Sibling rivalry

WHEN it comes to culinary competitions on television, few shows can compete with MasterChef Australia.
Now into its eighth year, Malaysians will be able to catch the latest season of MasterChef Australia when it premieres on July 4 at 8pm on Lifetime (Astro channel 709).
Among the standout participants in season eight are a pair of Singapore-born siblings – Jimmy Wong, 49, and sister Theresa Visintin, 44, who appeared as Theresa Wong in several dramas on Australian television in the 1990s such as Home and Away and Paradise Beach.
During two separate tele-conference interviews, both Jimmy and Theresa admitted to being long-time fans of the show, and were more than eager to learn from the various celebrity chefs who appeared on the show.
Jimmy said: “I did watch season one. I probably missed two seasons before I picked it up again. I am a massive fan.”
Theresa said that MasterChef Australia is her favourite show.
“When I was at home with the family, I would watch episodes of MasterChef. I have watched every episode of the Australian version since it started.
“I think when you are watching it, you look at all these other people and you realise that they learn so much while they are on the show.
“It was just something I have always dreamed of doing.”
Jimmy said he decided to take part in MasterChef Australia because he has always loved food.
“I have worked and travelled extensively, especially in Asia, and that has really heightened my appreciation for food.
“In life, we all have dreams. I just told myself to live my dreams and go for this opportunity.
“As [an ethnic] Chinese, I thought that MasterChef Australia season eight [must] be a lucky one for me to try.”
After applying to join the show and receiving a call for an audition, Jimmy then shared the good news with Theresa.
She, in turn, was encouraged by her husband and family to join the show as well.
“I think we were both excited about the idea of trying to get in. We did not think that we would actually be competing against each other eventually,” Theresa said.
Jimmy admitted that it was a challenge to go into the competition together.
“How do you go into something when you know one of us will not be okay? That is a tough one.”
He did not take any crash courses on cooking before competition.
“In the competition all you do, think about, and practise, is food. We learn from each other, we learn from the judges, we learn from cookbooks.
“As we are going through the competition, it may seem that we know everything, but we don’t. We are all human beings. We all have strengths and weaknesses.”
He said the trick is to know what you are not good at, and study and practise to improve it.
Theresa added: “There was a lot of things I didn’t realise that I relied on recipes for. So going into the competition, I had to memorise a lot of recipes.”
The siblings each bring their own culinary skill sets to the competition. They were each exposed to Asian cuisine in Singapore, and to more diverse styles of cooking in the countries they have lived in or visited.
In addition, Theresa is intimately familiar with Italian cuisine, thanks to influences from her husband and mother-in-law.
However, she said that her brother is more educated about current food trends because he travels a lot.
Jimmy added: “I would like to think that I am a very intuitive, and quite a versatile cook. Because of my design background, I enjoy [beautifully plated food].”
As to who is the better cook, big brother Jimmy said: “We are both very different cooks. I think we are both extremely good
“When it comes to an international, beautifully plated food, it will be me. When it comes to a hearty family meal, it would be my sister.”
Among the many celebrity chefs who showed up on the show, Theresa was most excited to meet Heston Blumenthal.
“I think Heston is the type of person who has a lot of fun with his food. I [also] identify with Nigella [Lawson] who is a mum and a home cook. I think I relate to her as a person,” Theresa explained.
Jimmy simply added: “ To have had the opportunity to [meet] all these people is a gift.”