Duston woman makes it to Masterchef finals
A WOMAN with a passion for cooking has been picked from 20,000 people to take part in this year’s Masterchef contest.
Ondine Hartgroves, aged 38, from Duston, will compete in the final 20 on the seventh series of the hit BBC One show.
Mrs Hartgroves, who is just over eight months’ pregnant and lives with her husband Paul, 17-year-old son Troy and four-year-old daughter Iola, cooked a dessert of chocolate tuile baskets with raspberry mouse, peaches and caramelised almonds for judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace on last night’s show.
The budding chef, who works as a team leader at a call centre, said: “I wanted to cook something which would show different techniques and ability. Gregg loves desserts and my husband adores peach melba and raspberries. I took the idea of that and produced my own dessert based on what my husband likes to eat. I have cooked it at home.”
The judges told Ondine she had put too many different types of food on her plate but were impressed with her cooking.
Greg Wallace said: “Winners do that generally. They throw as much technique as they can at a plate.”
Mrs Hartgroves started cooking in her early 20s and said: “I realised food was more than just a cook-in sauce or bacon and eggs. Although, it is in the past seven years I have completely thrown my heart and soul into it.”
The keen cook, who dreams of working as a food writer and critic and would also like to own her own restaurant, said: “When you go out for a meal you think about it for days and the excitement builds up. That memory is with you for life. I want to give people those life memories.”
She added: “I’m an eclectic cook. Food can be thrilling and an adventure on the palate. I may not be able to travel the whole world but there is nothing stopping me cooking and tasting it.”
Mrs Hartgroves, who cooks for up to six hours every day and enjoys baking with her daughter, added: “I have watched Masterchef from the very beginning and I have always loved it.
“It’s something I always wanted to do and I just felt at this point it was the right time to do it. I was hoping to get through. It felt like an honour being picked from so many people. It was absolutely amazing.”
MasterChef continues next Wednesday on BBC One at 9pm.
Email to a friend
Print this page- BREAKING NEWS: Tributes paid to Niamh Curry as brave five-year-old loses battle against cancer
- BREAKING NEWS: Pensioner dies after collision at Northampton shopping centre
- Man tied to tree and beaten on Northampton Racecourse
- BREAKING NEWS: Woman’s body found after ‘suicide’ in Northampton hotel room
- BREAKING NEWS: Seven-year-old boy dies following house fire in Northamptonshire
- Northampton binmen at ‘breaking point’
- Staff strike at Northampton school over academy plans forces closure
- Saints’ stadium plans get support as long as traffic issues solved
- Eastern European pupils helping school standards across Northampton
- Exclusive: PM David Cameron says Northamptonshire Police Commissioner role is “a big job for a big local figure”
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Northampton
Saturday 26 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 23 C
Wind Speed: 18 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 24 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: East
Comments
There are 2 comments to this article
Page 1 of 1
lady muck
Monday, February 21, 2011 at 08:01 AMSo she has 'thrown her heart' in with the cook-in sauce ! That's dedication and committment. Can anybody explain why raspberry mousse peaches are superior to tinned peaches and evaporated milk such as my old gran served at Sunday tea ?
The Ninja Parade
Saturday, February 19, 2011 at 11:27 AMGood luck!
Page 1 of 1
Your view
Please sign in to be able to comment on this story.