What MasterChef judge Melissa Leong does in isolation
While many of us are working from home, new MasterChef judge Melissa Leong is still filming the popular Channel 10 show. She tells us what else she’s been doing in her iso-life.
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Fans in isolation are tuning into Channel 10’s MasterChef but what do the judges of the show do?
We asked new MasterChef judge Melissa Leong who is still filming the last few weeks of the popular Channel 10 show.
What I’m cooking
I’ll level with you. I like to archive dishes I see on my Instagram feed, for when I need some cooking inspiration.
Like everyone else, this ISO life usually involves multi-step dishes that take some time to prepare, like slow cooked stews and soups from our collective family backgrounds, pasta and ragu all from scratch, or just a tonne of aperitivo hour snacks … we don’t often have the opportunity to cook time-consuming things like that, so now’s the time.
I’m lucky that my husband is also as chef and bartender, so he’s been occupying the kitchen a lot, given the current global circumstances. Above all, I think the thread that connects everything we’re eating is comfort. Big flavours, contrasting textures and that magical ingredient we’ve all suddenly been given a heaping dose of: time.
What I’m reading
I’m proofing a cookbook I’ve been ghost writing with chef Shannon Martinez, which will truly change the way non vegans think about vegan cooking … she’s for my money, one of the most underrated culinary superstars in Australia right now … so check it out later this year!
I was also recently given a copy of Code Villanelle, the book that inspired Killing Eve (which I am obsessed with!), so I’m on to that as well.
What I’m listening to
There is almost always music playing in our house. An eclectic combination of hardcore metal, country tunes, old jazz and 80s hair metal … anything goes so long as it’s good.
Podcast wise, there are a heap of them I love, including The New Yorker Radio Hour, BBC4’s humour-meets-science show The Infinite Monkey Cage and The Collector’s House by Matches Fashion, which interviews creatives across fashion, design and art.
Closer to home, there are some incredible Australian made podcasts including Head Ovary Heels and The Modern Women, both of which showcase women who are utterly killing it in their chosen fields. A great couple of podcasts for inspiration and reflection.
What I’m watching
Uh … MasterChef: Back To Win, of course! Seriously, we’re so glad that the show we’ve loved making is now on the air and that we can share the highs and lows, thrills and spills with the rest of Australia.
Jock and Andy have become the two brothers I didn’t know I had, and we have had such a blast working together … it is so inspiring to come to work every day and be around such smart, hard working and funny humans.
Aside from that, I’m really into rewatching old movies (preferably with sequels or prequels, like Indiana Jones, The Godfather, or The Avengers) and television series, for that much needed comfort and nostalgia we all need right now.
Originally published as What MasterChef judge Melissa Leong does in isolation