Latest news with #MasterChef
NZ Herald
an hour ago
- Business
- NZ Herald
Nadia Lim on taking opportunities, building a brand, and the realities of farming – Ask Me Anything with Paula Bennett
Over the past 14 years, Nadia Lim has emerged as not only the most successful reality TV winner in New Zealand's history, but as one of the country's top businesswomen. After winning the second season of MasterChef in 2011, Lim has released a dozen cookbooks, made several successful TV
Scottish Sun
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
BBC Masterchef star closes award-winning restaurant TODAY after ‘unforgettable journey' as he teases ‘final celebration'
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) AN AWARD-winning restaurant owned by a BBC Masterchef star is closing today after an "unforgettable journey". Announcing the news online, chef Ritchie Staisnby teased a "final celebration" before he closes the doors to the much-loved vegan food spot. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 6 BBC Masterchef star has closed his award-winning restaurant Credit: Trip Advisor 6 The vegan restaurants was much-loved in the community Credit: Trip Advisor 6 Ritchie previously appeared on Masterchef Credit: BBC Owners of the restaurant made the decision to shut up shop after admitting "everything is up in the air". Co-owner of Nottingham-based No. Twelve, Ritchie Stainsby built up a strong relationship with his regular customers after starring on Masterchef: The Professionals last year. He runs the restaurant alongside wife Lauren and despite the popular spot being filled up most days, Ritchie has called time on the project. The final farewell will take place on 1 June and is open to all members of the public. Read more on Money TAKING OFF Beautiful airport hotel with bee treasure hunts and fine dining restaurant Tickets are free and the restaurant will be serving heavily discounted booze and food, and will even auction off some of its items. In a post on Instagram the couple said: "This is more than just a party — it's a thank you, a farewell, and a celebration of everything has stood for. "Whether you've dined with us once or a hundred times, we'd love to see your face and raise one last glass together. No dress code — just bring your friends, your appetite, and your best stories. Let's make this a day to remember." News of the closure was announced earlier this year with the TV chef alluding to things being "up in the air" despite being as busy as ever. They said: "We got some sensitive news that's out of our hands. Heartbroken MasterChef star tells of 'lost dream' after shutting award-winning restaurant and warns 'it's bleak' "We have loved doing this and the reason it's coming to an end so abruptly is some personal circumstances for us and those around us that contribute to the restaurant closing. "No. Twelve hasn't failed, to be honest we are busier than we ever have been. "And because we're a couple we guarantee people will think we've split up. Just to clarify we are a happily married couple." He ended the passionate message by saying: "Everything is up in the air at the moment and, even though we don't know what's going to happen, I'm still going to be a chef." The 33-year-old is yet to say what led to the closure of No. Twelve but he did confirm the brand would live on in the form of regular pop-up events. Private dining bookings will also still be available for guests who want to get their tastebuds back with Ritchie's tasty offerings. No. Twelve can be found at Eldon Chambers in a busy part of Nottingham. It was first opened up in 2017 as a small 24-seater cafe in Hounds Gate being the business was transformed into a fine dining restaurant in a converted redbrick Victorian mill, off Wheeler Gate. They specialise in vegan dishes with an imaginative twist that has wowed everyone - including devout meat lovers. Much of the meals form an à la carte menu but there is also a seven-course tasting menu for people to try. 6 The chef said he would carry on cooking Credit: BBC 6 They thanks their fans for the 'unforgettable journey' Credit: Trip Advisor 6 A final closing party will take place on June 1 Credit: Instagram Until today the spot was running as usual to provide diners with a culinary experience they won't forget. Lauren, 29, previously said: "What we want to do over the next three months is celebrate. "One door closes, another door opens. We're going to see it as something positive. "It is sad but we don't want to be sad about it because there is no point. It's been a great journey for us. "I started this when I was 22, now I'm going to be celebrating my 30th here. It's amazing, we've done so well." Ritchie said despite the pair choosing to step away from the business sector for now, they could be convinced back one day. He said if the right investor came in and made an offer which was good enough then they would go into business again. The chef said: "Whilst a change of location seems impossible at the moment, it's not something we'd ever rule out. "The economy, as it is, is tragic for our industry. While there are places opening we often find it's people who have got big backing." It comes after Sunday Brunch star Elliot Kaye and Richie Hayes shared that they would be closing their modern-style greasy spoon. The North London eatery Norman's Cafe had long been a hub for influencers and fashion-forward people looking for a greasy spoon with a difference. Opened by Sunday Brunch chef Elliot Kaye and Richie Hayes, the posh restaurant first opened its doors in 2020. Norman's Cafe began as a sandwich shop before widening its menu to include a range of British classics. Despite its immense popularity, however, the shop's owners announced that it will close its doors in June 2025.
Otago Daily Times
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Otago Daily Times
Combining cultures
Julie Lin is an author, recipe developer and broadcaster. She has just published her first book Sama Sama which fuses Malaysian, Chinese and Scottish influences from her heritage. In 2011, Julie Lin made a note to self on Facebook: "New mission in life," she wrote in a status update: "be Nigella Lawson." At the time, she was working in retail in Glasgow and teaching piano and violin while channelling most of her creative energies into cooking dinner parties for friends. Flash forward 13 years and while Lin may not have fulfilled her mission exactly as stated, she's been making all the right moves in that direction. First she went on MasterChef in 2014 and made it to the quarter finals. Then she quit her job and became a chef, before setting up her own street-food stall in Glasgow. She graduated to a "proper"restaurant on the city's south side in 2017, then a larger one called GaGa which is still going strong today. Now she's written a cookbook, which unites the two parts of her heritage — Malaysian and Scottish — in unexpected and delicious ways. "My mum's from Malaysia, and I go there every year," she says. Her father is Scottish and she grew up in Glasgow "with an abundance of amazing Scottish produce. So it feels like I'm from both places." Chinese sausage bucatini carbonara Carbonara will forever be one of my favourite dishes. The Chinese sausage (lap cheong) I use is an ambient food, so I always tend to have it in the cupboard. It's truly one of the finest ingredients — its smoky sweetness makes it taste like maple-cured bacon and it works perfectly with the rich egg yolks. Allowing the fat to render a little releases the oils into the dish and creates the most moreish flavour. Serves 2 200g dried bucatini (or another long pasta) 40g Chinese sausage (lap cheong), thinly sliced at an angle 1 Tbsp olive oil 4 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped 3 egg yolks 50g parmesan, grated, plus extra to serve 1 tsp light soy sauce ½ tsp kecap manis (sweet soy sauce) salt and black pepper Method Bring a large saucepan of well-salted water to the boil. Add the bucatini to the pan and cook for 8 minutes (or according to the packet instructions). Meanwhile, in a dry frying pan, gently fry the sausage over a low heat until the oils are released, allowing it to get a bit crisp. Remove the sausage from the pan and set aside. Add the olive oil to the pan and fry the chopped garlic until fragrant but not browned. Using a fork, whisk together the egg yolks, grated parmesan, soy sauce, kecap manis and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Once cooked, drain the bucatini, reserving some of the pasta cooking water. Add the sausage back into the pan along with the drained bucatini and toss in the garlic oil. Slowly add a little of the pasta cooking water to the egg yolk mixture until glossy and combined. Pour this over the hot pasta and sausage and mix together. Serve immediately with black pepper and the extra parmesan grated on top. Chinese-style spicy garlic celery Celery divides people. I think that's because most of us are introduced to it in the form of batons dipped into hummus. But I adore celery in its cooked form, especially with soy and garlic. This is a version of a common wok-fried celery dish we eat at large banquets in Malaysia. Serves 1 2 Tbsp Shaoxing rice wine 3 Tbsp light soy sauce 1 tsp white sugar 2 Tbsp vegetable oil 1 bunch, celery sliced on an angle 5 cloves garlic, peeled and finely diced 1 tsp cornflour, plus 3 Tbsp water to make a paste 1 tsp Malaysian crispy prawn chilli or crispy chilli oil salt and ground white pepper Method In a small bowl, mix together the Shaoxing rice wine, soy sauce and sugar. Heat the vegetable oil in a wok over a high heat. Add the celery to the hot oil and stir-fry for 1 minute, or until a little translucent. Next, add the garlic and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes, or until fragrant. Add the rice wine, soy and sugar mixture, then add the cornflour paste and stir-fry until everything thickens slightly. Allow all of the flavours to come together, then taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and white pepper. Finally, add the crispy prawn chilli or crispy chilli oil and make a few last tosses. Serve immediately while piping hot. Nasi goreng with smoked mackerel Nasi goreng is probably one of the most recognisable dishes in Indonesian and Malaysian cuisines. Nasi means rice and goreng means fried, so it translates simply as fried rice. Full of flavour, this dish can be adapted to use up any ingredients you have in the fridge. I adore adding mackerel to this; the smokiness makes it extra punchy. It's important to cook out the paste (rempah) here so that all of the roundness of the flavours can coat the rice. All of the day-old rice grains should absorb maximum flavour. Remember, nasi goreng is a simple dish to cook, but it's all about making sure it's not still wet at the end of the frying process. Serves 2 vegetable oil for frying 2 spring onions, chopped into 4cm chunks 150g fine green beans, trimmed 50g smoked mackerel, flaked 300g cooked and cooled jasmine rice (preferably a day old) 1 ½ tsp kecap manis (sweet soy sauce) 1 ½ Tbsp fish sauce, or to taste 4 eggs 150g beansprouts For the rempah 1 long shallot, peeled and roughly chopped 5 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped 2 fresh long red chillies, deseeded and roughly chopped 4 dried red chillies, soaked in warm water for 20 minutes, drained, deseeded 2 Tbsp dried anchovies (ikan billis) Seasoning station (optional) sambal belacan, chilli crisp oil, fish sauce, light soy sauce, lime juice, salt Method First, make the rempah. Place all the ingredients in a food processor or blender and blitz to a paste. Heat plenty of oil in a wok over a medium-high heat. (You need lots of oil to make the paste oily enough that it coats the rice.) Once the wok is hot, add the rempah, spring onion chunks, trimmed green beans and flaked mackerel. Fry everything for 1-2 minutes, stirring continuously so that the paste doesn't catch and burn. Turn the heat down, then add the cooled rice to the wok with a few tablespoons of water. Add the kecap manis and fish sauce, stirring furiously until everything is mixed together. Create a well in the centre of the rice. Keeping the heat on medium-low, crack two of the eggs into the centre of the well and allow them to scramble. Once fully cooked through, mix the scrambled egg through the rice with the beansprouts. Heat enough oil to cover the base in a separate pan over a very high heat. Once the oil is very hot, crack the remaining two eggs into the pan. Fry until the skirts of the eggs are golden and crispy. When ready to serve, spoon the rice into two bowls and top with the crispy fried eggs. Add whichever of the ingredients you fancy from the seasoning station. — The Observer
AsiaOne
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- AsiaOne
I had a mini cook-off with Chef Bob as he launches his latest creations - here's how it went, Lifestyle News
I've watched my fair share of cooking competitions, from Culinary Class Wars to MasterChef, but never did I expect to be participating in one. Even if it was just a friendly cook-off. My opponent for the day? None other than Shahrizal Salleh, better known as Chef Bob, an established name in the local culinary scene. For the uninitiated, Chef Bob had stints at luxury hotels like Grand Hyatt and Ritz-Carlton. He also began his own ventures like The Landmark, a halal buffet in Bugis, and Bobmi, which specialises in Indonesian Bakmie. On Wednesday (May 28), at a media preview for his latest collaboration with Halal restaurant Good Old Days in Sentosa, I had the chance to sample his three new dishes: Nasi Lemak Goreng, Assam Pedas Pasta and Ginger Fish Horfun. These dishes will available on Good Old Days' menu for the next seven months. Being a self-proclaimed foodie, I was naturally excited to have a first taste of these creative inventions. That enthusiasm would soon morph into mild panic when I found out I'd be cooking alongside Chef Bob during the event. Behind the kitchen counter To be fair, I willingly accepted the offer to step into the kitchen with Chef Bob. Regardless, that sense of dread was genuine. The cook-off was simple enough in-theory. I had to mirror Chef Bob in whipping up his new Assam Pedas Pasta. Once plated, our dishes would be put through a blind taste test to decide the winner. Ingredients included fresh prawns, Thai asparagus, laksa leaves, onion, asam pedas, evaporated milk and pappardelle pasta. Mix it all up in a pan and there's the dish. Sounds easy enough, I thought. In practice? Not quite. Chef Bob's knife skills had me trailing behind from the very start. As he sauteed his onions like a seasoned pro, I was already left sweating (both figuratively and literally) just trying to keep up. Despite the early wobbles, I managed to complete cooking the dish and both our Assam Pedas Pasta was done and sent off to plating. The blind taste test was a wipeout, with every participant picking the "cylinder" instead of the "sampan" option. Imagine the surprised, and slightly suspicious, look on my face when it was announced that I cooked the winning dish! The cook-off was all in good fun and once that was done, I had the chance to dive into all of Chef Bob's latest creations. Verdict on new dishes Right off the bat, I'll admit that I've never been particularly fond of assam pedas. So there was a slight hesitance on my end on whether I'd appreciate his Assam Pedas Pasta ($12.80). But having won the cook-out, I thought: "Why not go in with an open mind?" I took a bite and was pleasantly surprised. The tangy and lightly spiced sauce was a winner for me, and it paired well with the choice of pasta. Fresh prawns and crunchy Thai asparagus also added texture to the dish. Did the dish completely win me over when it comes to a classic assam pedas? Probably not. But would I order it again at Good Old Days? Highly likely. Then came the Ginger Fish Horfun ($10.80). Fans of Chef Bob will be glad to see this classic menu item return from his earlier culinary career A comforting dish featuring rice noodles, dark soy sauce, egg gravy and fish slices, this is a solid pick if you're a hor fun lover. But my suggestion would be to save space for a plate of Nasi Lemak Goreng ($12.80) instead. Rich, aromatic and so addictive. Coconut rice is wok-fried and plated with Chef Bob's signature crispy turmeric chicken, a sunny-side up egg and a variety of sides such as cucumber slices, sambal, ikan bilis and peanuts. Simple in appearance but deceptively tricky to execute. Chef Bob explained that due to the rice's high fat content, a different level of skill was required to fry it right. We got a sampler portion that left me wishing for a full-sized plate. [[nid:716024]] After the tastings, I sat down with Chef Bob to talk about the collaboration. He told AsiaOne that he'd long been a patron of Good Old Days. When asked about the creation of his three new dishes, Chef Bob replied: "I came up with [these dishes] to complement whatever Good Old Days already has. "Because their menu is already extensive." He also noted that bringing new ideas to the table is often an arduous process, especially when it comes to menu planning. According to Chef Bob, the R&D process can take six months as it involves numerous tweaks and iterations before the final dish is finally presented to the public. Take the Assam Pedas Pasta, for example. I learnt that the choice of pappardelle was intentional. "Pappardelle is very wide so when you cook it with a sauce, it'll hug the pasta. When you eat each strand, you can get all the flavours as well," Chef Bob explained. And having tasted and cooked the dish myself, I can certainly vouch for that. Address: 60 Siloso Beach, Singapore 098997 Opening hours: 10am to 10pm daily, last order at 9pm [[nid:717704]] amierul@
News.com.au
2 days ago
- Business
- News.com.au
ABC in talks of new show with original MasterChef judges
MasterChef Australia's three original judges – Matt Preston, Gary Mehigan and George Calombaris – are in talks to reunite for a mystery television project. Six years after Preston, Mehigan and Calombaris last collaborated, executives at the ABC are hoping the three can be brought together to recreate the MasterChef magic in a new culinary program on the public broadcaster. Industry sources last week said the trio hoped the yet-to-be-greenlit program would relaunch their prime time television careers. Flamboyant food critic Preston and restaurateur/chefs Calombaris and Mehigan enjoyed 11 seasons as presenters and judges on MasterChef before the three made a pact in 2019 to jointly walk away from the Ten Network reality series if they couldn't extract a better deal. Industry claims, reported by your scribe at the time, had it the men had each demanded a million dollar contract from Ten. This was 18 months after the financially embattled network had been acquired by American media company CBS (later rebranded Paramount) after entering into voluntary administration in 2017. Despite the program's consistently high ratings, Ten refused the trio's demands and the presenters left the program. The following year Preston and Mehigan were signed to Seven's short-lived cooking show, Plate of Origin, alongside chef Manu Feildel. The program lasted just four weeks and was cancelled due to poor ratings however both would be invited to appear on the 2022 season of Seven's My Kitchen Rules. The two have remained regular collaborators and this year have joined forces to conduct food adventure tours in Hong Kong and Taiwan as well as a tour of India. Meanwhile prior to and after his departure from MasterChef Calombaris was sunk in financial scandal after it emerged he had underpaid restaurant staff $7.83 million. Following the closure of his 21 restaurants his company went into voluntary administration. He eventually made his return to television in 2022 on Ten with a six-part docu-series entitled Hungry after working diligently to rehabilitate his career and reputation. All three men are said to be keen to re-establish the chemistry that made them household names from 2009 and to relaunch their on-screen partnership, even with the expected downsized ABC pay cuts. SEVEN'S POWER MOVE Departed Nine Network journalist Chris O'Keefe has received an approach from the Seven Network to return to television. Former Seven Perth news director Ray Kuka was only days into his new job as replacement for recently departed national news boss Anthony De Ceglie when Kuka started canvasing for an experienced hand to take the reins of his Sydney newsroom. The approach follows this column's revelation Seven's Sydney news director Sean Power, promoted under De Ceglie to move across from executive producer of Sunrise to run Seven's Sydney newsroom, is headed home to Melbourne. We hear the well-regarded Power is currently without a job to go to in Melbourne but is hopeful Kuka will find him a role. It's news that has to be unsettling for the network's appointed-under-De-Ceglie Melbourne news director Chris Salter. Power's impending departure would be less of a problem for Kuka were he now permanently relocated to Sydney. With his family remaining in Perth – and Kuka apparently in no hurry to quit Perth for Sydney – he's under pressure to appoint a strong and loyal 'number two' to helm his newsroom in the nation's news capital. O'Keefe, who was a reporter for Nine for over a decade before trying his hand at talk radio on Nine-owned Sydney station 2GB, quit the media, and Nine, at the end of last year. After announcing he was to start his own political advocacy business he surprised former colleagues by joining the Clean Energy Council as its national spokesman. According to our Seven sources, O'Keefe didn't hesitate in declining Kuka's offer leaving the Perth news veteran, another chairman's pick by Kerry Stokes or so we hear, to go hunting for a new contender. JULIE'S ANGUISH CONTINUES Julie Martin's heartbreaking statement to a coronial inquest has confirmed claims the mother-of-three has become a virtual recluse in her eastern suburbs home since her daughter died in a random attack at Bondi Junction 13 months ago. Friends of the lawyer say she has been held up in her eastern suburbs home for over a year refusing to leave the house or take phone calls. Sources say the grieving mother has, since her 25-year-old's daughter's tragic death, stopped leaving the house to shop for food and provisions and now has groceries and supplies delivered to her home to help avoid public scrutiny or contact. A second statement tendered to the inquest this week also contradicted media reports the soon-to-be married Dawn had been at Westfield Bondi Junction to shop for make-up for her upcoming wedding. Friends of the deceased have previously informed this column Dawn was set to have her makeup done by a professional on her wedding day, and had no need of wedding-day cosmetics. Having received a stern rebuke from Dawn's younger sister Daisy for granting an interview to 60 Minutes, Dawn's father John Singleton has taken a lower profile since the inquest began on April 28. PAY PARITY TAKES BACKWARD STEP AT NINE The last word for the week must surely go to a report in The Australian earlier this week that Sarah Abo is earning $800k-a-year as co-anchor of Nine's Today show. The figure is roughly a quarter (or 28.5 per cent based on the lowest end of his estimate) of the salary currently being paid to her co-host Karl Stefanovic whose salary has been put at between $2.8 million and $3 million. Now this injustice should stick in the craw of Nine's news boss Fiona Dear, the first woman ever installed to run Nine's TV news division. If Dear (and Nine CEO Matt Stanton) has crunched the numbers, as indeed we have, the gender pay gap between the two Today co-hosts has grown since former anchor Lisa Wilkinson lost her job at Nine in 2017 for fighting hard – some have claimed too hard which we reckon is nonsense – to achieve pay parity with Stefanovic. While comedian and radio host Dave Hughes will always be a hero in our eyes for taking a pay cut in 2017 to ensure his co-host Kate Langbroek, who was on 40 per cent less, was given an equitable salary bump and even Kyle Sandilands insisted early in his radio partnership with Jackie 'O' that his 2DAYFM increase her salary from $80k to an equitable arrangement, it seems sexism is still king in television or at least in Nine's light news division.
