Masterchef Final Excitement

I am lying on the couch after a day in the office feeling more knackered than I should be the day before a General Election is called. I had a conversation about guilt 0with a dear friend of mine who has to completely sit this one out due to illness. We both feel really weird but I guess we have to accept where we are. By this time of night I am generally fit for nothing. The nice shiny new toy makes it very easy to throw a blog posting together.

This is why I can tell you how much I am looking forward to the Masterchef final. I was a bit annoyed at the beginning of the series because every single contestant seemed to be cooking scallops on black pudding and minted pea purée. However, I loved the new style quarter final which got rid of the old excruciating Passion Test when the contestants had to prove their desire to win to the judges by way of a cringeworthy speech which was a variation on the "I really want this" entreaty so beloved of reality show contestants. instead they have to cook their choice of meat or fish dish in 15 minutes with the judges standing over them pulling faces, a process that is too much like cruel and unusual punishment for comfort.

The competition has yielded 3 finalists who are so evenly matched that it's impossible to predict who will win. All have had moments of brilliance and disaster. It took food blogger Alex a while to get flavour into his very scientifically produced food. He once put pea purée in a bowl of chemicals to give it a skin before putting it in ravioli and I haven't forgiven him for thinking 4 tatties would feed 12 people. However he's finished strongly and I thought his dish of pig cheek was somehow appropriate in the Tower of London.

Children's doctor (please tell me they aren't calling him a paediatrician in case the public confuse him with something else) Tim played some blinders with perfectly cooked innovative dishes. I loved the idea of his honey and truffle sauce even if the judges didn't. He's been a bit safe of late though.

Dhruv likes to cook flavoursome food with a twist. He once produced a dish that looked like traditional fish and chips but was packed with Asian flavoursome. He can make mistakes in the production though as nerves affect his attention to detail.

It's a pity in a way that it's an all male final. I miss "British regional cook" Stacie, a feisty competitor who served up a slice of Victoria Sponge to the WI that was roughly the size a small townhouse.

The finalists are all on Twitter. Ignorance of this shiny new software prevents me from linking to their pages but they are @drtimkinnaird, @dhruvbaker1 and @justcookit. The main programme account is @masterchefuk and judge Gregg Wallace is @puddingface.

They're in India tonight. Not for the first time I wish we had smellovision!

Update 8/4/10 Tim has today clarified on Twitter here, here and here why he's been called a children's doctor - because that's how he introduces himself to children and young people. I'm relieved that's the reason and applaud him for his efforts in building rapport with his patients, something not all doctors take time to do. I'd certainly trust my wee one in his hands.


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