They're best known for their skills
in the kitchen but, if a cooking career falls through, they can always
join a Mexican mariachi band.
Ben Milbourne and Andy Allen from MasterChef look right at home in ornate sombreros holding neon maracas. And even more at home chowing down on tacos.
"We're good at looking stupid," Milbourne says as he tucks into a post-shoot snack.
Their TV bromance on the hit cooking show kicked off after they bonded over a love of Mexican cuisine and it's been going strong ever since.
"We met almost a year ago at our first ever audition and just built a really strong relationship from there," Milbourne says.
"I guess there was always the question of when the show is over will we go back to what we were doing and move into our own lives, but we seriously are on the phone to each other every day whenever we aren't in the same place."
As well as working together on Allen's cookbook, which comes as part of his MasterChef prize pack, the boys have hosted pop-up dinners and cooking demonstrations. They will also appear on stage together at MasterChef Live, alongside other contestants and judges from the series. Their last paired cooking demonstration was in Melbourne's Federation Square a few weeks ago in front of about 3000 people.
"It was good training for MasterChef Live. They are expecting 30,000 people over three days," Allen says. "I can't wait - I think it's going to be so much fun. All the contestants will be there; we'll be interacting with the judges, guest chefs and the fans."
Allen and Milbourne believe they go together like tacos and tequila: OK on their own but when paired, it's a winning combination.
"It's always better when we cook together because, as we cook, we'll try each other's food and every idea is enhanced by one or the other," Milbourne says.
"Having someone to bounce ideas off, who thinks the same way you do about food, is really handy. If I've got a cooking demo to do I'll call Andy and say, 'These are my parameters - what do you think?' and we'll nut out the recipe together." For instance, Allen's seared tuna with squid ink and cauliflower puree, which won him the series finale, was influenced by his mate's recipe.
"The reason I did it was because I saw Ben do the squid ink fondant potatoes and I just went, 'Cauliflower, potato ... I'll give it a crack.' And that's where it came from," he says.
Allen will be cooking his winning dish on stage at MasterChef Live, as well as Szechuan pepper school prawns with lime mayo, salt and pepper squid with nahm jim, and popcorn pork with pear and fennel salad and Moroccan yoghurt. Milbourne will be cooking a white chocolate mojito cheesecake, popcorn prawn tostadas and Baja tacos.
Allen's cookbook will be out on December 1, and after that the boys are hoping their bromance takes them to Mexico.
When MasterChef judge Matt Preston came up with the idea of doing a cooking and travel show on Mexico with the boys during the last series, you could almost see producers' eyes going "ka-ching".
What's not to love about two good-looking blokes, a road trip, fantastic scenery and delicious food?
"Both of us can't wait to travel, if we can incorporate food and travel with TV then it'd be a match made in heaven for us," Allen says. "We want to head to Mexico early next year. There's something in the works but it's not official yet."
(Source: The Telegraph, Sept. 29, 2012)
Ben Milbourne and Andy Allen from MasterChef look right at home in ornate sombreros holding neon maracas. And even more at home chowing down on tacos.
"We're good at looking stupid," Milbourne says as he tucks into a post-shoot snack.
Their TV bromance on the hit cooking show kicked off after they bonded over a love of Mexican cuisine and it's been going strong ever since.
"We met almost a year ago at our first ever audition and just built a really strong relationship from there," Milbourne says.
"I guess there was always the question of when the show is over will we go back to what we were doing and move into our own lives, but we seriously are on the phone to each other every day whenever we aren't in the same place."
As well as working together on Allen's cookbook, which comes as part of his MasterChef prize pack, the boys have hosted pop-up dinners and cooking demonstrations. They will also appear on stage together at MasterChef Live, alongside other contestants and judges from the series. Their last paired cooking demonstration was in Melbourne's Federation Square a few weeks ago in front of about 3000 people.
"It was good training for MasterChef Live. They are expecting 30,000 people over three days," Allen says. "I can't wait - I think it's going to be so much fun. All the contestants will be there; we'll be interacting with the judges, guest chefs and the fans."
Allen and Milbourne believe they go together like tacos and tequila: OK on their own but when paired, it's a winning combination.
"It's always better when we cook together because, as we cook, we'll try each other's food and every idea is enhanced by one or the other," Milbourne says.
"Having someone to bounce ideas off, who thinks the same way you do about food, is really handy. If I've got a cooking demo to do I'll call Andy and say, 'These are my parameters - what do you think?' and we'll nut out the recipe together." For instance, Allen's seared tuna with squid ink and cauliflower puree, which won him the series finale, was influenced by his mate's recipe.
"The reason I did it was because I saw Ben do the squid ink fondant potatoes and I just went, 'Cauliflower, potato ... I'll give it a crack.' And that's where it came from," he says.
Allen will be cooking his winning dish on stage at MasterChef Live, as well as Szechuan pepper school prawns with lime mayo, salt and pepper squid with nahm jim, and popcorn pork with pear and fennel salad and Moroccan yoghurt. Milbourne will be cooking a white chocolate mojito cheesecake, popcorn prawn tostadas and Baja tacos.
Allen's cookbook will be out on December 1, and after that the boys are hoping their bromance takes them to Mexico.
When MasterChef judge Matt Preston came up with the idea of doing a cooking and travel show on Mexico with the boys during the last series, you could almost see producers' eyes going "ka-ching".
What's not to love about two good-looking blokes, a road trip, fantastic scenery and delicious food?
"Both of us can't wait to travel, if we can incorporate food and travel with TV then it'd be a match made in heaven for us," Allen says. "We want to head to Mexico early next year. There's something in the works but it's not official yet."
(Source: The Telegraph, Sept. 29, 2012)
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