Courtney Q&A
Fast facts:
1. Favourite chef: Neil Perry.
2. Favourite restaurant: Toko Restaurant
& Bar, Surry Hills, Sydney.
3. Favourite cuisine: Japanese and
Chinese.
4. Favourite place to travel: Bali and Byron
Bay.
5. Favourite dish to cook: Chilli glass
noodle salad with BBQ prawns.
6. Favourite vegetable: Beetroot.
7. Sweet or savoury: Both.
8. How do you like your eggs: Omelette with
chilli and avocado.
Q&A:
Favourite ingredient and why?
Hot, hot chillies. I put them on everything - omelettes, sandwiches
and most of my dinners. I love the hit it gives to food and it's
also very good for you.
What's your favourite meal of the day - breakfast, lunch or
dinner?
Definitely dinner. Breakfast for me is normally muesli eaten in the
car on the way to work at the traffic lights. I start planning
dinner hours before. It's the only time I get to sit and relax when
I'm eating without being interrupted.
What dish would be the way to your heart?
Any seafood dish would win me over, but it would have to be
Australian and on the healthy side - not heart attack material.
What are your favourite tunes to cook to?
My kitchen DJ is quite eclectic! Kenny Rogers, Bob Marley, Tina
Turner, Passion Pit, Vika & Linda, Elton John, Roxette,
Ladyhawke, Creedence Clearwater&Too many years at the bowling
club jukebox!
What do you think you'll learn from being on
MasterChef?
Firstly, I think I'll learn about food techniques and an insight
into the food industry. Secondly, I think I will learn about
getting along with a large group of people and most of all, that is
you put yourself out there, you never know where you will go.
Which judge makes you the most nervous?
All of the judges make me a little nervous. They all have a lot of
experience between them and know the industry, so there is no room
for stuff-ups.
Tell us about how you got into cooking and how old were
you?
I started cooking at around 11 or 12 years old. I would escape from
doing my homework if I was in the kitchen, no one seemed to notice
I hadn't done it. I am the youngest of six children, I would often
be the first one home and would start preparing dinner. As time
went on, I ended up cooking the whole meal for the family - better
than homework, for sure!
What's the first meal you remember cooking and was it a
success or a disaster?
A lemon cheesecake from my mum's old Margaret Fulton cookbook.
There was none left so I'm guessing it wasn't a failure. I still
make that same dish today, and there are never any leftovers.
What three ingredients would you take with you to a
desert island and what would you cook with them?
Olive oil, lemon and dark chocolate. I would use the oil and lemon
to cook all the fish and seafood I would catch and the dark
chocolate would be just fine as it is!
If you were having any three people, alive or dead, over
for dinner, who would they be and what would you cook for
them?
Tetsuya, my sister and Kenny Rogers. Tetsuya would be cooking and
the rest of us would be singing. I'm sure Tetsuya would join in the
karaoke once dinner is cooked!
What inspired you to go on MasterChef?
I have been in the same job for 12 years and have always wanted to
get a job in the food industry. I've been in a rut for a few years
and haven't known how to make a change. I applied to MasterChef
after watching the first series and thought it would be a fun and
random thing to do. And a stepping stone into changing my life and
career and doing something I love.
