Profession: actor

Signature dish: butterfly chicken thigh fillet accompanied by Dutch cream potato and bacon, garlic and onion spinach.

Having appeared in some of Australia's most loved and notable television productions, Simon Westaway has a wealth of acting experience under his belt, but is his cooking repertoire as extensive?

"I'm an enthusiastic and organised cook. I like to take care in the process and I find the whole experience of cooking, very therapeutic. I've cooked all my adult life and I take a lot of influence from Italian cuisine as they do things very well there, from soups to high heels."

"The most technically difficult dish I have ever prepared is Tartufo, which is an Italian chocolate flavoured gelato dessert with a glace cherry in the middle. The highlight of creating it was making the gelato balls by rolling the freezing ice in your hands. It still gives me nightmares."

Although willing to tackle any recipe put in front of him, Simon has an exception when it comes to ingredients. He refuses to cook tripe.

"My mother cured me of tripe at a young age. I have no reason to go back. She served it with a milk sauce or something repulsive. It was a horrible experience."