Each year, the Seattle Headquarters of MasterChef USA receives well over a thousand applications from men and women eager to compete but only twenty-seven will be chosen to cook on television.

To choose the very best contestants for "the Olympics of amateur cooking," all the menus are carefully scrutinized by the Producers and Culinary Director of MasterChef. The most qualified contestants are chosen to compete in non-televised regional contests. These qualifying rounds are held in nine cities that represent every region of the United States. They're judged by the MasterChef Culinary Director and a panel of local Food Experts.

To meet the twenty seven superb amateur cooks who competed in MasterChef USA 2001, just click on the region.

And don't miss this opportunity to submit your own best menu to become a contestant in next year's MasterChef USA. The Seattle Office is always accepting applications, which can be downloaded from this site, or received by calling .

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