Will Natasha’s elegant entrees outshine Luca’s authentic Italian cuisine in the Season 4 finale of MasterChef?

We’re counting down the days until MasterChef judges choose the nation’s best home cook: Luca Manfe or Natasha Crnjac. The regular season rewards consistency, but the final battle will be a 2-hour sprint to the grand prize of a cookbook deal and $250,000. All that matters is three dishes: one appetizer, one entree, and one dessert.

Is your favorite chef even among the Top 2? See if you agree with our predictions.

Let’s compare our contenders in the kitchen:

Luca Manfe

  • Why Luca could win: On top of his charismatic story of moving from his small home town in Italy to chase the American Dream, Luca is a natural cook who cooks rich and satisfying entrees. He is a seasoned professional who traveled the world to learn cooking and now manages a New York City restaurant. Luca cooks with calm confidence and humor that will help handle the pressure.
  • Why Luca could lose: Luca’s dishes have not always been consistent or impressive. He struggled with lobster, crab, mussels, and did not know a turkey from a pheasant. He makes mistakes, but as Gordon Ramsay said, Luca always bounces back.

Natasha Crnjac

  • Why Natasha could win: Natasha is a skilled chef who wowed the judges with everything from rib-eye steak to her most recent cold king crab yakisoba salad. The judges also admired Natasha’s skill at dessert, which will be the last item she will serve in the finale. 
  • Why Natasha could lose: No matter what, Natasha will deliver a great meal. To beat Luca under pressure, Natasha needs to make sure her dishes are substantial, impressive and worthy of  restaurant cuisine. 

My Prediction

I predict the stars will align for Luca Manfe.

Luca and Natasha are neck and neck in terms of creativity, skill, and presentation. They each have their own cooking style that the MasterChef judges admire. And while Natasha’s dishes are consistently at a high level, I predict that karma will propel Luca all the way. Luca was the last home cook picked to join the competition, and he maintains high enthusiasm even after producing a disappointing dish. Natasha may have hurt her karma when she declined to share her butter with Jessie during the semi-final, while Luca tossed a stick of butter to Jessie and let it go, saying to himself, “I’m a nice guy! Fuggetaboutit!”

All things being equal, I predict Luca’s good-guy karma and love of cooking will give him the title.

(And hopefully if he wins, Luca’s Italian cookbook will include more dishes that include melted Grana Padano cheese like his dish from the semi-final. Please?)

Who do you think will win? Who do you want to win? Do you think the season’s best chefs are even in the top Two? Let us know!

MasterChef airs Wednesdays at 9pm on FOX.

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(Image courtesy of FOX)

Candice Lombardi

Contributing Writer, BuddyTV