationwide search for America's best amateur chef, thousands of home cooks from across the country created their signature dish for an awe-inspiring panel of judges. Doctors, businessmen, students, construction workers, and stay-at-home moms alike put their heart on the plate for a chance to become the country's first-ever Master Chef. From the Mississippi Delta to the Midwest, exotic ethnic dishes to all-American staples, these talented home cooks showed the judges--and the world--what this country is really cooking. Now you can cook with the contestants and judges in your very own kitchen with the MasterChef Cookbook. Learn how to master the basic skills that define any chef; discover an exciting array of ingredients that will inspire new creations; and find out what the judges would have cooked if they were given the same challenges faced by the contestants. From Cinnamon-Orange French Toast to Vietnamese Chicken and Rice; Southern-Fried Pork Chop to New England-Style Bouillabaisse; Bittersweet Chocolate Soufflé to Flaky Apple Pie, the MasterChef Cookbook offers more than 80 savory, sweet, and scrumptious recipes that prove some of the nation's most delicious food comes from its most humble kitchens.