The best job in the world.
by Matt Preston on 10 December 2009
41. Don’t do anything that you find uncomfortable unless you are scared of it. It is uncomfortable to find yourself on the same TV show as the PM or Julia Gillard, because you obviously know you aren’t worthy – and feel a bit embarrassed that you are lowering the tone.42. When undertaking a mystery box challenge – or as I like to call it back at home, a spot of ‘fridge shaking’ – remember that you don’t have to use everything on offer in the box or the fridge. Just pick three or four ingredients that you know will work together. Like a marriage, the fewer people in it, the easier it is for everyone to get along.
43. If you twirl your wedding ring while the cameras are rolling your wife will know you love her.
44. Food writers have the best job in the world. Being a chef is far tougher.
45. If you want to employ someone to ‘whoop’ with genuine exhilaration when you pull something out the oven – employ a Queenslander. Queenslanders give the best whoop, followed by Sydneysiders, but Queenslanders are willing to do it while wearing fancy-dress.
46. ‘MCK’ is how the cast and crew referred to MasterChef Kitchen – the Sydney warehouse fitted out to be out home for the four months of filming.
47. Tired people are more likely to cry.
48. Don’t cut anything while holding the knife around the base of the blade with your fingers curled under the cutting edge. If you slip you will slice off your fingertips.
49. Never, ever, eat off your knife or hunch over your food.
50. Make-up artists touch up people all through the day and never get in trouble for it.
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About the Author
View All Posts by Matt PrestonMatt Preston
Matt Preston is a food journalist and restaurant critic. Best known for his weekly restaurant column in The Age newspaper's food section, 'Epicure', and as a judge on MasterChef Australia, Preston is also an editor of Vogue Entertaining + Travel and delicious magazines, and a former Creative Director of the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival.[1].Preston was educated in Sussex and graduated from the University of Kent with a BA Hons in Politics and Government. He began his career in the sales and marketing departments of British magazines, including City Limits where he wrote the 'Backhanders' column for five years. He then spent four years with UK magazines, TVTimes and What's on TV, becoming head of their promotions and marketing department.In 1993 Preston moved to Australia where he worked as an Australian soap opera correspondent for British magazines What's On TV, TVTimes and Women's Own.In 2009 Preston joined Gary Mehigan and George Calombaris on the judging panel of the first season of MasterChef Australia, a reality television competition to find Australia's best home cook.Preston is a contributor to The Age Good Food Guide and Food and Wine (US). He has appeared on Network 10's 9am with David and Kim as well as SBS's Blue List, Channel 9's Postcards and Channel 7's Absolutely Melbourne.Preston has appeared on radio as a guest on Denis Walter's show on 3AW, and on 774 ABC Melbourne, where he has also co-hosted a number of times. Previous positions include five years as the National Chief Judge for Restaurant and Catering's National Awards for Excellence, contributing drink editor to Good Taste magazine and as the 'secret reviewer' on series one of Channel 7's My Restaurant Rules.In 2003, 2004 and 2006 Preston won Food Media Club of Australia awards for articles which appeared in the 'Epicure' section of The Age, and in 2008 he won the Le Cordon Bleu World Food Media Awards, Food Journalist of the Year Award for articles published in delicious and 'Epicure'.









