For some it can be compared to Marmite.  You either love it or hate it.  I actually love both.  Marmite, in small doses is a pleasant addition to warm toast dripping with real butter.  Similarly, but different, I could watch shows like Masterchef all day long.  Fair enough, some of the initial stages have you screaming at the TV in awe and wonder of their apparent stupidity.  “Nooooooo, you must always remove the cling film when you are serving that perfectly formed poached egg, you muppet!”. Pffff!

On a slightly more serious note though, I think there is great potential for amateur cooks like me to learn a lot from shows like this.  I mean, its not every day you hear critique from such a vast array of top chefs.  Some of the dishes that the contestants create look fantastic as we watch them being cooked and presented, but its the finer detail that the judges are after.  Image isn’t everything you know 🙂

Poppy and Heidi love to watch it with me and more and more I find them making simple comments about how good or bad something looks.  I do get a lot of inspiration from shows like Masterchef.  Maybe its a new cooking technique, a new flavour combination, a different cut of meat or just a simple well known dish done better.  Either way I find myself looking forward to getting the chance to experiment. 

Its great to see past winners (and runners up etc) going on to do well!  Most recently, chefs like Natalie Coleman (2013 winner), Shelina Permalloo (2012 winner), Tim Anderson (2011 winner) and Tim Kinnaird (2010 finalist) have made a real name for themselves in the culinary scene.

So, do you love it or hate it?

I would love to hear from you what your thoughts are about Masterchef?  Is it the cheesy one liners from Gregg Wallace or the crazy things that some ‘chef’s think are cool e.g. leaving a large ‘branch’ of fresh rosemary on a lamb dish?

Feel free to comment below!