Masterchef 2018

[kopenhagen5]

I like Masterchef better than the other cooking comps.

Great way to start this season rather than the mass single tasks they used to do.

Now every hopeful contestant gets 1 hour to cook a dish tasted by the 3 judges.

With second chance contestants cooking for a blind tasting.

24 contestants get an apron. 

[springyzone]

I was a bit bemused by the cooking class episode tonight, where the chefs demonstrated some of their dishes.

But honestly, there was one recipe where something had to go into the liquid nitrogen I think it was-while the cook has to wear goggles and heavy industrial gloves. Then it gets plunged into boiling oil.

So who at home is going to be able to replicate that recipe?

Then a different recipe called for a dehydrator (which many homes might have) but also cooking one item overnight and about 30 other steps. Nope, scrub that off the list too.

There was a rolled piece of venison, looked about roast size. After a quick 4 min brown in a pan, it went into the oven-for 6 minutes? Would it even be warm by then? I know these chefs like things rare but it looked a bit too raw to me & not served with much else. huge amounts of effort for not much on the plate.

The only home cook friendly recipe was the lamb shoulder.

During these demo sessions I don't mind them doing one flashy recipe to show off marvellous techniques but I wish the other 3 could be things for the home cook.

[springyzone]

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@kopenhagen5 wrote:

Chloe wins the superpower. I don't see anything super about it.

The dishes seem to becoming less creative and follow that trendy serving style rather than generous serves with loads of flavour.

Or is it just me ?

Jess, Khan and Reece have the skills to go all the way.

I like Sashi and Ben but don't think they have it in them.

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No, it's not just you.

I think they have their eye on Jess, khanh & reece are contenders. I think Ben will go out. Sashi I think could get into the finals. His main hurdle is he isn't as strong in desserts. But he is strong on flavours by the sounds of it so he's in with a chance.

I'd sort of like to see him win, love his personality.

[michellebartley]

I saw the Queen on her last official visit to Australia. Quite some time ago now

[imastawka]

Well, elimination's done and Kristen's gone.

I don't think Ben will make it much further, and I think the super power was actually

mediocre power IMO.  It's good that she doesn't have to be tasted, if she thinks she did

badly, but superpower?  Nah.

I agree Springy re the home cooking.  Matt will always do home cooking because that's who he is.  He's not a chef.

And the fiddly bit of food that ended up on the plates by both Gary and George?

I heard George complain about the size of the portion when Sashi and Chloe did the restaurant challenge!

[imastawka]

https://www.msn.com/en-au/entertainment/tv/next-minute-theyre-doing-pickled-ducks-bum-with-smears-on...

Huey has a fair point.

They start off doing home cooking and then suddenly they're doing pickled duck's bum with a smear on the plate.

[springyzone]

I was reading that exact same article this morning.

And my oh my, that photo is exactly the cooking I was talking about.

It doesn't look like a good feed on the plate yet it took a lot of intricate steps, if my memory serves me correct. 

I'm with Huey and don't see why everything has to be deconstructed either.

[imastawka]

I'm not happy about Jess' mum calling her chubby on National TV.

The girl would have to be a size 10 IMO

I think they should have edited the comments out.

Also not entirely happy that Sashi got through to finals week. 

He still only cooks Indian/Asian food.

[springyzone]

I noticed that too, stawka. 

By Asian standards, Jess probably does look chubbier as she hasn't that extremely lean look some of them have.

But she has a nice figure, she is not fat. She looks healthy. I agree, the comments about her looking chubby could have been scrubbed.

Apart from anything else, whether she is fat, thin or somewhere in between, why should she be subjected to anyone commenting on air about it. 

Sashi is my fav character there, his level headedness & maturity is a breath of fresh air.

His strength is Asian/Indian for sure. I think he could take out the final, except does he have an ambition to work full time in food?

I think Jess impresses the judges a lot but as much for her age and how her cooking has developed as much as for her actual cooking. I am not sure she will win.

She could, I suppose, as I think they try to focus on people tryint to set up a career. 

Don't know that Samira will be the overall winner, they don't focus a lot on her.

[imastawka]

Samira drives me nuts.  Sorry, but her monotonous voice droning on and on.

There's no pitch to her voice - it's all on one annoying level.

Her command of the English language is terrific, but that tone.   Ugh

And she hasn't gone one episode, so far, without mentioning she's from Azerbaijan!!   

[kopenhagen5]

You're hard to please today. 

Yeah the chubby thing is a bit of an Asian regular saying for someone that's eating well n healthy.

In their language chubby is closest to healthily filled out.

My heart nearly broke when I saw how upset Jess was over the crab.

A baby not used to pressure. It will stand her in good stead now.

Read Ben's backstory and boy he's had it tough.

Thought Chloe's dish was good enough for her to not use the apron, oh well her bad luck.