Matthew Q&A
Fast facts
1. Favourite chef: Peter Gilmore.
2. Favourite restaurant: Quay Restaurant, Sydney.
3. Favourite cuisine: Modern Australian with
French influence.
4. Favourite place to travel: Spain.
5. Favourite dish to cook: Quail Ravioli with
Cauliflower Puree.
6. Favourite vegetable: Fennel.
7. Sweet or savoury: Savoury.
8. How do you like your eggs: Fried.
Q&A
Favourite ingredient and why?
Vanilla bean. I love this ingredient because it is the key
ingredient in my mum's Vanilla Bean ice cream. It is one of my
favourite foods and reminds me of my childhood, sitting around
eating ice cream with my face covered in it.
What's your favourite meal of the day - breakfast, lunch or
dinner?
Dinner. My family sit down to a home cooked meal everyday
and it gives us a chance to talk about what happened during the day
and the week.
What dish would be the way to your heart? Molten
chocolate pudding.
I cook it for the special woman in my life, so if it was cooked for
me it would be easy access to my heart.
What are your favourite tunes to cook to?
Bloc Party, Red Hot Chilli Peppers and Death Cab for
Cutie.
What do you think you'll learn from being on
MasterChef?
I will learn to cope under immense pressure and will learn new
techniques of cooking from the judges. My knowledge of food and
cooking is going to grow substantially!
Which judge makes you the most nervous?
Matt Preston makes me the most nervous as he has the ability to
make or break restaurants and as such can make or break our
cooking.
Tell us about how you got into cooking and how old were
you?
I got into cooking by watching my mum in the kitchen. My mum is a
great cook and she inspired my love of cooking. I was around ten
when I started cooking and helping in the kitchen.
What's the first meal you remember cooking and was it a
success or a disaster?
Roast leg of lamb. It was a success because I had my mum close by
my side to guide
me.
What three ingredients would you take with you to a
desert island and what would you cook with them?
Eggs, butter and sugar. I would scale a coconut tree and grab a
ripe coconut. I would use this to make a coconut soufflé
from the juice inside.
If you were having any three people, alive or dead, over
for dinner, who would they be and what would you cook for
them?
My grandparents from my dad's side and my grandmother from my mum's
side. I was never lucky enough to meet them so it would be amazing
to interact with them and show them my passion. I would cook a
simple dish of roast leg of lamb with roasted vegetables and my
mum's beautiful vanilla bean ice-cream.
What inspired you to go on MasterChef?
I was inspired to go on MasterChef because I felt I
wasn't in a job that I loved. I wanted to be able to wake up each
day and love going to work. Food has been one of the most important
things in my life so I know MasterChef will open doors for me, so I
can do what I love for the rest of my life.
