LIFESTYLE
Hayden Quinn Which philosophies and habits would you attribute your success and survival on the show?
I think for me it was always all about balance and as clichéd as it sounds, following your heart. Doing what feels right at the time and just trusting the fact that you know what your doing and being confident in the fact that you can achieve it. I think I had a fairly positive attitude throughout it all.
Every day was new and exciting for me, I wanted to make the most of every opportunity that was presented to me, I wanted to learn and I think most of all I listened and took note of what the judges, guests and people around me were doing.
How vital is it to forge a good relationship with other contestants?
I think the relationships we formed throughout the competition are relationships that will transcend MasterChef. I know that Michael and I will be friends for a very long time after this. The other contestants are your support network, they are the people who are there when you have a bad day in the kitchen or need a little reminder why you are there and how lucky you are. I turned out to be one big family as we progressed through the competition. Most of the time in the kitchen it is about working as a team, and having a solid relationship helps when you have to rely on one and other especially in team challenges.
Crediting your mother, as developing your love and knowledge for food which of your dishes best reflects that legacy?
I think the greatest legacy would be the ability to use the available ingredients (e.g. a mystery box) and create a beautiful dish. Mum is amazing like that, she could have a bare pantry at home, then I would bring 5 friends around and the next thing you know we are sitting down to a tasty and healthy meal.
So I think if you look at this as one of the legacy’s passed on to me, the dish that resulted in that would be my Korean Invention pot dish that I cooked for David Chang of Momofuku fame (I love that guy and was lucky enough to have Matt Preston get me a book and have it personally signed by David as a gift for doing so well in the competitions, that was very special). Both Mum and Dad would always instill in me to believe in myself and that definitely helps in the situation. Also have fun with it all, and I think that’s what I really did.
Has that home economist perspective and your studies in marine biology influenced you to cook sustainably?
I think sustainability in society today is a massive issue and something that every one should be taking into consideration within their means everyday, whether it be in cooking or just going about day to day life. I can’t claim to be the most sustainably efficient person but there are definitely choices that I make that based on whether one thing over another will impact our environment more or less.
What did you learn from the sustainable cooking challenge at the eco restaurant Greenhouse?
Cooking at the Greenhouse “pop-up” restaurant was a blast, and it definitely made us all reflect on how much food we actually waste in the process of creating the final dish. To have Joost there to show us around the whole set up and how not only the food and dishes at the Greenhouse were sustainable but also the waste management, construction, décor, design and furniture was a real eye opener as to how things can be done to reduce our impact on this beautiful place we call home. Under the guidance of Matt Stone we were able to create some incredible tasty dishes that also took into account not only the cost to the restaurateur but the cost on the environment.
I think another important issue that I took away from this day came from the questions that Kylie Kwong asked every time I served up a dish; “Where are these prawns from?”, “Where were they caught?”, “How were they caught?”, “What type of beef is this?”, “Is it grass or grain fed?”, “Where was it farmed”, “How long has it been hung for?”.
All these basic essentials that I think a lot of us never question when we buy our fresh produce but are vitally important if we are to take into consideration the sustainability of food. Walking away from the Greenhouse challenge, we as contestants all had a new respect for the food we were cooking. I think it was evident in challenges that followed that we were being more mindful of wastage and also the ingredients being used.
You have mentioned Jamie Oliver as an inspiration, what values of his do you hope to reflect in your cooking?
For me Jamie Oliver is a genuine bloke, and that’s they way I want myself to be perceived. All Jamie’s food is simple, tasty, great to share and fun. And I think most importantly he cares about the people he is cooking for and acknowledges where the dish has come from. For example, when he did his series in Italy the focus was not only on the food but also; the people, the language, the culture and the stories that really make up a dish.
“If I could one day be able to emulate that learning and sharing of people’s cultures and lives, I think my food dream would be pretty sorted!”
B E
Surfing the Menu
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