The MasterChef Effect
Since yesterdays MasterChef Celebrity Chef challenged aired yesterday I have been very surprised by the impact!
For the most part I have been very humbled by the reaction, its not everyday that you get 900 messages in 1 day, plus my website came very close to crashing due to unprecedented amount of traffic in such a short space of time!
1 thing I would like to say which has surprised me a little is, if you spend your life looking backwards then you will miss the beauty of evolution and everything which is amazing in the future. There have been some people who have reacted badly to the dish I chose to present and have been making negative and baseless comments. The dish is not one which I am preparing today but actually an adaptation of one which I was doing 5 – 6 years ago. I chose this dish as it was going to be a good learning experience for both the contestant and also the viewing public, I was hoping to expose you to some new techniques and to give you an insight into what is happening at the moment outside of Australia. Please keep in mind that the dish was never supposed to be one which you could prepare at home, let’s leave those kinds of dishes to Jamie Oliver and let me show you what I as a fellow Australian do.
I love spirited conversation when food is concerned as I also study the Psychological and design side of food as well. But since when did people start thinking if it’s not to their taste then it is bad?
As I mentioned before, I have had an amazing amount of support from viewers and I hate to focus on the negative but I feel it’s my duty to explain the situation.
What I demonstrated was how 1 flavor (the pea soup) could be prepared in different textures and temperatures in a non confrontational setting by using 2 very humble products, Eggs and peas. If I was to come with a dish which was full of new techniques and also a radical flavor combination then this would alienate the consumer as they have nothing to reference this experience to. This is a rule I always follow without exception. It also demonstrates the importance of the base as if the soup wasn’t right then the whole dish would be wrong.
There were many comments on the combination of egg and peas………………… Was that really the hardest part of the dish to understand? How many people have actually tried Eggs, Peas and Fresh truffle? Normally I would smoke the egg for 24 hours using grape vines but I didn’t have this kind of time during the filming, how would you of reacted to a smoked egg? I can tell you first hand, this is a delicious combination and one which makes a lot of sense the moment it hits your palette.
My second is to address the people who thought Green was unappealing and artificial looking. I am not sure how to tell you this, there are a large majority of vegetables which are green and if cooked correctly they will also be bright green. So as we prepared the peas correctly they were a florescent green, if it was brown then this would be overcooked. I think thats enough said on that point.
In regards to the use of Chemicals, I didn’t use any chemical in what I prepared. All the food additives which were used are all extracted from natural products such as Sodium Alginate which comes from seaweed and Gellan which comes from another type of seaweed. Gelatin is widely used in the food industry and it is taken from the hoofs and cartilage of animals, which one sounds more natural the one which comes from animals or the one which comes from seaweed? How many of you have eaten Burger king onion rings? Did you know these are actually onion puree which gets formed back into perfect rings via the use of the same Alginate and calcium reaction which you saw on the show? Would this stop you eating them? Of course not!
I like to think as Chefs we have the responsibility to help our guests understand what we dedicate our lives to and make them more knowledgeable about what they are consuming and how it got to the state it is in, the consumer needs to have an open mind or else the most beautiful part of the dining experience will be missed.
Thank you for all the amazing feedback you have given through all types of social media and emails, I hope this post didn’t come across as negative, my aim was to take this as an opportunity to give you a little insight into why I did the dish I did and the thought process which goes into all creations 
How boring would it be if we all spent our lives watching things on TV which we already knew how to do? Hollywood blockbusters would be a thing of the past as people would want to watch a movie which is full of characters just like themselves living ordinary lives. Food can be another form of escapism yet more emotional due to the sensory reaction which you have with every bite, thats if you are open enough to enjoy the journey.
Tags: Escapism, jamie oliver, Masterchef, peas
Well put Adam. Your talent extends beyond the kitchen as your ability to succinctly derail a baseless argument never fails to impress. Well done indeed.
Bravo! Your very inspirational!!!
On coming to this site I really wasn’t expecting that you would be needing to defend yourself in any way. You came across as talented, generous in spirit and innovative. . . and i must say – visually quite compelling as well! Your dish was inspired and beautiful and opens up how we look at food. Thank-you & keep up the good work.
Honestly, I find some of the facebook comments so unbelievably close-minded. I find your food philosophy fascinating and it was really interesting to see a different way of cooking. I don’t watch masterchef to replicate recipes, I watch it for entertainment and to be educated about the world of modern cuisine.
You’re an incredibly intelligent and innovative man, and I hope to see more of you, despite those individuals who’re trying to antagonise your food.
You are a delicious looking man. Forget the peas, come here,woohoo!!!
Hi Adam, loved the show and your dish was a unique one. I don’t like pea soup but I would have eaten your dish just to get to that yummy egg!
On another note, I will be going to New York in November so was wondering what restaurants are worth catching for a unique dining experience.
Hi Adam! I don’t understand why people would criticise a dish they have never tasted. At least on the bases they did: that it couldn’t be made at home, looked artificial, or the combination was bad.
1. What’s the point in only seeing stuff anyone could do? That’s not exciting! That doesn’t push boundaries. I watch Heston Blumenthal with joy despite knowing that I will never undertake the dish exactly as he does as it’s just not practical. BUT, I take away small ideas to try for myself. For instance, Heston’s elaborate spag bol made me reevaluate my recipe and now I make it with milk. Although I didn’t make his complete elaborate days long effort, I still have the best spag bol I’ve ever tasted.
Just like your egg n peas: when I saw the wonderful texture of that yolk I was sold. I’m sure the dish tasted lovely, and it was a good challenge for them: I hardly think you could have given amateur cooks with no experience in mol gastronomy one of your more complex restaurant creations. You had to give them something simple that it was possible for an amateur to complete.
2. Bright colours = real fresh food not packaged refined stuff. Maybe the texture of the gell is not what you see naturally in the food world but what is the art of cooking without pushing the boundaries? The dessert ‘egg and soldiers’ was a similar concept, and lovely too.
3. Eggs and peas is a perfectly lovely combination. I don’t know where this is coming from, but I’ve heard it too Adam. People said to me ‘eggs and peas?!’ like it was crazy. Sounds lovely to me, and I’m SURE I’ve seen many other dishes utilising this combination. Would be great with ham or proscuitto along with it too.
Adam: I really enjoyed your appearance on MC. I took away alot from you, and I think you were great with Claire, helping her along very generously!
I think everyone is forgetting that this show is about entertainment and if you are really lucky, it will inspire you to race to your kitchen and prepare something wonderful for yourself or your loved ones.
Adam has arrived at this point in his career by sacrificing the last 9 years of his life, away from his family and friends working crazy long hours just so he could give the food lovers of the world the ride of their lives. To criticise Adam who has so much genuine fire and passion for his chosen profession is just mean spirited.
He took all the viewers with him on a magical journey, as well as the lucky MasterChef contestant who was treated with such respect and consideration – a rare thing in today’s world. I have never been more proud of my son than I was during his appearance on MasterChef.
Well done Adam!
Adam, you’re hot! Do you want to go out on a date?
To Adams Mum,
Although Adam is being criticised, I would not look at this as a bad thing and certainly not something that needs to be defended. Some people would prefer to learn how to make the same things over using one different ingredient, or to be told to cook it 10 minutes longer – we cannot change these people, they live inside the square.
When I started to read all the feedback banter on the MasterChef page, at first I felt defensive for Adam. Then I felt that some people literally watch the show to take ideas into the home and some (like myself) watch it for entertainment.
I am sure that many would agree with me that what Adam did was delicate and amazing. He shows that he is extremely talented, passionate, intriguing and evolving. I am proud of him as though I know him and I would love watch him work.
The critics negative responses cause arousal for others which in return gives Adam more exposure, which only makes him more magical.
It’s a shame we don’t have more of him here is Australia.
Bravo.
Mister, you very very hot – with sexy beast chest. I like work in kitchen as assistant in underwear if you like. You like man?