AMSTERDAM

So this is the moment you all have been waiting for. Me too to be honest. The feeling of power surging through my veins at this moment is impossible to describe. I can be the dictator of taste.  I like it!

However, I wish we could have several winners since there could be winners in different categories.

There are the ones that could win due to the simplicity of their creations. Using just the 4 ingredients in a Paper Chef challenge is not always easy. Less is more, but not always simpler.

Denise, Mike and Tricia were all three of them keeping it straight forward with no fuss but still delivered excellent meals.

Then there is the category where the cooks have added some twist to it, or reconstructed the ingredients.I like how Tori used minced turkey meat and incorporated the others in to the mince. Natashya’s filled turkey roll also shows a different way of using the ingredients. Terry took a whole new approach to the lentils and made griddle cakes.

There is one more person who would fit in here, and that is Hank. But he gets his own personal mentioning since he already before me giving my judgement has won. He is the winner of the People’s Choice. Congratulations, Hank!

What I liked a lot with his entry was the ‘double-cooking’, first braising in broth to enhance the flavour and then frying to get the change of texture. But I think I loved Holly’s snake shooting the most. ….

So this leads us to the third and last category, the ‘over the top’ entries.These are entries that were  very creative, a lot of work and splashed out with several courses or versions.

Here we have Ilva’s 3 course menu with some interesting twists were of  one would be the turkey in the dessert. It sounds weird, but it might just work. I am curious. Tanna filled about everything she could find in her kitchen. She filled the peppers but also flipped things around and filled a pumpkin. Robin might have been late with her entry but she impressed with making 3 different mains.

But who will be the winner of this month?

The category ‘over the top’ kind of appeals to me. Ilva made a menu which I personally find very interesting and makes a full circle entry. Then we have Tanna who was the only one to use the herb that I think goes the best with a winter squash/pumpkin – sage. That is a marriage made in heaven. Then the pomgranate to that. Robin did 3 different types of hot meals that impressed me. Another favourite and a bit of an underdog with it being a single course is Terry and her griddle cakes. I thought it was a fantastic idea, simple yet surprising.

If I could I would have two winners, Terry and Robin. Terry for the wonderful idea of the griddle cake and Robin/Dave for their multifaceted cooking.

In the end I will go for Robin and Dave at Belly Timber.

Congratulations guys!