Remember back in April i said i got myself into lexus young chef of 2007... well thank god its over and done with cos i had the biggest stress level back then lol!! i couldnt reveal what i was doing for the set menu that they require cos people might copy my idea but now since its over i can reveal you my menu. to refresh your mind about what the hell im talking about well let me start from the begining....

Its a competition for chef's around australia ages between 18 - 30, they will select only 1 from each state and they will cook off with each other and the final cook off will be announce! but unlucky for me i didnt get in, but there is always next year!

My menu starts off with ....

Marinated tiger prawns with jasmine green tea

sea trout roulade, carpaccio of japanese scallops

sake and soy dressing

follow by...

Slow cooked lamb rack sage crust

crushed wanneroo kipfler potato

roasted vine ripe tomato with caponata

natural jus

Finish with the best for last...

Baked apple souffle in mini claypot

vanilla and chestnut anglaise sauce

vanilla ice cream

Lexus Young Chef finalists announced SEVEN of Australia’s up and coming young culinary stars have been announced as finalists in the second year of the Lexus Young Chef of the Year Award established by Luke Mangan.Finalists from each state include Beau Vincent from Assiette, Sydney, Adam D’Sylva from Longrain, Melbourne, Melanie Gowers from the Adelaide Convention Centre, Adelaide, Ben Devlin from Restaurant 2, Brisbane, Joe Ditri from Kings Park Function Centre, by Fraser’s, Perth, Anelle Bosch from Oscar’s Restaurant, Alice Springs, and Iain Todd from The Henry Jones Art Hotel, Hobart.Luke Mangan and business partner Lucy Allon set up the Lexus Young Chef of the Year Award to help inspire and nurture Australia's hottest young talent. Mangan says that many young chefs struggle to maintain their focus and enthusiasm in a highly competitive industry and that this award aims to encourage and inspire young chefs to keep focused on their goals and give them an opportunity to be rewarded and assisted in their careers.

Mangan—who was one of the judges—said the standard of the applications was “exceptionally high this year, making it tough for the judges.”Fellow finalist judge Lyndey Milan said entries were up this year and the competition was “much tougher”.“I was blown away by the depth of knowledge of different cuisines, real cooking skills and desire to create a personal style,” she said. “There were many more girls entering this year too and they certainly gave the boys a run for their money.”The seven state finalists will be brought to Sydney for a cook-off on June 5 at the Australian Women’s Weekly Test Kitchens.Each finalist will be given three hours to prepare three courses—an entrée, main course and dessert. The entrée and main course will be produced from a mystery box of ingredients, and the dessert will be set. At the conclusion, each finalist will present their dishes to the judges and talk about their career achievements to date and their future career objectives.

Finalist judges include: Luke Mangan, Tetsuya Wakuda, Anthony Musarra, Philip Johnson, Guy Grossi, and Milan.The National winner and runner-up will be announced at an Awards dinner on July 24 at Doltone House in Sydney where the menu will be created by the seven finalists.Special guest for the evening will be legendary chef, Michel Roux from The Waterside Inn, in England. Roux, a strong advocate of supporting young chefs with his own program, the Roux Scholarship, is recognized as one of the world's most accomplished chefs.The national winner’s prize package includes the prestigious opportunity to represent Australia at the S.Pellegrino Cooking Cup in Venice in July 2007; a return Virgin Atlantic flight from Sydney to London, UK; one week’s work experience at world renowned chef Michel Roux’s three Michelin Star restaurant The Waterside Inn in England; a two day tour of Champagne region, France; a Lexus Exclusive Experience Voucher; $2,000.00 cash, and a trophy and certificate.

I had recently recived a letter from the judges saying that i they were pleased to tell me that i was indeed short listed to the top three in the state. HEY i feel so much better when i read that cos it means that im FUCKING GOOD man... top three is good enough for me, at least i know that i didnt wasted my time doing the competition huh?!! well for more info on the competition check this web site for details: http://www.youngchef.com.au/