Julie

Date: 4/05/2009

Favourite chef? Nigella

What’s your favourite restaurant?

Upper Deck, Gosford.

What's your favourite ingredient and why?

Butter because it goes in everything.

What's your favourite utensil and why?

My orange spatula – it’s so versatile.

What’s your favourite meal of the day – breakfast, lunch or dinner?

Dinner!

What do you prefer, chicken, beef, seafood or tofu, and why?

Beef. I love a great big steak.

What dish would be the way to your heart?

A great big steak! Done perfectly on the barbie with fresh lovely salad.

What’s your favourite tune to cook to?

Anything by Bette Midler.

Describe how you felt during the MasterChef audition?

I was both terrified and excited. So happy to be there.

Tell us about your journey into the Top 20:

It has been a wild, wild ride. I am still in a state of shock to be here.

What do you think you’ll learn from being on MasterChef?

I have already learnt so much. I have learnt so many things about food and also a bit about myself and how I handle different situations.

Are you nervous about cooking for the judges and why?

I am so nervous when presenting my food to the judges because it really matters to me what they think. Every time I cook, I serve my heart up on the plate and being judged on that is truly nerve-wracking.

Tell us about how you got into cooking and how old were you?

I was taught by my Mum to cook when I was little. When I had my own family I started to experiment a bit more. Now I teach my sons to cook.

What’s the first meal you remember cooking and was it a success or a disaster?

It’s not the first meal I cooked but early in my marriage I put a whole roast chicken on the table and left the room for a moment – when I came back the dog was standing on the table with the whole chicken in his mouth.

Who do you cook for the most?

My family – every day.

What do you love and what do you hate about cooking food?

I love putting food in front of people and watching them enjoy it. I love eating what I cook too! I hate the washing up.

What three ingredients would you take with you to a desert island and what would you cook with them?

I would take a whole pig, some potatoes and some mangoes. I would cook the pig on a spit and have roast spuds and then mango for dessert.

If you were having any three people, alive or dead, over for dinner, who would they be and what would you cook for them?

My husband Mick, Lucille Ball and Jesus. I would cook a banquet – a huge table full of different things.

What inspired you to go on MasterChef?

I was excited by the challenge of it and by the opportunities it presents. I was so excited to learn new things about cooking and meet people in the food industry.

And how do you like your eggs?

Scrambled.