Massachusetts natives Jesse Rosenwald and Jessica Bosworth win MasterChef and discover what matters most under pressure.
By Kelly Chase
Photography by Julia Cumes
On the Season 15 finale of MasterChef, the pressure spikes as three duos scramble around their stations to craft three-course meals inspired by their upbringings for the panel of celebrity judges. Among the three teams are New Englanders Jessica Bosworth and Jesse Rosenwald, who weave around each other, often plating in the final 10 seconds. “The intensity is palpable on the TV screen, but it is even more so in real life,” says Rosenwald. “In the series, they pushed us during every single challenge. We never knew what was coming, and it was always a curveball.”
Rosenwald says that he and his partner, now fiancée, Bosworth, had one hour to complete each challenge with set ingredients and parameters. On stage, they trade encouragement (and, at times, frustration), but the pressure made them stronger as a team. “We had some really intense moments but honestly it made us better and made us communicate better,” says Rosenwald. “Afterward we’d talk about what went worked and what didn’t, and I think that’s why we did so well.”
In the finale, Bosworth and Rosenwald put up three dishes drawn from their New England roots. For the first course, they make seared scallops and pork belly with a corn purée, pickled jalapeño, apple gastrique, and Brussell sprout leaves, the latter a nod to autumn’s fallen foliage. “For me, New England food is about fresh seafood and changing seasons—but in Boston especially, we have this incredibly diverse food scene too,” says Bosworth. “Having all of that on our doorstep has made us better, more creative cooks.”
For the main, they take on short ribs and gnocchi. “When you think of short ribs, you think of cooking all day on a chilly Sunday,” says Bosworth. “The smell fills your house and it’s a long, slow process. We had an hour to cook them perfectly on the show.” They use a pressure cooker to speed up the process, then finish the ribs with a veal demi-glace. Beside the meat, they serve pan-seared gnocchi, and flamed baby fennel and carrots.
Their dessert is reminiscent of campfire s’mores but a step or two above. They bake a chocolate ganache tart and add torched marshmallow meringue, maple pecan brittle, raspberry coulis, and a crème fraîche ice cream. “That dessert was my favorite course that we made all season,” she says.
The menu wins Bosworth and Rosenwald the grand prize of $250,000 and the first MasterChef duo trophy. Looking back, the couple admits they were shocked by the win. “Honestly, they said our names, and I just blacked out,” says Bosworth. “They had an audience for the finale, and everyone started cheering, and I looked over at Jesse through the confetti, and his face was just pure happiness.”
Taking the Leap
Bosworth had auditioned for the show a couple of years ago but didn’t make the final cut. Then she heard the new season would feature cooking duos. “I was like that’s why last year didn’t work out, I was meant to do this with Jesse,” she says. “The stars aligned, and we knew we had to just go for it.”
The experience proved deeply rewarding for the couple with a longstanding love of cooking but untapped potential. They took a leap and in doing so pushed themselves further than they had imagined. “MasterChef was the experience of a lifetime and sharing it with my partner made it even more special. It was hard and humbling and it pushed us to be our best, even when we doubted ourselves,” says Bosworth. “We’re both 42 and putting ourselves out there proved the sky really is the limit. You can chase your dreams at any stage of life.”
Bosworth and Rosenwald spent two months in Australia filming the show, taking time off from work and leaving home. The leap was worth it, and they came away with more than the grand prize. “Although it was amazing to compete and win money and the title, the best part was meeting our fellow castmates,” says Rosenwald. “We have a very close group and when the filming was done for the day, we would get together, cook food and do potlucks, and have fun, so that was the best part, the family that we gained from all of this.”
Where the Sparks Began
Bosworth’s love of cooking began at a young age. She remembers her great-grandmother, grandmother, and mother inspiring a love of food and a passion for making things from scratch. “I’ve always been enamored by food, and it’s in my blood,” says Rosenwald. “I grew up watching my great grandma, my granny, my mom, all cook. They’re all fabulous cooks, and they were all very hands-on with me in the kitchen, so it’s just something that came naturally to me.”
Rosenwald says his culinary spark ignited early, too. He grew up on PBS cooking shows, and by a young age, he was in charge of putting dinner together for himself and his siblings. “My house was chaotic a lot, but when I was in the kitchen putting food together, it felt like an escape,” he says. “One time I put a cup of sugar into tomato sauce instead of a pinch, so I had more than a few learning moments.”
When Bosworth and Rosenwald first met while working at a bar on Boston’s waterfront, they quickly discovered their shared love of food. “It was a busy bar, but during the lulls we got to know each other,” says Rosenwald. “We quickly realized that we were both equally passionate about food to the point of obsession, and it was really awesome to bond over that and have that connection from the start.”
Designing the Heart of the Home
While food has always been a part of Bosworth’s life, she is equally passionate about art and design and has built a career around it. She has worked as a kitchen and bath designer and now designs for Supply New England. “I was always an artistic kid,” she says. “I filled notebooks with drawings, and I loved design and thinking about how spaces come together.”
Her time in her kitchen and professional kitchens informs her design work. She lives in hers, and she wants her clients to feel a similar connection to theirs. “My approach starts with how you cook because functionality is just as important as beauty,” she says. “The kitchen is the heart of the home, and I want every design to reflect that warmth and purpose.”
She often returns to the classic working triangle, a tried-and-true method of kitchen layout. The classic rule links the stove, sink, and refrigerator as the primary work points, minimizing steps between each one. “Having that perfect layout where you can just maneuver around is essential,” she says. “Then, depending on what your needs are, I build in creative storage solutions because organization is everything in a truly functional kitchen design.”
When it comes to clients who share her passion in the kitchen, she tends to recommend a powerhouse of a sink. “If you love to cook and entertain, then you need a workhorse sink,” she says. “I love recommending Kohler’s Synthos® sink because speaking as a kitchen designer and a home cook, I can tell you from experience that it is an absolute game changer,” she says. The design of the sink provides depth, but the accessories that lie on top provide additional space for prepping and serving. “It’s such a workhorse, and it’s definitely the item to splurge on because it gets so much use and it’s so versatile.”
Above all, she encourages clients to design for themselves, and not for trends or resale. “I’m very big on not pushing trends. I tell clients, ‘This is your individual space, and it should reflect you,’” she says. “I’ve had clients say to me, ‘Design something that appeals to the masses.’” But she tries to steer them away from that. “That’s not the direction that I want to take a client in. I want them to focus on themselves and their own needs because it’s going to be their space,” she says. “They’re going to be in it every day, so I want them to create a space that suits them and brings them joy.”
Sharing a Kitchen, Sharing a Life
In September, Bosworth and Rosenwald decided they wanted to share a kitchen for all the seasons to come. Rosenwald proposed while hosting a finale-viewing party with family and friends and Bosworth said yes. “We have always talked about being together, but marriage and having something on paper wasn’t something that really mattered to us,” he says. “I think she was 100 percent shocked by it and so were all of our family and friends.”
In addition to their upcoming nuptials, Bosworth and Rosenwald intend to channel their winnings and post-show buzz into a local business. They plan to sell their South Shore bar pizzas (called Ten Inches Pizza), and other take-home meals, and to carry provisions from talented makers across the region. “The idea is to provide elevated, approachable, comfort food that is easy to reheat and delicious,” she says.
Their experience on MasterChef gifted them the confidence and momentum to join forces and act on their long-held dreams. “When we talked to others on the show, we realized that we all struggled with imposter syndrome. Friends and family loved our food, but it wasn’t until we started winning challenges and found like-minded cooks that we realized this is our calling,” says Rosenwald. “Winning just made it even more clear that now is the time to pursue our passion.”
KOHLER Selections for Fellow Cooks
- Synthos Workstation and all its accessories
- Touchless KOHLER Faucet
- A Pot Filler
Try Bosworth & Rosenwald’s bold Italian-inspired Mussels Arrabbiata with Basil-Garlic Butter Ciabatta recipe.
