Casting Call Alert!

Ethan Petersen wants you…but only if you can cook. The casting director of Masterchef is hitting the road this weekend to discover the untapped cooking talent throughout the United States. However, burger-flippers need not apply…only promising contestants will make the cut on this show.

Though the new series stars Gordon Ramsay, it won’t be the Screaming Mimi we’re used to. This program features the warm and fuzzy side of the famed Hell’s Kitchen chef. Petersen tells HollywoodOutbreak.com that Ramsay plans to nurture the contestants to eventually crown the person who demonstrates the biggest potential for culinary greatness.

Masterchef was a huge hit in both Britain and Australia and the producers are banking on the U.S. version being just as successful.

So, what does the winner get? The prize, Petersen says, is significant (translation: they haven’t quite decided yet). The added perks and opportunities endless (still not quite defined), plus, there are no losers on this program. Each contestant will walk away from the competition with something in hand (again, undecided).

So, the payout is a little fuzzy right now, but it’ll all be figured out before the show premieres, Petersen assures.  For now, he’s concentrating on getting the right cast together.

If you think you’ve got the chops to chop there are several cities to audition at over the weekend…then more locations are scheduled for over the month of January.

Locals are as follows:

Sunday, January 10th, 2010

Boston

1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Dallas

12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

New York

12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Seattle

11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Saturday, January 16th, 2010

Atlanta

9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Denver

11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Sunday, January 17th, 2010

Miami

12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Kansas City

12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Saturday, January 23rd, 2010

New Orleans

9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Sunday, January 24th, 2010

Chicago

11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

San Francisco

11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Sunday, January 31st, 2010

Los Angeles

10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Click onto media bars for:

Ethan Petersen’s description of the show.

How Gordon Ramsay will interact with the contestants and what separates it from his Hell’s Kitchen program.

What contestants can expect to receive from participating on the show.

What Petersen’s challenges are finding the right people to cast for the competition.

Who is going to be there for the casting session.

Log onto www.fox.com/casting for exactly how to sign up for an audition.