Claudia Sandoval of La Mesa endured months of riveting culinary competitions over 20 episodes to beat out 21 other home cooks and bring home the title of MasterChef Season 6 Champion, winning a cookbook deal and the grand prize of $250,000. She is the second San Diego based MasterChef winner of 2015, after 13 year old Nathan Odom of North Park won Season 3 of MasterChef Junior.
MasterChef Season 6 judges Gordon Ramsay, Graham Elliot and Christina Tosi announced Sandoval the winner after a fierce 2-part finale on September 16. Sandoval beat out Stephen Lee of Palm Springs, CA and made her way into the finals against Derrick Peltz of Marina Del Rey, CA, where her 3-course offerings of huitlacoche tamale with cactus salsa, avocado crema, and chicharron; swordfish with Mexican squash and chickpeas; and hibiscus poached pear with flan, earned her the glorious title of MasterChef.
Southern California couldn't be more proud to have bred each of these talented finalists, and San Diego is certainly reveling in the hometown reign of MasterChef Claudia.
Fox has renewed MasterChef for a seventh season, but there won't be too long of a break until its popular spinoff MasterChef Junior premieres on Nov. 6. Let's see if another San Diegan can take home the title for the third time in a row!
