No, you aren't. I haven't criticised Deb and have said on more than one occasion that she is a very good cook. I am not being personal about anyone on the show, but she just has bad luck, and hasn't had the same exposure as the others. I hope she doesn't go, but I wouldn't be surprised.
lodgelocum,
Sep 6, 3:56am
Tonights show will be interesting.
lodgelocum,
Sep 6, 6:07am
Bye bye Debra, hope you have a huge successful career in food, you're a great cook.
strebor1,
Sep 6, 6:20am
I hope she does as well, I love her cooking, and thought she did really well tonight, better than Julia really.
bedazzledjewels,
Sep 6, 6:21am
Agree. Julia's dessert looked really ordinary.
esther-anne,
Sep 6, 6:42am
+100.She was finding it very tough I think - and maybe she isn't a team player but that is not to say that she can't and won't be totally successful in her own endeavours.She is a great cook.
I didn't like her at first but her emerging innate honesty earned a lot of respect from me.Go well Deb!
strebor1,
Sep 6, 6:46am
I would definitely book a table at any cafe she was running, I know the food would be superb. I just had a feeling that she would go tonight though as I am sure she has been feeling a bit brassed off lately. So who next!
esther-anne,
Sep 6, 6:52am
Yes-I had an instinctive feeling it was Deb's turn tonight too but I had an uncharitable thought that she was becoming too emotional for the judges' liking.
Next to go is getting quite tough.Audra used to be up there and in favour but she's been a bit quiet lately.Way back I suggested Alice could be the dark horse but I had no-one agree on that one.Nonetheless she is on her mettle at the moment.Loving it!
strebor1,
Sep 6, 7:00am
Likewise, it is certainly very exciting now.
duckmoon,
Sep 6, 7:59am
i like Debra and her food. but wasn't surprised that she went tonight.
I think she struggled to work as part of a team (or at least that was how it was portrayed) and I think that she had time management issues - but I think that about most of the contestants.
I am wondering if she would like to open a cafe in Wgtn!
strebor1,
Sep 6, 8:40am
Well if she ever does let me know.
carlosjackal,
Sep 6, 9:19pm
I'm sure if the main course had been something else other than Pig, Deb may have had more chance of surviving the challenge. There was a lot to cut up (on her own) without the meat losing its heat. I'm sure if any one of the other contestants had had to cook the Pig, the result may well have been the same for them as it was for Deb. She had a mammoth job on her hands. Her attitude however showed yet again last night; after gary gave her some very sound advice and she just ignored him and did it her own way. Gary and George both commented about it - in disbelief that she had defied the advice she was given and okay, the pig didn't burn.but if it had of.and it could so easily have then she would have looked pretty stupid. It's fine to put your own "spin' on a dish, but when you have never attempted something before and a professional chef offers you some very sound advice.wouldn't you take it!Anyway, interesting that there was little reaction from the rest of the contestants when she was eliminated. Deb is an exceptional cook, with a very good palette and has a good insight as to what flavours work in all of her dishes. I wish her well.
mattdylan,
Sep 6, 9:47pm
missed the ending, did they say what Deb was up to now!
davidt4,
Sep 6, 9:52pm
No.She was to join the others for the masterclass the next day and then they will all return to Australia.
esther-anne,
Sep 6, 11:09pm
Carlos- someone else 'disobeyed' (for lack of a better word) the judges and their finer judgment.Alice!They told her in no uncertain terms that the village folk could be 'insulted' by being offered antipasti and tried to discourage her.So - we all know the rest - Alice's was dish of the day, most popular by far!And hot damn! it was antipasti!
Not infallible these judges, clearly!
carlosjackal,
Sep 6, 11:27pm
Sorry, but you have been mistaken; antipasta was what she chose to do.that was one of the choices - they did not tell her that the Italians would be insulted if they were served an antipast! - what could have been insulting is not enough variety in her antipasta. Fortunately, she managed to put quite a bit on it but the judges comment was that there was not a lot on it that they could see used skill eg. cheese and Parma ham. - considering she had 4 hours to prepare her antipasta. Her pate was a hit and so too was the other colourful dish she made with aubergines. The antipasta was a hit with the locals for sure which is why she won.but regardless I could see where the judges were coming from when they commented to Alice as she started (on the antipasta) regarding quality and quantity so as not to insult the villagers. She nailed it and the judges enjoyed it too however, as they said when they tasted it that they expected an antipasta to have shown a bit more skill - that's all - they were just a bit concerned that there may not have been enough on it.but it turned out really well.
Also, I am of Italian heritage so I understood and agreed with the advice they gave Alice. Alice did acknowledge their advice and did the best she could.
davidt4,
Sep 7, 12:12am
No they didn't.They told her that she needed more variety in her antipasti selection.
bedazzledjewels,
Sep 7, 12:16am
I wonder if the locals voted Alice's antipasti most popular because there wasn't much of her input in there! The flavours were more familiar to them than was the case with the other dishes all made from scratch. She certainly seemed surprised by the result. I've thoroughly enjoyed this Italian week. It feels like they've achieved more than just scratching the surface of Italian food and the locations have been wonderful.
kiwiscrapper1,
Sep 7, 12:39am
Why is she there, I thought the show was for amateurs not professional chefs!
bedazzledjewels,
Sep 7, 12:43am
She's one of the judges. UK has a spin-off series for young professional chefs. It's fantastic. It's called Masterchef Professionals - screens TV1 early Saturday afternoons, after Heston's Feast.
davidt4,
Sep 7, 1:03am
That's a very good point Dazz.Italians are known for their adherence totraditionalregional food, and I would think that in a small village like that it would be very hard to please the locals with anything unfamiliar.I think Ben was mad to opt for the traditional hand-made pasta.
strebor1,
Sep 7, 1:26am
Yes having been to Italy several times, I can say that most of them are very "terratorial" and don't travel outside their area much. They are indeed passionate about their food, but aren't as adventurous in trying new things as we are. So deviating from what they are used to can be a problem.
carlosjackal,
Sep 7, 1:35am
You are absolutely right strebor1 - in fact you find that all over the Continent!
davidt4,
Sep 7, 1:45am
A while ago when I was in Rome I cooked a beautiful risotto for a friend's dinner party.Two of the guests were from Puglia (the far south of the Italian mainland) and they didn't want to touch it!One of them managed a small spoonful and said that it was "acceptable", the other refused to eat it.
In my experience Italians are much more limited in their culinary horizons than the Spanish or even the French.
esther-anne,
Sep 7, 1:47am
Thanks for putting me straight on all that david4 and carlos-the egg is now on my face most assuredly (by the way you did note that I put a 'giggly' smiley on there so you would know I wasn't intending offence!)
And of course someone without Italian antecedents would be unaware of the Italian mores, habits and preferences.Alas I have only been to Naples, in 1962, and as you can see I didn't die!
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