MasterChef finalist Rhiannon Anderson: championing local produce and culinary excellence
MasterChef Australia finalist Rhiannon Anderson teams with Cotters Markets to spotlight local farmers through cooking demonsrations, emphasising fresh produce and community support as she gears up for a MasterChef comeback.
Townsville
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MasterChef Australia Rhiannon Anderson is turning her culinary spotlight onto Cotters Markets, using her platform to champion local farmers and businesses.
Known for her passion for fresh, locally sourced ingredients, Rhiannon has been a regular at Cotters Markets for decades.
“I’ve been going to Cotters Markets and getting my fresh produce for the past 25 years since I’ve lived in Townsville,” Rhiannon told NQ Weekend.
“My absolute favourite place to visit are local markets and I’ve wanted to work with Cotters Markets ever since I was on MasterChef.”
And now Rhiannon will bring that love to life through vibrant cooking demonstrations. at Cotters Markets.
Her collaboration with Cotters Markets is a natural extension of her culinary philosophy.
“My love of cooking fresh produce and being able to support local farmers is exactly what I am all about.”
This partnership allows Rhiannon to highlight the flavours and quality of local ingredients, fostering a deeper connection between the community and its farmers.
In her upcoming cooking demonstration at Cotters Markerts on April 6, Rhiannon will prepare a roasted vegetable and bacon caserecce pasta topped with pangrattato.
“With this recipe I will display ways on how to get depth and flavour into the dish.
“It’s especially special because I’ll be using ingredients from local stallholders and shops.”
The MasterChef Australia’s 2023 runner-up said she tried to make recipes that people could have the produce readily available and in season to keep the cost down.
“The other way I approach a recipe is thinking about how I can get as much flavour into a dish that is able to be done at home.”
The roasted vegetable and bacon caserecce pasta dish not only showcases Rhiannon’s culinary skills but also emphasises the importance of using locally sourced ingredients.
“I hope the attendees at the Cotters Markets will get some hints and tips on how to elevate their dish that they cook directly from the recipe and ingredients provided,’ Rhiannon said.
“I want it to be family-friendly and for the people buying the produce box to not have to think about what they want to cook for dinner that night.
“There will also be a recipe card with all the instructions required.”
Rhiannon’s dedication to local agriculture is unwavering.
“It’s extremely important to support local. These guys are families that really need community support for them to make a living. It’s not easy being a small business and every little bit of help and support from the community is what keeps them afloat.
The recent floods have highlighted the resilience and generosity of local farmers, who donated produce to affected residents.
“With the recent floods it’s become especially important as the farmers donated a lot of their produce to the Ingham residents because they couldn’t make it through with road closure and therefore missed out on that income stream that Cotters Markets provides.
“Another advantage of shopping at your local market is the produce lasts longer as it is produced locally therefore has a longer shelf life and is also cost effective for families.”
Rhiannon is eager to explore a variety of cuisines in her montly demonstrations at Cotters Markets.
“I literally love eating and cooking all cuisines.
“When my kids were growing up I would cook from different cuisines to make them culturally aware through food.
“My first demonstration at Cotters Markets will be an Italian theme with my spin on it.
“With all the incredible fresh produce I will have the opportunity to cook a whole range of cuisines each month.”
Rhiannon said her culinary journey had beenprofoundly shaped by her MasterChef experience.
“MasterChef was the most rewarding challenging experience I have ever done and completely changed my life in so many ways.
“Over the past two years I’ve been able to incorporate my culinary career into International food festivals, masterclasses, live cooking demonstrations, visiting local farmers and working with local markets.”
Rhiannon will be heading back into the MasterChef kitchen in a special Back-to-Win season on Channel 10.
Chefs from MasterChef’s season one to 16 are once again tackling an array of challenges desgned to push them out of their comfort zones, while also showing how much they’ve grown since their debut in the masterChef kitchen.
Rhiannon will be doing a live cooking demonstration at Cotters markets April 6 between 9am and 11am.
Originally published as MasterChef finalist Rhiannon Anderson: championing local produce and culinary excellence
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