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Northern Life staffer hoping for MasterChef Canada success

Sudbury native Marida Mohammed was runner-up in the first season of the show, finishing second to Oakville's Eric Chong.
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Northern Life IT, web and digital media manager Mathieu Beausoleil took this selfie outside of the Intercontinental Hotel in Toronto, where auditions for MasterChef Canada season two took place July 12-13. Supplied photo.

Sudbury native Marida Mohammed was runner-up in the first season of the show, finishing second to Oakville's Eric Chong.

Not willing to give up on his dream of appearing on the show, Beausoleil recently applied to appear on the second season of MasterChef Canada.

He was invited to a VIP audition in Toronto on July 12, meaning he didn't have to wait in line with those attending the open casting call.

As part of the audition, hopefuls were asked to cook a dish.

Beausoleil wowed the judges with his East Coast scallops with a triple citrus ceviche topped with an Ontario strawberry salsa with jalapeno and basil.

Chef Michael Bonacini — one of the MasterChef Canada judges — said his dish was “beautiful” and praised his use of seasonal and local ingredients.

Beausoleil was interviewed by the show's producers, and then had to undergo yet another challenge.

He was presented with a “mystery box” filled with fake food, and had 15 seconds to imagine what he'd cook with the items if they were real.

Beausoleil settled on a whitefish filet with fruit chutney and apple foam, with a panzanella salad on the side.

“The remark was it was an exquisite dish to be made in 15 seconds,” Beausoleil said.

“I think I did pretty good with that one. It was quite a stressful 15 seconds because that is not a lot of time to try and use all of the ingredients and make something up in your mind.”

He said he's hopeful he made the top 50 this year based on the judges' positive response and by the fact he got to take part in the mystery box challenge — something he didn't get to do last year.

“I'm very excited,” Beausoleil said. “I think it went extremely well, and I'm looking forward to hopefully taking part in the show.”

The MasterChef Canada auditions aren't Beausoleil's first success in the foodie world.

In May, he won the Finish Cook Like a Top Chef Contest, which involved contestants sending in photos of their best Top Chef Canada-calibre dish.

Beausoleil and wife Emily were sent on a free trip to Vancouver, BC, where they spent a weekend dining at some of the city's best restaurants.

He also won one of the weekly Instagram contests during MasterChef Canada's first season, where viewers were invited to send in a photo of their best-looking dish.

With Northern Life's sister publication — Sudbury Living Magazine — set to hold its own upcoming cooking competition, Cook for Me Sudbury, Beausoleil was recruited as the program's host. Mohammed will be one of the show's judges.

Follow Beausoleil at @MatBeausoleil.


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Heidi Ulrichsen

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