MasterChef Australia

MasterChef Australia was one such show that deepened my understanding of cooking and enhanced my love for food. In fact, it was 4 years of watching this show that inspired me to pen down my thoughts on Food. The show which I came across accidentally, became something I look forward to watch every year. It airs on Star World from Monday to Friday, and when the clock struck 9, I used to plop myself on the sofa, glued to the screen. I still do – never missed an episode. It’s a cooking competition that sees 24 ambitious home cooks from across the world, testing their creativity, time and pressure management, their knowledge of cuisines through various challenges. It showed me that there’s more to just following a recipe, rather it’s indulging with the ingredients in a way that ensures balance in flavours, resulting in a masterpiece that gets cooked. The engaging attraction of the show which makes it authentic lies among the captivating words of Gary Mehigan, George Calombaris and Matt Preston – the judges. Their humbleness and respect for each contestants’ efforts makes the whole experience of watching it even more beautiful. If a few dishes by the cooks turn out to be incomplete or not balanced in terms of flavour, they try to encourage and push them to work around and over those flaws. I do remember some of their insightful words, one of them being - keep trying to increase your efforts, always be ready to step out of your comfort zone, and lastly on a humorous note, get your apron dirty.

Over the last 11 years of the show, numerous cooks participated across the seasons, but some of them blew my breath away. One can never forget Reynold from Season 10, who never failed to bring out the mesmerizing wow reaction to any of his beautiful and aesthetic desserts, there’s Poh from Season 1 who was known as the Pastry queen, Sashi from Season 10 who was an Indian and went on to win the MasterChef title, Emilia from Season 6 who showcased some of the best choux pastry skills the competition has seen – and many more. All of them weren’t able to win the title at the end of the day, but they left a mark, their signature – which shall be in the hearts and minds of all those who have watched them. I supported, prayed, and admired their cooking in challenging times, and cried when they got eliminated. It instilled a few tips and takeaways on treating food with love and respect. There are certain life lessons too that can be grasped and inferred. To achieve that flavour balance in a dish is an art, and just like that we need to have a balance – to not be overconfident about our strengths, and not be blown away and discouraged by our weaknesses. Too much of anything is not good. The cooks are completely into what they’re cooking, improvising along with way. I realised it’s not just a plate of food, but in fact a plate that tells their story, culture and emotions. I’ve seen the judges get emotional just by having a bite. Food can take you back to your fondest memories and moments. The show has given me a perpetual belief in how passion in anything for that matter can take you to heights and greatness which you’ve never imagined or expected. The judges in the show may get replaced and the participants change every year, but MasterChef Australia will remain the same – inspiring and instilling hope and happiness, along with my love for it.