Meeting Matt, George and Gary

The writer can’t contain her excitement as she encounters the MasterChef Australia judges, not once, not twice, but thrice

June 09, 2016 04:18 pm | Updated October 18, 2016 12:42 pm IST

Sharing their knowledge The Masterchef Australia judges in action Photo: K. Murali Kumar

Sharing their knowledge The Masterchef Australia judges in action Photo: K. Murali Kumar

For the past few weeks, Facebook has been abuzz with excitement about the World On A Plate event with Masterchef Australia’s George Calombaris, Gary Mehigan and Matt Preston and I find myself star struck.

Not surprising since, for the past seven seasons, I have spent the weekdays from 9.00 to 10.00 p.m. with them as they have inspired some wonderful cooking on television. I signed up for the tete-a-tete and brunch at the JW Marriott in Bengaluru.

We were regaled with stories of what happened behind the scenes of the Masterchef Australia show. It was obvious that these guys loved a good laugh. Matt’s 400 cravats were discussed along with his views of cooking jam in the buff (simply hilarious), George’s affinity for football (he’s a Manchester United fan) and Gary’s passion for fast motorbikes. They were in a relaxed and chatty mood until they got hungry. Thenn they unanimously announced that they were off to eat their tandoori broccoli.

The next day, at the VIP brunch, to my utter delight I got an opportunity to spend a few moments with Gary, Matt and George. When I said, “Hi Gary!”, he responded with a friendly hi and, for the next 10 minutes, heard me out as I told him about myself and showed him a video my kids had recorded for them. I told him how much his passion for food appealed to us. He thanked me, gave me a quick half hug and rushed off.

I encountered them, once again, at Chef Manu Chandra’s Toast and Tonic. Manu is one of Matt Preston’s favourite Indian chefs. We chatted about organic farming, eating locally available and sustainable food.

When I pointed out the vazhaithandu on Manu’s menu along with the kari pala , Gary said he loved the meaty taste and recollected a jackfruit biryani that he’d eaten at another restaurant. The three spoke passionately about sticking to food and flavours that are seasonal and unique to our own habitations.

Matt, Gary and George were to cook for children from orphanages on Sunday. World On A Plate supports underprivileged kids and what better ambassadors than these three caring human beings. George said the experience had made him emotional, more so since he hadn’t seen his own kids in two weeks and couldn’t wait to get back to them. When I thanked him for the positive influence he had on children through the show, he insisted that the actual credit should go to the parents who make sure the kids follow through on what they see. “If you’re kids are doing that then you’re obviously a great mom” he said.

Matt’s knowledge of Indian cuisine is vast. He agrees with George that chefs must stay true to their cuisines. For instance, Bengal mustard curry need not have a balsamic vinegar influence. For Matt, this trip has also been about stumbling on the mor milagai . But, his first dish on landing has always been a dosa. Matt, George and Gary don’t just want to promote good cooking practices but are also intent on influencing folks back into the kitchen and away from processed foods.

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