Wednesday, November 02, 2011

Life So Far

Super Long post ahead, but be sure to read them all!! Finally a real post on my journey in Masterchef Malaysia. :D

Also, I've just started my own Facebook Fan Page as Hui Ting at Masterchef Malaysia. :) Do join!! And to catch me in action in Masterchef Malaysia, watch the episodes HERE!! :D

Sorry for not updating more... Life have been... Rather... Mundane. Ok fine not so when you know you're on national television and that you get stares whenever you walk around hehe. I get people asking me if I'm THE Hui Ting from Masterchef and weird families pointing and staring, I just need some getting use to. :P

Just some pictures I stole off the official Masterchef Malaysia website. Better quality than the ones I screen shot from the videos, but the best pictures, are stalled in my memory, no one could really describe how everything is in the Masterchef Kitchen, Bootcamp, the studio set and everything else. I was actually OVERWHELMED when I first step into the kitchen. To be able to participate in this great project and cook in the Masterchef Kitchen, and most important of all, I made it to the top 24, out of the thousands of applicants who went for auditions throughout Malaysia. If that is not good enough, I'm not sure what is. :)

Challenges that we have attempted in so far are pretty challenging, else it won't be called a challenge for nothing.

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Day 1: Chopping onions
- cried like a motherfucker cause them onions sting your eyes ok despite chopping the heads off etc, try chopping half a sack of onions I see you cry or not!!

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Day 2: Separating egg yolks from whites
- I was the last one who made it through, else I'll have to whisk egg whites till stiff (which is what I did back in Aussie cause I was too poor to buy a handmixer haha and it still is quite a workout for me now!). I think I easily cracked 200 eggs during the challenge cause I had to redo 3 times -_-

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Day 3: Perah Santan
- no idea how to write that in English, basically just grind the flesh from coconut, pour a little water and squeeze till you can't recognize your mom and you get coconut milk. Didn't make it to top 10 so missed out a chance on getting the apron... =/ Wasn't too surprise cause come on, it's my first time doing that, I usually just buy Ayam Brand coconut milk can? haha And that coconut grinder thing has some serious grip issues that some of the contestants got cuts/blisters from it. =/ I was being all bimbotic, I used tissue (thanks Scott's haha) to wrap the handle to protect my hands *diva*


Day 4: Deboning Chicken
- Not something I normally do either, I usually go to the market and buy ready chopped chicken -_- I'm pretty sure in the real commercial kitchen they do that too no? Correct me if I'm wrong I'm no pro, I'm amateur remember? During the challenge, I did not finish the entire task, I left out a chicken drumstick to debone =/ But Chef Jo did compliment on my chicken boxing for being really clean!! :P Missed out ANOTHER chance on getting the apron.



Day 5: Mystery Box + Pressure Test
1) Mystery Box
I was teamed up with Imelda, one of my closest mate in the competition. We always hang out/eat together and there are just people that you can or cannot click with, and she's one of those that I can click with thank god haha. Well... In the box I expected to be filled with ingredients like how I see in the Australia Masterchef but no.... When we opened it, there was only glutinous rice, coconut cream, rice, brown rice and flour. I was being all ambitious that I wanna make mango crepes with coconut cream. Some fuckery happened and my crepes were like scrambled eggs instead... The audience (aka the other contestants who made it to top 24) saw me retrying 6-7 times to get it right, I redid my batter twice and still no miracles. Scrap that and Imelda suggest that I try making fritters (aka lempeng) instead. Just some flour and water. I screwed up my dish... The coconut pastry cream tasted awesome, judges said it tasted okay, but my "fritter" which was meant to be crepes was tough like rubber and my candied almond got STUCK onto the plate cause I didn't have time to stir in butter and cream. Oh wait, we didn't have cream cause we were only allowed to take 12 items. So yes... Imelda's dish was a winner, the judges said it tasted really good, innovative, overall positive comments but mine was.... =S I broke down after hearing the comments from judges, mostly because I disappointed myself and my partner, and also because maybe I wasn't prepared for such negative comments... Hence this face wtf... Trust the photographer and camera men to catch the most unglam moments man...

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I was feeling guilty as shit because it's a team challenge, mine was worst dish of the day (well seeing the others did well, I assume it is the worst of the lot) and my partner's one was really good!!! I felt so so sorry I kept telling her sorry and she was all "NO it's a team effort don't say that" but I did let her down!! She could have gotten the apron if it wasn't for me... =/ Lastly, 8 of them got the apron and 12 of us were left with fear and anticipation of the next challenge.

2) Pressure Test
- Guest Chef, Chef Riz came with his signature dish. At first all of us was like ok there's cream cheese, flour sugar etc, this is a baking challenge. Also there were ovens lined at the side. YESSS, this MAY be my challenge because I do bake a lot as compared to others but WHAT IF the exact ratios weren't given in the recipe? What if we have to recreate the dish with only what we know? It's Tiramisu, and ok, to be honest, I've NEVER made sponge fingers from scratch I use store bought ones. What's the diff man, store bought ones are prettier haha

I was all sort of idiotic that day because I didn't know that we could request for extra eggs (and also of all stupidity I did not ask!!!!! -_______-) So I was short of one egg, and I had to make do with it and go with my own calculations of the recipe to make the sponge fingers. =/ There was some oven drama issues that I myself wasn't too sure what happened but I think I'm involved in it *shifty eyes* but all is well... I didn't really have enough time to let the sponge fingers cool, and they weren't really fingers because by the time there's 30 minutes left I was like screw this I won't have enough time to bake another batch, I took them out and pour the batter in to make a sponge layer instead. It turned out to be a good decision cause the sponge layer made the cake layers more even!!!

And the rest is history, and I'm now called the Tiramisu girl.


Moments like these make me feel like, hey, this is for real!! Like how we watch in Masterchef Australia, that feeling is just amazing when you get praises for your hardwork, you get through something successfully. It was sort of a redemption from my previous challenge that I screwed up, and that I got an A+ from Chef Yahaya okay!! And an A from Chef Riz for my presentation. :D That's my style of how I want to present my dishes, and I'm glad of what I did. I did my best, and *IF* I didn't make it through, at least I had fun!! One of the most fun part is choosing the berries from the pantry and eating half of them dipping in the Zabaglione =PPPPP

And the best part is??? I got my apron, ticket to Top 24!!! To compete in the Masterchef Kitchen in the coming weeks. :) Best of all??? I get to have a scene at the starting credit hahahahahaha

Mine is a scene of me breaking a baguette!!! I was hoping for piping meringues or something baking related lol but breaking baguette is fun like HAH!! Becareful I might break your bones =P


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What more can I say??


Life only begins when you're out of your comfort zone. It feels weird, yet amazing to be in this. I'm glad that I grasp this opportunity when it came by, and without regrets, one of the best decisions I've made so far in my life, for myself. :)


Remember, watch the episodes HERE!! :D
and, JOIN my page HERE!! =D=D=D

5 comments:

Kim L said...

Yeay! Congrats on getting an apron!! :) Thanks for writing this post. I tried watching it on Astro on my mac, downloaded the player and all but still cant watch it..BOO!!!

Anonymous said...

i am so proud of you! big fan :D

Anonymous said...

hi! i've been a silent reader for a while. congrats for getting an apron! :) anyway i was just curious, i thought that you aren't allowed to have any contact with anyone until the show is over no? coz that's how masterchef australia works right? all the best! :)

Anonymous said...

congrats! well done there! way a go, girl!

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