tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35897180684684513952024-02-21T18:46:26.642+11:00MasterChef Australia NewsUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger83125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589718068468451395.post-27024038289718686692010-04-22T01:32:00.005+10:002010-04-22T02:23:45.646+10:00Episode 3 - Back to Basics and Team Elimination<strong>Episode Three - Masterchef Australia - Back to Basics - Team Challenges and Eliminations</strong><br /><br />Day 3 on Masterchef saw those ten contestants who scored the lowest votes in the signature dish in Episode 2 made to undergo a back to basics team challenge. Eight of the ten contestants were set to be eliminated in this episode.<br /><br />It was an early start for the team - 6.45 am, before each contestant was asked to choose their partner for the challenge. The challenge was to present two dishes - one main and one desert with ingredients sourced directly from the farm.<br /><br />Each of the pairs were given $50, a car and a map with seven different farms where they could source their ingredients. Each of the farms specialised in different produce.<br /><br />The teams were as follows:<br /><br /><strong>Anthony Howell and Justin Moran</strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>Philip Vakos and Andrea Heading</strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>Siobhan Halse and Kim McGinnis</strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>Richard Gunner and Stuart Pritchard</strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>Jennifer Anne and Kate Zahner</strong><br /><br />But it wasn't all smooth sailing. While most of the teams worked together to collect their produce direct from the farms and the butcher, there was obvious tension between Phillip and Andrea. There was concern from Philip over the time taken by Andrea to collect the ingredients and over her decision to cook the main dish.<br /><br />It all came to a head as Andrea and Phil arrived back to Masterchef headquarters. Andrea had decided not to cook, but was talked back to the competition by George and Gary. It didn't last long, with Andrea finally leaving Philip to cook by himself.<br /><br />The teams then worked to create their fresh food mains and deserts, with Philip taking up the challenge to continue cooking both dishes.<br /><br /><strong>Jennifer and Kate</strong> produced Poached Chicken in Vegetable Broth for main and a White Peach Ice Cream and Raspberry Sorbet<br /><br /><strong>Anthony and Justin</strong> served up Herb Crusted rack of Lamb with Vegetables and Raspberries with Profiteroles.<br /><br /><strong>Richard and Stuart</strong> put forward Lam with Leek, Spinach and Goat's Cheese and a Trio of Fruit with Goat's Cheese<br /><br /><strong>Siobhan and Kim</strong> served Rack of Pork with Caramelised Peach Puree and Mixed Berry Baked Cheesecake.<br /><br /><strong>Philip</strong> put together two dishes, Risotto with Goat's Cheese, Spinach and Mushroom and Shortcrust Strawberry Tart.<br /><br />And the two judged to be the best of the team challenge....<br /><br /><strong>Jennifer and Kate</strong><br /><strong></strong><br />All other contestants were eliminated from Masterchef Australia series 2. Or were they?<br /><br />There was a surprise for one. While his risotto was not judged up to scratch, Philip Vakos' Strawberry tart was highly rated by the judges as was his determination to continue in the face of adversity. For his efforts he was granted a lifeline - and remained in the competition.<br /><br />Does this mean a final 25 contestants instead of 24 after the first week?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589718068468451395.post-75335571124168494242010-04-21T15:05:00.007+10:002010-04-21T17:38:24.619+10:00Episode 2 - Signature Dish Challenge & Pressure Test<strong>Episode 2 - Season 2, Masterchef Australia - Signature Dish and Beef Wellington Pressure Test</strong><br /><br />"Give us bad food...we dont like it. Give us good food, we want to hug you and kiss you". So says George Calombaris as the second episode gets underway. Yet Matt Preston's pink pants were the talking point in the first signature dish challenge of the second series.<br /><br />The top three women and top three men in the signature dish challenge were set to go through to the next challenge - a pressure test with the two winners progressing to the final 24 contestants from week 2.<br /><br />The signature test winners had a unique twist - they were self judged by other contestants. And yet there was another surprise - there was a tie - with four women being chosen to go through to the pressure test.<br /><br />They were:<br /><br /><strong>Claire Winton Burn</strong> with her Cous Cous and Pomegranate Sauce<br /><br /><strong>Bel Erarslan</strong> with her Fig and Mastic Bavois<br /><br /><strong>Adele Fragnito</strong> with her Goats Cheese and Eggplant with Currant and Pine Nut Dressing<br /><br /><strong>Skye Craig</strong> with a Lemon Myrtle Semifreddo with Chocolate Avocado Mousse<br /><br /><strong>Alvin Quah</strong> presented his Twice Cooked Duck with Coriander and Peanut Salad<br /><br /><strong>Jimmy Seervai</strong> with his Chilli Crab Curry with Crispy Okra<br /><br /><strong>Jonathon Daddia</strong> and a Saddle of Lamb with Moroccan Spiced Dates<br /><br />These seven contestants progressed to the pressure test - one of Gary Mehigan's favourite dishes - Beef Wellington with a red wine sauce/gravy.<br /><br />And the top two contestants from the pressure test going through to the final 24 contestants were...<br /><br />Claire Winton Burn and Jimmy SeervaiUnknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589718068468451395.post-11924612696357810852010-04-21T14:18:00.000+10:002010-04-21T17:32:47.462+10:00Recipes - Basic Beef Wellington<strong>How to Cook Basic Beef Wellington</strong><br /><br />Basic Beef Wellington<br />1 Kilo of Mushrooms<br />2 medium onions<br />2 tablespoons of butter<br />1 tablespoon of salt<br />1 tablespoon of black pepper<br />120grams of foie gras pate<br />1 tablespoon of vegetable oil<br />1 kilo of beef tenderloin<br />500 grams of puff pastry<br /><br />Preparation<br />For the stuffing: Add the mushrooms and onions into a food processor and puree. Melt the butter in a skillet over a medium heat then add the mushroom and onion mixture. Cook while stirring occasionally until the combined mixture is dry. Add the salt and pepper and mash in the foie gras pate. Move the stuffing into a bowl and cool it in the refrigerator.<br /><br />For the meat: Heat the vegetable oil in a skillet over a high heat then add the beef and sear on all sides. Remove the meat from the skillet and sprinkle it with salt and pepper. Then place it in the refrigerator until cool.<br /><br />Then lay out the chilled puff pastry into a rectangle which will enclose the beef. Place a generous layer of stuffing on the pastry then place the beef on top. Add some more stuffing to the top of the beef. Wrap the pastry and seal, then place the Beef Wellington in the fridge to cool for at least 20 minutes.<br /><br />Preheat your oven to 425F then place the Beef Wellington in the oven and then lower the heat to 350F. Roast for about 30-35 minutes.<br /><br />Remove from the oven and allow Beef Wellington cool for about 20 minutes.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589718068468451395.post-87756288275476149802010-04-19T20:33:00.005+10:002010-04-19T21:07:15.782+10:00Episode One - Challenges and Eliminations<strong>Challenges and Eliminations from Episode 1 - Season, 2 Masterchef Australia</strong><br /><br />The first episode of Masterchef Series Two pitted 50 contestants against each other in high pressure challenges which resulted in 5 eliminations from the competition.<br /><br />Contestants were presented with a BBQ and a choice of ingredients and given 90 minutes to produce a meal for the judges. All of the meals were tasted by judges Gary, George and Matt with the bottom ten contestants identified and made to take part in an elimination round.<br /><br />Guest Chef Donna Hay presented the contestants with a tricky challenge - an Australian classic - Pavlova.<br /><br />The ten contestants who took part in the Pavlova elimination challenge were:<br /><br />Irmgard Kastner<br />Nicki Tsonis<br />Sharnee Rawson<br />Jason McCloy<br />Adele Fragnito<br />Mark Smith<br />Sarah Carmichael<br />Dom Corrigan<br />Amanda Cummins<br />Michelle Lewis<br /><br />And the eliminations from Episode 1 were....<br /><br />Jason McCloy<br />Amanda Cummins<br />Nicki Tsonis<br />Michelle Lewis<br />Irmgard KastnerUnknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589718068468451395.post-80766447353042765302010-04-19T03:33:00.000+10:002010-04-19T03:35:26.151+10:00Contestant Profile - Adam Liaw<strong>Masterchef Australia Contestant Adam Liaw</strong><br /><br />More than 7000 applicants submitted their names to take part in the second season of Masterchef Australia. That list was cut down to just 50 to take part in the first week of the program, before being culled again to a top 24.<br /><br />Masterchef Australia features 6 shows per week, with numerous challenges and two elimination rounds. A Masterclass session is held once a week.<br /><br /><strong>Adam Liaw</strong> is aged 31 and is a Media Lawyer from South Australia. Adam returned from Tokyo just to compete in Masterchef. Adam even has his own blog where he details recipes as well as taking professional looking shots of the finished product.<br /><br />More to come...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589718068468451395.post-50584392118234915422010-04-19T03:32:00.000+10:002010-04-19T03:33:23.084+10:00Contestant Profile - Siobhan Halse<strong>Masterchef Australia Contestant Siobhan Halse</strong><br /><br />More than 7000 applicants submitted their names to take part in the second season of Masterchef Australia. That list was cut down to just 50 to take part in the first week of the program, before being culled again to a top 24.<br /><br />Masterchef Australia features 6 shows per week, with numerous challenges and two elimination rounds. A Masterclass session is held once a week.<br /><br /><strong>Siobhan Halse</strong> is aged 31 and is a Personal Assistant from Western Australia.<br /><br />More to come...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589718068468451395.post-56086297529664772992010-04-19T03:30:00.000+10:002010-04-19T03:32:06.314+10:00Contestant Profile - Richard Gunner<strong>Masterchef Australia Contestant Richard Gunner</strong><br /><br />More than 7000 applicants submitted their names to take part in the second season of Masterchef Australia. That list was cut down to just 50 to take part in the first week of the program, before being culled again to a top 24.<br /><br />Masterchef Australia features 6 shows per week, with numerous challenges and two elimination rounds. A Masterclass session is held once a week.<br /><br /><strong>Richard Gunner</strong> is aged 37 and is a Cattle and Sheep Farmer from South Australia.<br /><br />More to come...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589718068468451395.post-22923813760957924482010-04-19T03:29:00.000+10:002010-04-19T03:30:54.604+10:00Contestant Profile - Andrea Heading<strong>Masterchef Australia Contestant Andrea Heading</strong><br /><br />More than 7000 applicants submitted their names to take part in the second season of Masterchef Australia. That list was cut down to just 50 to take part in the first week of the program, before being culled again to a top 24.<br /><br />Masterchef Australia features 6 shows per week, with numerous challenges and two elimination rounds. A Masterclass session is held once a week.<br /><br /><strong>Andrea Heading</strong> is aged 42 and owns an Advertising Agency in South Australia.<br /><br />More to come...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589718068468451395.post-67544152953106421752010-04-19T03:28:00.001+10:002010-04-19T21:10:10.547+10:00Contestant Profile - Jason McCloy<strong>Masterchef Australia Contestant Jason McCloy</strong><br /><br />More than 7000 applicants submitted their names to take part in the second season of Masterchef Australia. That list was cut down to just 50 to take part in the first week of the program, before being culled again to a top 24.<br /><br />Masterchef Australia features 6 shows per week, with numerous challenges and two elimination rounds. A Masterclass session is held once a week.<br /><br /><strong>Jason McCloy</strong> is aged 34 and is a Game Boat Fisherman from Victoria.<br /><br />Jason was eliminated from the competition in Episode 1.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589718068468451395.post-85852233370927966252010-04-19T03:26:00.000+10:002010-04-19T03:28:08.971+10:00Contestant Profile - Jackie Neill<strong>Masterchef Australia Contestant Jackie Neill</strong><br /><br />More than 7000 applicants submitted their names to take part in the second season of Masterchef Australia. That list was cut down to just 50 to take part in the first week of the program, before being culled again to a top 24.<br /><br />Masterchef Australia features 6 shows per week, with numerous challenges and two elimination rounds. A Masterclass session is held once a week.<br /><br /><strong>Jackie Neill</strong> is aged 51 and is an empty nester from New South Wales.<br /><br />More to come...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589718068468451395.post-52887207431183271702010-04-19T03:25:00.000+10:002010-04-19T03:26:38.784+10:00Contestant Profile - Jennifer Anne<strong>Masterchef Australia Contestant Jennifer Anne</strong><br /><br />More than 7000 applicants submitted their names to take part in the second season of Masterchef Australia. That list was cut down to just 50 to take part in the first week of the program, before being culled again to a top 24.<br /><br />Masterchef Australia features 6 shows per week, with numerous challenges and two elimination rounds. A Masterclass session is held once a week.<br /><br /><strong>Jennifer Anne</strong> is aged 29 and is a Public Servant from Victoria.<br /><br />More to come...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589718068468451395.post-14814394477031020342010-04-19T03:24:00.001+10:002010-04-22T01:32:08.428+10:00Contestant Profile - Justin Moran<strong>Masterchef Australia Contestant Justin Moran</strong><br /><br />More than 7000 applicants submitted their names to take part in the second season of Masterchef Australia. That list was cut down to just 50 to take part in the first week of the program, before being culled again to a top 24.<br /><br />Masterchef Australia features 6 shows per week, with numerous challenges and two elimination rounds. A Masterclass session is held once a week.<br /><br /><strong>Justin Moran</strong> is aged 36 and is a Businessman from Victoria.<br /><br />A Current Affair launched a scathing attack on Justin Moran on the eve of the third episode, claiming that he was a failed businessman, a bankrupt and previously charged with contempt of court. They also claim that he had been banned from holding a liquor licence for 20 years. A Current Affair also claim that they had been contacted by numerous people stating that he owes them money.<br /><br />For his part, Justin Moran made a statement to A Current Affair suggesting that the matters raised were all in his past.<br /><br />Justin Moran was eliminated in the third episode of Masterchef.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589718068468451395.post-84768377570426277032010-04-19T03:22:00.002+10:002010-04-19T03:24:00.289+10:00Contestant Profile - Adele Fragnito<strong>Masterchef Australia Contestant Adele Fragnito</strong><br /><br />More than 7000 applicants submitted their names to take part in the second season of Masterchef Australia. That list was cut down to just 50 to take part in the first week of the program, before being culled again to a top 24.<br /><br />Masterchef Australia features 6 shows per week, with numerous challenges and two elimination rounds. A Masterclass session is held once a week.<br /><br /><strong>Adele Fragnito</strong> is aged 49 and is a Hairdresser from South Australia. Adele was born in Italy and came to Australia when she was five years old.<br /><br />More to come...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589718068468451395.post-30823804728559124882010-04-19T03:21:00.001+10:002010-04-19T03:22:18.984+10:00Contestant Profile - Graeme Macdonald<strong>Masterchef Australia Contestant Graeme Macdonald</strong><br /><br />More than 7000 applicants submitted their names to take part in the second season of Masterchef Australia. That list was cut down to just 50 to take part in the first week of the program, before being culled again to a top 24.<br /><br />Masterchef Australia features 6 shows per week, with numerous challenges and two elimination rounds. A Masterclass session is held once a week.<br /><br /><strong>Graeme Macdonald</strong> is aged 49 and is a Doctor from Queensland.<br /><br />More to come...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589718068468451395.post-51518662365532500792010-04-19T03:20:00.001+10:002010-04-19T03:21:08.414+10:00Contestant Profile - Fiona Inglis<strong>Masterchef Australia Contestant Fiona Inglis</strong><br /><br />More than 7000 applicants submitted their names to take part in the second season of Masterchef Australia. That list was cut down to just 50 to take part in the first week of the program, before being culled again to a top 24.<br /><br />Masterchef Australia features 6 shows per week, with numerous challenges and two elimination rounds. A Masterclass session is held once a week.<br /><br /><strong>Fiona Inglis</strong> is aged 24 and is a Primary School Teacher from Victoria.<br /><br />More to come...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589718068468451395.post-8948164920342696012010-04-19T03:18:00.001+10:002010-04-19T03:19:51.048+10:00Contestant Profile - Peter Kritikides<strong>Masterchef Australia Contestant Peter Kritikides</strong><br /><br />More than 7000 applicants submitted their names to take part in the second season of Masterchef Australia. That list was cut down to just 50 to take part in the first week of the program, before being culled again to a top 24.<br /><br />Masterchef Australia features 6 shows per week, with numerous challenges and two elimination rounds. A Masterclass session is held once a week.<br /><br /><strong>Peter Kritikides</strong> is aged 29 and is a Lawyer from Victoria.<br /><br />More to come...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589718068468451395.post-48126463707317861412010-04-19T03:17:00.001+10:002010-04-19T03:18:24.705+10:00Contestant Profile - Kim McGinnis<strong>Masterchef Australia Contestant Kim McGinnis</strong><br /><br />More than 7000 applicants submitted their names to take part in the second season of Masterchef Australia. That list was cut down to just 50 to take part in the first week of the program, before being culled again to a top 24.<br /><br />Masterchef Australia features 6 shows per week, with numerous challenges and two elimination rounds. A Masterclass session is held once a week.<br /><br /><strong>Kim McGinnis</strong> is aged 24 and is an Executive Assistant from Western Australia.<br /><br />More to come...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589718068468451395.post-43830559971419647762010-04-19T03:15:00.001+10:002010-04-19T03:17:19.948+10:00Contestant Profile - Jimmy Seervai<strong>Masterchef Australia Contestant Jimmy Seervai</strong><br /><br />More than 7000 applicants submitted their names to take part in the second season of Masterchef Australia. That list was cut down to just 50 to take part in the first week of the program, before being culled again to a top 24.<br /><br />Masterchef Australia features 6 shows per week, with numerous challenges and two elimination rounds. A Masterclass session is held once a week.<br /><br /><strong>Jimmy Seervai</strong> is aged 31 and is a Food Ingredient Researcher from New South Wales.<br /><br />More to come...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589718068468451395.post-264909335744468562010-04-19T03:14:00.001+10:002010-04-19T03:15:39.120+10:00Contestant Profile - Philip Vakos<strong>Masterchef Australia Contestant Philip Vakos</strong><br /><br />More than 7000 applicants submitted their names to take part in the second season of Masterchef Australia. That list was cut down to just 50 to take part in the first week of the program, before being culled again to a top 24.<br /><br />Masterchef Australia features 6 shows per week, with numerous challenges and two elimination rounds. A Masterclass session is held once a week.<br /><br /><strong>Philip Vakos</strong> is aged 27 and is an Auditor from Tasmania.<br /><br />More to come...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589718068468451395.post-49241457725579348192010-04-19T03:13:00.002+10:002010-04-19T03:14:43.033+10:00Contestant Profile - Stuart Pritchard<strong>Masterchef Australia Contestant Stuart Pritchard</strong><br /><br />More than 7000 applicants submitted their names to take part in the second season of Masterchef Australia. That list was cut down to just 50 to take part in the first week of the program, before being culled again to a top 24.<br /><br />Masterchef Australia features 6 shows per week, with numerous challenges and two elimination rounds. A Masterclass session is held once a week.<br /><br /><strong>Stuart Pritchard</strong> is aged 44 and is a Chemical Engineer from Western Australia.<br /><br />More to come...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589718068468451395.post-36048260225619657142010-04-19T03:11:00.001+10:002010-04-19T03:12:56.993+10:00Contestant Profile - Lacey Noakes<strong>Masterchef Australia Contestant Lacey Noakes</strong><br /><br />More than 7000 applicants submitted their names to take part in the second season of Masterchef Australia. That list was cut down to just 50 to take part in the first week of the program, before being culled again to a top 24.<br /><br />Masterchef Australia features 6 shows per week, with numerous challenges and two elimination rounds. A Masterclass session is held once a week.<br /><br /><strong>Lacey Noakes</strong> is aged 27 and is a Doctor from South Australia.<br /><br />More to come...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589718068468451395.post-15861382264798869542010-04-19T03:10:00.001+10:002010-04-19T03:11:57.129+10:00Contestant Profile - Katie Pepper<strong>Masterchef Australia Contestant Katie Pepper</strong><br /><br />More than 7000 applicants submitted their names to take part in the second season of Masterchef Australia. That list was cut down to just 50 to take part in the first week of the program, before being culled again to a top 24.<br /><br />Masterchef Australia features 6 shows per week, with numerous challenges and two elimination rounds. A Masterclass session is held once a week.<br /><br /><strong>Katie Pepper</strong> is aged 26 and is a Registered Nurse from Victoria.<br /><br />More to come...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589718068468451395.post-9452075348163634422010-04-19T03:09:00.001+10:002010-04-19T03:10:45.296+10:00Contestant Profile - Devon Headland<strong>Masterchef Australia Contestant Devon Headland</strong><br /><br />More than 7000 applicants submitted their names to take part in the second season of Masterchef Australia. That list was cut down to just 50 to take part in the first week of the program, before being culled again to a top 24.<br /><br />Masterchef Australia features 6 shows per week, with numerous challenges and two elimination rounds. A Masterclass session is held once a week.<br /><br /><strong>Devon Headland</strong> is aged 30 and is a builder from Queensland.<br /><br />More to come...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589718068468451395.post-79789410604893165732010-04-19T03:06:00.002+10:002010-04-19T03:09:43.308+10:00Contestant Profile - Jake Bujayer<strong>Masterchef Australia Contestant Jake Bujayer</strong><br /><br />More than 7000 applicants submitted their names to take part in the second season of Masterchef Australia. That list was cut down to just 50 to take part in the first week of the program, before being culled again to a top 24.<br /><br />Masterchef Australia features 6 shows per week, with numerous challenges and two elimination rounds. A Masterclass session is held once a week.<br /><br /><strong>Jake Bujayer</strong> is aged 29 and is a Cement Renderer from New South Wales. Jake suffered a series of minor mishaps in the first episode of Masterchef, taking a big chunk out of his thumb while chopping parsley. He then followed that up with slicing a tip off his finger while putting together a salt and pepper prawn dish.<br /><br />More to come...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589718068468451395.post-44698707289463471372010-04-19T03:04:00.003+10:002010-04-19T21:08:23.127+10:00Contestant Profile - Irmgard Kastner<strong>Masterchef Australia Contestant Irmgard Kastner</strong><br /><br />More than 7000 applicants submitted their names to take part in the second season of Masterchef Australia. That list was cut down to just 50 to take part in the first week of the program, before being culled again to a top 24.<br /><br />Masterchef Australia features 6 shows per week, with numerous challenges and two elimination rounds. A Masterclass session is held once a week.<br /><br /><strong>Irmgard Kastner</strong> is aged 67 and is a Factory Worker and mother of five from Victoria. Irmgard was raised in Austria.<br /><br />Irmgard was eliminated from the competition in Episode 1.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2