The MasterChef SA Season 2 Hot Auditions are done, Bootcamp is lying ahead for 50 contestants, and we are boldly predicting the 16 Finalists who will make it to the kitchen at Nederburg to show South Africa who our hot amateur cooks are:

*  Tiron Eloff works at a video store, which may be sold due to the tough times, which will allow him to become a professional chef. He said that he has paid so much attention to other people in his life, and that it is time to focus on himself now. He prepared a rare grilled hanger steak for his Hot Audition, which Chef Pete was sceptical about, but worked perfectly. Listed in Sunday Times as a Finalist. Twitter: @TironEloff

* Karen Els is a stay at home mom from KwaZulu-Natal, loving her cooking. She described the making and presentation of food as an ‘art form’. Twitter: @kelsfoodie

*   Khumo Twala made a Sticky Toffee pudding, with a custard which the three judges were fighting over to finish. Mentioned in the Sunday Times as a Finalist.  Chef Gordon Ramsay is her hero, rumoured to be a guest judge in season 2. Twitter: @Simply_khumski

*  Pashi Reddy from Durban is a trade marketing manager for Africa.  He wants to change career direction and cook full-time, realising that he can earn money from it. Twitter: @Pashi187

*   Shannon Smuts is a graphic designer at Good Housekeeping magazine in Cape Town, and when asked what she wants from the programme, she confidently answered that she wants her own cooking TV show and a cook book!  She has a huge Twitter fan club already!  Twitter: @Shananigems

*   By far the most airtime was devoted to Zahir Mohamed, who owns Baked Bistro in Bakoven.  He already had a dream to open his own restaurant, and shared that he would open his own bistro after participating in MasterChef SA.  His father is the chef cooking for Manchester United and its fans in the UK. He would ‘cook my heart out’ on MasterChef, and wanted to make them happy, he promised the judges.  He gave up his job (at Brandhouse marketing Heineken) to participate in the reality TV show (as Sue-Ann Allen had done in season 1). Mentioned in the Sunday Times as a Finalist. Twitter: @BakedBistro @Foodie4CapeTown

*   Mohamed (also known as Ozzy) Osman is a student from Johannesburg with a dreadful English pronunciation.  He shared that he comes from a family of dedicated cooks. Twitter: @Oh_so_Ozzy

*   Sisters Leandri and Seline van der Wat from Mahikeng (previously Mafikeng) both received their white aprons, but were kept on tenterhooks by the judges, calling them in one after the other.  They were the most gorgeous sisters, both in appearance, and also in attitude, each wishing the other one success in the show. They lost their mother at an early age, and have enjoyed cooking together.  Twitter:  @This_is_Leandri  @SelineVW

*   Neil Lowe is an interesting character, looking studious with his specs, and clearly trying to impress the judges with his terminology of ’sous vide’, and ‘Modernist cuisine‘, by far the most sophisticated sounding home chef.  If anything, the judges were more critical of him showing off his food science terminology, and said that the proof lay in his understanding of food.  Twitter: @NeilLowe

*   Kamini Pather is a food blogger from Cape Town that we know from our Food & Wine Bloggers’ Club meetings, and appears to work at The Test Kitchen now. She spoke about wishing to use MasterChef SA as a launchpad to prepare a food portal for the Southern Hemisphere.  Twitter: @KaminiPather

*   Chantelle Schmidlin:  No depth information provided in the show, but Linked In shows her to be a freelance web designer at Web Workz Design, having worked as a Restaurant Manager at Bar Bar Black Sheep in Riebeek Kasteel, and that she is a chef and blogger. Twitter: @ChantillyCook

*   Dawn Ngwenya: No information provided, but LinkedIn shows that she is the Communications Manager of Nedbank Business Banking. She is a serial Tweeter, and a blogger! Twitter: @dawn_ngwenya

*   Joani Mitchell:  No information provided on the show, but in her Twitter Bio she describes herself as living in Durban and as a ‘massive foodie!!!!’. Second attempt at MasterChef SA, having failed to make it to Nederburg in Season 1 (right). Twitter: @joanimitchell04

*   Zane Jacobs: Not featured yet, but an article in the Sunday Times listed him as a Finalist, based in Cape Town.

*   Alta Wasson: Not featured yet, but also mentioned as a Finalist, based in Stilbaai, in the Sunday Times.

For an overview of what is lying ahead for Season 2 read here. For behind the scenes information on the filming of Season 2 in January read here.  For an overview of episode 1 of Season 2 read here. For an overview of episode 2 of Season 2 read here. We want to clarify that M-Net has a strict procedure for interviewing contestants, all writers having to obtain permission from their PR Manager Ingrid Engelbrecht upfront.  The condition is that writers have to submit their story to Ms Engelbrecht for approval and sometimes minimal editing before being allowed to publish it. We have agreed to follow this rule, so that we have the opportunity to write stories about the contestants during the course of season 2.  This appears to be an unusual procedure relative to other food reality TV shows, especially as we signed a confidentiality agreement before attending the Media Day.  This rule only applies to contestant interviews, and in no way affects writing a summary of each episode or an analysis of MasterChef SA, such as this one.

POSTSCRIPT 18/6: Tonight’s episode 3 (the first Bootcamp episode) saw the elimination of Zahir Mohamed, Pashi Reddy, and Chanetelle Schmidlin.

MasterChef SA Season 2. Tuesdays and Wednesdays 19h30 – 20h30.  www.masterchefsa.dstv.co Twitter: @MasterChef_SA

Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com Twitter: @WhaleCottage