In part two of our interview with fabulous MasterChef star Justine Schofield, we've moved on from the goss behind the scenes and we're getting to the good stuff—food! Justine gives us her easy tips for holiday entertaining, tells us what to make to impress a date and if you really want to dazzle your mates, you can hire the chef herself to come and do the cooking for you.
If someone wants to learn how to cook, can you recommend a book or a TV show they can watch to help them get started?
To be honest the new MasterChef cookbook is great. What’s so good about it is they actually show you things, like how to cook an onion, which when you’re learning, you want to know basic techniques. It’s got some really simple recipes from Hollandaise sauces and eggs to really difficult things like a croquembouche and the chocolate mousse cake. Keep reading . . .
I'm not much of a cook, but when I sat down for brekkie with MasterChef star Justine Schofield, I was so inspired all I wanted to do afterwards was go in the kitchen and start whipping up creations of my own. Justine gave us the goss on the original series, her thoughts on Celebrity MasterChef and told us what she's been up to since the show ended. Check back tomorrow for part two of the interview where Justine gives her easy tips for holiday entertaining and tells us what to make to impress a date.
When we last saw you Matt Moran asked you to work for him at Aria. Are you still doing that?
It’s work experience, so it’s been really good in that I can just give him a call and say ‘Hey, can I come up and do a day here and a day there’ between doing food demos and catering all different types of things. I’ve been four or five times out of Sydney and three or four times up in Brisbane. It’s so exciting when I go there, the chefs and the way they cook it’s just so elegant and so beautiful. I’m like ‘Gosh I’ve got so much to learn.’
Do people dining there ask if you are working and want to meet you?
At the beginning it was overwhelming. They were actually telling people not to come in because people wanted to come into the kitchen and were just coming to have a look.
Keep reading . . .
Santa is prepping his reindeers and the New Years Eve bubbles are a'chillin, which means it's time to announce our inaugural Sugar Awards! Excited? We most certainly are! Because over the next few weeks Fab, Bella and myself will be taking a look back at the year that was--from the hottest new couple, to the best red carpet looks and every dazzling star make-over in between. So sit back, relax and enjoy our trip down memory lane with the 2009 Sugar Awards!
It was the little show that could. When the Australian version of the Brit cooking game show hit our screens back in April, no-one expected it to succeed. But suceed, it most certainly did. Masterchef has become an Aussie TV phenomenon, spawning Matt Preston cookbooks and cds, endless Julie Goodwin mag covers, a celeb spinoff and a junior version in 2010. But most importantly: the show has inspired would-be Neil Perrys countrywide to don a cravat and try their hand at creating over-the-top desserts like the croquembouche. For that alone, we hereby anoint Masterchef Australia as PopSugar’s fave new show for 2009.
But what do you think? Tell us in the comments- your time starts... now.
Former Miss Universe Australia Rachael Finch is back together with her boyfriend after dumping him via text. Rach reportedly broke things off with Sunshine Coast radio announcer Angus O’Loughlin while filming Celebrity MasterChef in September. She was romantically linked to fellow contestant swimmer Eamon Sullivan, but she’s apparently had a change of heart.
Rachael and Angus, both 21, met at a fashion show in Queensland and dated for two years. They continued their relationship even after Rachael moved to Sydney to pursue her career. A friend of Rachael’s confirms the couple have rekindled their relationship saying they are “happy and in love.” So that means Eamon is definitely single?
Out of 18 celebs, Kirk Pengilly, Eamon Sullivan and Rachael Finch were the last cooks in the MasterChef kitchen for last night’s final. The first challenge was the taste test where they had to identify the 25 ingredients in paella. Kirk won with 10 points, Rach came in second with eight and Eamon screwed up early by guessing thyme when he actually meant rosemary.
Keep reading . . .
Celebrity MasterChef– The Final!! The final cooks in the MasterChef kitchen are Rachael Finch, swimmer Eamon Sullivan and musician Kirk Pengilly. They’ll have three challenges to determine who will take home the trophy. Our money's on Rach. (Ten)
Late Show With David Letterman- Zac Efron, Carrie Fisher and Rhianna. (Ten)
Tough Love– The second episode of tough love bootcamp where single chicks learn how to change their dating strategies. Ten-hut! (Lifestyle You)
Chelsea Lately– Chelsea films her second ep in Sydney! (Arena)
The dreaded croquembouche is baaaaack (cue dramatic chipmunk clip)! Kirk Pengilly, Eamon Sullivan, Rachael Finch and Alex Lloyd had to recreate pastry chef Adriano Zumbo’s tower of profiteroles topped with sugar butterflies. But this wasn’t your ordinary croquembouche. To make matters worse, there were chocolate profiteroles forming a swirl through the cake, as well as the usual kind filled with vanilla crème pastisserie. D’oh!
The contestants had three and a half hours to create their masterpieces. The profiterole’s were all over the shop and Alex burnt his fingers while dipping his in the hot toffee and had to leave the kitchen. His fingers were covered with bandages by end of the challenge but he decided to hang in there. Rachael continues to impress us and nailed the challenge. Eamon did a decent job and Kirk propped up his leaning tower by sticking in some extra profiteroles and didn’t have time to make his sugar butterfly, telling the judges it had “flown away.” Ha. Meanwhile, Alex’s creation was just a heap of hot mess. Predictably, Alex was sent home and the final three face off tonight for the Celebrity MasterChef title.
Celebrity MasterChef – The croquembouche is baaaaack! This is the last challenge before the final tomorrow night and it’s a doozy. (Ten)
Packed to the Rafters – The fourth Rafters spawn makes an appearance tonight in the second season finale. (Seven)
The Castle – We reckon this is ocker suburban comedy is a bit of all right. Check out the Kerrigan clan as they fight to keep their home and score some bargains from the Trading Post. (Nine)
The Rachel Zoe Project – How can the final be here already? What happened to make Taylor call it quits? Will Rach survive her vertizoe? Watch all the action before they shut it down. Literally. (Arena)
Chelsea Lately – Chelsea brings her show to Oz! Guests tonight include Lawrence Leung and Rove McManus. Wonder if she’ll refer to Rove as her 'lil nugget. Chuy might have some competition in the sidekick stakes. (E!)
The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien – Taylor Lautner. Team Jacob! (Comedy)
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon – Blake Lively and Tommy Lee. (Comedy)
Late Show with David Letterman – Ashley Greene and Robin Williams. (Ten)
MasterChef judge Matt Preston has officially jumped the shark. Everyone loved the first series of the show and Matt is making the most of his 15 minutes. First he penned a cookbook, Cravat-A-Licious, and now he is releasing an album with Sony Music. For realz. Fortunately Matt isn’t singing. Music from Another Platter is a compilation of his favourite songs and features lots of Sony artists, naturally. Disc one is for cooking and disc two is for eating. We’re just thankful there is no disc three for ahem, dessert. Of course we all expected the commercial endorsements, spinoff shows and cookbooks, but it’s feeling like this golden goose is cooked. We can’t believe he hasn’t teamed up with Danielle Wallace for a line of cravats. Yet.
Tough Love: This reality series was created by Drew Barrymore and her producing partner Nancy Juvonen. Steve Ward is a US dating guru and brutally honest about what guys really want in relationships. He coaches eight single women on how to change their dating strategies during this “tough love bootcamp.” Where do we sign up? (Lifestyle You)
Celebrity MasterChef: The remaining five contestants must produce a dish from a set menu according to customer demand in a five-star hotel restaurant. (Ten)
Heroes: Hiro is in hospital and forms a bond with a hearing-impaired cello player. Sylar doesn’t know who he is and Noah travels with Peter to try and find a cure for Hiro’s illness. (7Two)
I Married a Princess: Casper Van Dien is best known for starring in a bad movie with Denise Richards back in 1997 called Starship Troopers. Then he married Catherine Oxenberg who is an actress and a Yugoslavian princess (does a royal title count when your country doesn’t even exist anymore?) and now they live in LA with all their kids. (Lifestyle You)
What’s Good For You This Summer: Lyndsey investigates detox diets (we’re currently obsessed with Gwyneth’s “clean” detox.) Meanwhile Andrew finds out why some peeps are mozzie magnets. (Nine)
