The 'MILBOURNE-matters'

"With Andy and I cooking together you never know what we are going to come up with.."

An insight into Ben and his passion for food, MasterChef experience, his involvement with MasterChef LIVE and what’s next for him!

1.     The one thing that became apparent over the series was your love for Mexican food! Where did this begin?
My earliest memories of Mexican food are of summer holidays at our family beach house where mum would make packet tacos and we would eat as many as we could between games of cricket in the backyard so I have always connected great memories with Mexican food. As I got older I started to experience more modern Mexican food on holidays in Melbourne, dining at Mamasitas and The Table, seeing Mexican done in such a modern Australian way only enhanced my love for the cuisine and my feeling of its un-tapped potential.

2.     What motivated you to audition for the MasterChef series? We hear your students played an important role?
The students at my school knew I loved cooking and the show as I would always make spelling and grammar mistakes in the lesson plans I wrote when the show was on. They could always tell if I had planned that lesson while watching the show the night before. They pushed me to apply, reminding me of what I always used to tell them, the only thing standing between you and your dreams is you. 

3.     Over the series you had the opportunity to participate in so many unique experiences. Is there a stand out for you?
The pop up restaurant experience is one challenge that has stuck with me. It was our first real experience of building a restaurant on our own and it went so well that it  reaffirmed that it’s what I want to do. 

4.     Living in the MasterChef house would be an interesting experience! Was there a race to the kitchen each night? How did you decide who cooked what at the house?
There was a cooking roster in the house and at the start of our time there people would cook up huge elaborate feasts that would take hours to prepare. By the time it got down to the last couple of weeks we would get home and cook with only 2 things in mind, what’s quick and what’s easy so I can study and sleep.

5.     You developed a close friendship with Andy throughout the competition. Do you have any plans together now the series is over?
Andy and I have decided whatever we do in food we will do it together, we have so much fun in the kitchen and make each other better cooks so it would be silly not to continue this adventure side by side. And he is my best mate and who doesn’t want to go on an adventure with their best mate standing next to them every step of the way.

6.     What have you been working on yourself?
Since leaving the show I have been flat out! With the help of Andy, Kylie and Beau we hosted 3 secret restaurants in Tassie. I have been helping Andy with the development of his upcoming book while developing some ideas for my own.

7.     Of course you will be featuring at the MasterChef Live weekend! What do you have in store for the audience?
Yes I am very much looking forward to taking part in MasterChef LIVE and I think people would be disappointed if they didn’t see me do some Mexican so there will be plenty of that. I will also be checking up on Andy to make sure he is coping without me and because we have so much fun cooking together we might even take on some challenges side by side just like old times.

8.     On Friday you’re competing in a Mystery Box Challenge with Maggie Beer and Darren Robertson. How are you going to get the advantage over these two?
I might try and hug Maggie a hundred times so she doesn’t have time to cook, and keep drawing the MasterChef LIVE crowd’s attention to how good looking Darren is and maybe get some girls up on stage to talk to him.

9.     And let’s not forget the ‘Dude Food’ session with Andy on Saturday. What recipes are in store for the audience there?
With Andy and I cooking together you never know what we are going to come up with, one of the great things about cooking with your best mate is it’s always fun, hopefully we can turn that fun into some great Dude Food. 

10.   For all the bachelors out there trying to impress women with their cooking skills, do you have any advice?
The best advice I can give bachelors out there is be passionate, pick a dish you love to cook or eat and be passionate about it. Invite the person you’re trying to impress into the kitchen with you and cook as a team so they can share in that with you.

(Source: seqa.com.au, Sept 10, 2012)