Foremost five in 'mystery box' cook-off
IT WAS third time lucky for Dallas Land of Jeffreys Bay, the fifth and final semi-finalist in the annual Kitchen Maestro Competition.
Dallas won his cook-off on Saturday after two previous narrow misses and so completes the lineup of five who will contest a "mystery box"-style semifinal challenge in Walmer Park Shopping Centre's promotions arena at 11am today.
Dallas and fellow contestants Michelle Foo, Ross Patterson, Chantel Cuthber and Jaco Vermaak had to recreate a dish by Jon Hodder, of Bay restaurant Ginger, who challenged them with his roast fillet of beef in parma ham, sauteed garlic mushrooms, crispy polenta and béarnaise sauce.
The judging panel also included head judge Dewald Hurter of Chez Patrick Restaurant in Port St Francis and Justin Walton of Kauai.
Today, the five semifinalists will have to complete two courses from a recipe handed to them at the start. They will have only 20 minutes for the starter and 30 minutes for a main meal – and will be expected to include several "mystery" ingredients.
The top two will then contest next Saturday's finals, also at 11am, where they will create a three-course meal from ingredients they will need to shop for during a trolley dash.
The semifinalists and top two stand to win prizes to the combined value of more than R60000 – and there will be prizes for the audience.
The winner of Kitchen Maestro 2013, which is held in collaboration with Weekend Post, will receive a kitchen makeover from Adel Kitchens and Cabinets, appliances from Rafi's Appliances and Matresses, R5000 in shopping vouchers from Walmer Park, a R2000 voucher from Pick n Pay and a R5000 gold medallion from the Scoin Shop, among other prizes.