PH foodies competition

[zakelwe]

Why don't we have our own food mini competition in the style of Masterchef or Can't Cook Won't Cook, where we see what we can all come up with some set ingredients, or mystery ingredients or £5 and then we all produce our results with photo's like the Show me your dinner thread?

Or not.

I'm up for it. Anyone else want a bit of fun? Perhaps PH can do the prize - maybe supplying a Ferrari 458 Italia for a photographic road trip of burger vans on the A1 for instance.

Regards
Andy

[Papoo]

I'm in!

[shirt]

possibly, though i'd like it if ingredients can be decided during the week, cooking done at the weekend and judging on monday.

[grumbledoak]

I'm in. Let's do the Masterchef first round jobbie- a set list of ingredients, no quantity specified*. Entries by photo.

---

* No point in the £5 challenge when we are this geographically dispersed- some Northern monkey will claim to have bought an organic Rib-Eye steak and a lobster tail direct for 40p each. Granted, he then spends £4.10 on his chips, but you get the point...

[bazking69]

I'm in. I think you'd need to put say a 1 week timeframe on it though to give everyone enough time.

[bridgdav]

I'm up for that..

I agree there needs to be a set of criteria, Financial, number of ingredients, courses or otherwise.


1 cut of Meat/Fish
3 vegetables
A sauce
etc etc...

Or we could have a different theme each fortnight..?
starter, main, fish, dessert, meat, baking, salad, BBQ, Sandwich, Veggie...

Its the OP's idea...!

[Cactussed]

I LIKE this idea! Although, given food is predominantly about taste, it could make things tricky to judge.

How about this week we do a chocolate-based desert?

Edited to spell chocolate correctly

Edited by Cactussed on Wednesday 9th September 17:19

[Anna_S]

I'm up for this provided we have enough time to go shopping and cook.. a week sounds perfect to me

[LittleMiss]

As newbie I'll give it a go.

[Anna_S]

Cactussed said:

How about this week we do a chocolate-based desert?

Ohhh I wonder why

Edited by Anna_S on Wednesday 9th September 17:25

[Cactussed]

Anna_S said:

Ohhh I wonder why

Edited by Cactussed on Wednesday 9th September 17:24

[Wadeski]

sounds good. Allez cuisine!*

• Obscure Iron Chef references must get you points, right?

[eddo]

Bring it on Well up for it.
Ed

[zakelwe]

Strangely deserts are never the most popular, unless you have a secret weapon of shock and awe.

These things take a time to get together as we all fine tune it, given the initial responses though I think allowing people to cook it up over Saturday and/or Sunday and presentation by photo on Monday is a very good start that we can probably all agree on, so I will suggest that as ground zero and we can go onto the next step.

Good point about the taste taking second best to the looks as this competition, by it's very nature, involves no tasting, I think we will just have to use our experience and the words of the entrant to sway us, a bit like when the Masterchef person describes to John and Greg why they must go through.

I would guess most time will revolve around working out the format, already some good suggestions. Do we make it a 2/3 course meal, just by an amount, or a jumble of ingredients picked by us and do your best? I can see pitfalls in both, for the cost based one someone is bound to know a "friend" who gives then a huge turbot for 30p or is a Kobe beef farmer in the West Midlands who just wished to help out. On the other hand, with a set list of ingredients people will use whatever might be in the fridge as basics, outside that what is stated, and this might cause a stir, ok for butter or milk.. no problems.. but what happens if someone uses lemon grass which is not on the list? ... tricky. Perhaps we will have to submit our entries beforehand for our fellows to give the nod, but then again that takes away the surprise.

Now that we have got our weekend timsescale pencilled in I would suggest the next question is whether we make it one or more courses as a stipulation or just let people do what they want within the rules? Lets decide that next and go from there on the actual £ or ingredients rules. Thoughts?

Regards
Andy

[LittleMiss]

One course for me as sometimes I don't have a lot of time and maybe just stipulate one main ingredient...so chocolate, you could have a dessert or you could have Venison with a chocolate gravy.

[Cactussed]

Agreed. One course only (otherwise its going to get out of hand).

Shall we agree on chocolate this week?

(BTW, venison is GREAT with chocolate sauce, as is Kangaroo and wild Hare. Great idea!)

[Papoo]

zakelwe said:

Strangely deserts are never the most popular, unless you have a secret weapon of shock and awe.

These things take a time to get together as we all fine tune it, given the initial responses though I think allowing people to cook it up over Saturday and/or Sunday and presentation by photo on Monday is a very good start that we can probably all agree on, so I will suggest that as ground zero and we can go onto the next step.

Good point about the taste taking second best to the looks as this competition, by it's very nature, involves no tasting, I think we will just have to use our experience and the words of the entrant to sway us, a bit like when the Masterchef person describes to John and Greg why they must go through.

I would guess most time will revolve around working out the format, already some good suggestions. Do we make it a 2/3 course meal, just by an amount, or a jumble of ingredients picked by us and do your best? I can see pitfalls in both, for the cost based one someone is bound to know a "friend" who gives then a huge turbot for 30p or is a Kobe beef farmer in the West Midlands who just wished to help out. On the other hand, with a set list of ingredients people will use whatever might be in the fridge as basics, outside that what is stated, and this might cause a stir, ok for butter or milk.. no problems.. but what happens if someone uses lemon grass which is not on the list? ... tricky. Perhaps we will have to submit our entries beforehand for our fellows to give the nod, but then again that takes away the surprise.

Now that we have got our weekend timsescale pencilled in I would suggest the next question is whether we make it one or more courses as a stipulation or just let people do what they want within the rules? Lets decide that next and go from there on the actual £ or ingredients rules. Thoughts?

Regards
Andy

Given that judging will be predominated by guesswork and presentation, rather than tasting; what about if all ingredients used are disclosed with each entry. At which point we can begin to enjoy debate; the kobe tartare with gold leaf and saffron surely has to taste good, but we, as judges have the ability to critique the fact that it isn't difficult to make brilliant food with x,y & z ingredients. That chap's 80/20 ground chuck burger with a twist is superb use of cheap ingredients, extra points added, etc...

Does that make sense?

[grumbledoak]

Let's try one course first so more people can enter. State the course, give a shortlist of 5-10 ingredients. Standard cupboard/fridge fare allowed, and the 'mob' can shout down a winner who has, in their view, morally cheated.

Base any second round on what we do the first time.

?

[taldo]

i love the idea, but i need rules to adhere to! and also i might struggle a bit if entries have to be on a saturday as i work saturday nights (as some of you may know). however i may manage!

[bridgdav]

It would be good if ALL entries are accompanied with ingredients and instructions.

That way we could judge easier and if we want, try and replicate.