Hello Everyone :)
This is my first ever attempt to write a blog. & what's better than dedicating it to someone who has a major impact in our (me & my little sister) life!! So yes, this is all about our food hero..the Tassie boy Ben Milbourne.
This is Ben's first cookbook & that was released at the end of October,
2013. As the name suggests, this book is all about Mexican cuisine or
we can put it like this >> Ben's take on Mexican cuisine as Ben
said: "Mexican Craving is my take on Mexican, not really traditional but
with an Aussie twist." Well, what we forgot to tell is that Ben simply
loves loves & loves Mexican!! With his modern twist on the traditional food,
easy-to-follow directions
and plenty of substitutes for hard-to-find authentic ingredients, Ben
opens up the amazing world of Mexican food with over 70 recipes
Few pics from Ben's book:
Images from Ben & Andy's Mexico trip :
Ben & Andy at The Australian Embassy in Mexico
Ben & Andy at The Australian Embassy in Mexico
Monday, 24 February 2014
Ben's Mexico trip with Andy
Ben has always wanted to visit Mexico since he's deeply in love with the Mexican cuisine. So it was his dream to visit Mexico & get a first hand experience of the colour, flavor & taste of Mexican cuisine. At last, his dream came true & who could have been a better person than Andy to accompany Ben while he embarks on his journey of fulfilling his dream!! Last October (2013), Masterchef celebrities Andy Allen (2012 winner) and Ben Milbourne embarked on Intrepid Travel’s Mexican Real Food Adventure. During their trip, they visited places like Oaxaca, Puebla, Mexico city etc.These Mexican-mad masterchefs soaked up a bevy of grassroots food
experiences - a Mexican City taco-crawl, tucking into cheese (and
grasshoppers!) in Oaxaca, tasting the hottest chilli in the world in a
local market and rounding it off with artisanal mezcal shots are just
the a tiny part of their Mexico adventure.
Oh..& they also did something very special during their Mexico trip. Ben, together with Andy got the opportunity to cook dinner for the Australian ambassador (in Mexico) & a few of his special guests!! What a moment it was for them....very special accolade!!
Apart from exploring the Mexican Cuisine, they captured the sights, sounds, food and drink of the country on film for an
exclusive YouTube documentary series to be released on Andy’s youtube channel sometime in 2014. They have already released a couple of trailor of their Mexico trip through Andy's channel :
MasterChefs feast on food for Day of the Dead festivities in Mexico
Masterchefs Andy Allen and Ben Milbourne have been
devouring their way through Mexico on Intrepid Travel’s Real Food
Adventure – Mexico, capturing the sights, sounds, food and drink of the
country on film for Andy’s YouTube channel.
As the boys prepare to celebrate Mexico’s Day of the Dead festivities
from October 31 to November 2, they share their strangest and most
interesting food experiences so far, and dare you to try them when in
Mexico. Agave worm tacos. Andy says: “these worms live on the agave
plants used to make mezcal. They taste like bacon but their texture is
definitely a lot squishier.” Fried grasshoppers (Chapulines). Ben says: “a delicacy in
Oaxaca, where they fry these grasshoppers up in a multitude of flavours
for you to choose: chilli, lime, garlic – it’s all there.” Chicatanas. Andy says: “these are full bodied flying ants,
fried – wings, eyes and all. The wings are larger than their bodies and
slightly more challenging than Chapulines!” Tejate. Ben says: “a maize and cacao beverage, a bit like
chocolate milk but pastier and enjoyed especially in Oaxaca. I probably
prefer good old chocolate milk!” Pulque. Andy says: “pulque is basically an alcoholic drink
made of fermented cactus juice. It’s thick and slimy, and almost has the
consistency of porridge. We tried flavoured versions like oats,
mandarin and celery. The ‘classico’ is a bit flavourless and tastes like
milky vinegar.” Green Habanero Chilli. Ben says: “This chilli is the real
deal. The green chilli is the hottest in the Habanero family, as it has
just fallen from the tree so it’s holding its full colour, flavour and
heat. I have tried one in Australia before, so I handballed the test
onto Andy. Within seconds he couldn’t speak, nor could he swallow. We
lost him from the dinner table for about 20 minutes as he went outside
to contemplate life with a burning mouth and running nose!” Street egg taco. Andy says: “This soupy little scrambled egg
on a corn tortilla looked good, but took our director out of action for
24 hours. I guess he just got a bad egg.” Chicken Breast Flavoured Mezcal. Andy says: “I think we’ll be sticking to normal flavoured mescal in the future!” Clamato beer. Ben says: “I don’t mind this but everyone else
struggled. Over here in the local stores you can buy tins of beer with
tomato juice added to them for the taste of a Bloody Mary beer. The
Mexicans love it.”
(Source: Globaltravelmedia.com.au November 1, 2013)
Thursday, 20 February 2014
Masterchef Dining and Bar....
The concept behind MasterChef Dining & Bar is simple. To offer a
premium dining experience that connects fans of the show to the chefs,
contestants, and dishes made famous by the series. MasterChef Dining & Bar presented by American Express aims to bring to
life the brand’s core values of originality and excellence, to offer the
public a unique and engaging fine dining experience in two amazing
locations.
Sydney’s harbourside First Fleet Park in The Rocks
played host to the first pop-up restaurant from 13th August – 1st
September, and then the rooftop of the spectacular Crown Melbourne was home of the MasterChef Dining & Bar from 1st October - 3rd
November.
Alumni from the past five seasons of Masterchef Australia along with judges George Calombaris, Gary Mehigan & many other celebrity chefs came together to celebrate the legacy the Masterchef series has created.
Ben at Masterchef Dining & Bar:
Wednesday, 19 February 2014
Ben's long weekend....
'Ben's long weekend' is a social media campaign launched by Tourism Industry Council Tasmania to promote tourism accreditation while encouraging Tasmanians to get out and explore their State. Apart from spending a long weekend in Tassie accompanied by Tasmania's Tourism Accreditation Ambassador Ben Milbourne, the winners also get an exclusive chance to enjoy private dinner prepared by Ben. 'Ben's
Long Weekend' aims to raise Tasmanian's awareness of the accreditation
tick logo, to 'Trust the Tick' and look for accredited operators when
booking their next break within the State.
Ben's Weekend in NW Tassie applauded..
The Minister for Tourism, Mr Bacon today congratulated the Tourism
Industry Council Tasmania on its latest innovative marketing product
"Ben's Long Weekend".
"The Tourism Info Monitor shows that around
80 per cent of people who visited Tasmania recommended us to others –
that's 4 out of every 5 visitors!
"This is the power of word of mouth!
"I
applaud the council for its innovative social-media competition
utilising the talent of local MasterChef and Tasmanian Tourism
Accreditation Ambassador, Ben Milbourne," he said.
Mr Bacon said
that it is also important to raise awareness among Tasmanians of the
Accreditation "Tick" recognising quality assurance in tourism while
showcasing the wonderful experiences to be enjoyed in this State.
"I encourage everyone to enter the competition," he said.
(Source: tourismtasmania.com.au July 26, 2013)
The very first 'Ben's long weekend' took place in September, 2013. & the winners were treated to something like these>>
Here are few snaps from the first ever 'Ben's long weekend':
The 2nd Ben's long weekend happened on the occassion of Australia Day 2014. This time the winners got a chance to enjoy all these>> * A private dinner, personally prepared by Ben, using the best local produce from Tasmania's spectacular East Coast; * 3 nights accommodation at the award winning Sheoaks Bed & Breakfast and Bed in the Treetops B & B - comfort, style and stunning views in Freycinet and the Bay of Fires; * the amazing Wineglass Bay Cruise; * a three course dinner at the Bay Restaurant, Freycinet Lodge; * Four day's car rental with Avis Australia; * and time to explore behind the scenery!
Snaps from that weekend are given below:
Entree by Ben - Abalone salad
Main dish cooked by Ben - Squid ink pasta with lobster and chorizo
Dessert made by Ben - Creme Patisserie with wine poached pears, strawberries, candied nuts and pepper meringues
