Minoli De Silva’s MasterChef journey was sadly cut short last night when her Callum Hann inspired creation failed to meet the criteria required to land on the Callum’s Kitchen menu.
Even though fans were sure Minoli would be a front runner this season, the 34-year-old Chemical Engineer spoke to Now To Love about why she was sent home.
Minoli chose to take on Callum’s menu because she is inspired by Australian produce even though she wasn’t used to working with those flavours.
Callum’s menu for his business Callum’s Kitchen.
(Credit: Instagram)“I love modern Australian food and I love eating it but it is not really something I cook very often,” said Minoli.
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She believes that her lack of judgment was due to feeling star stuck by the MasterChef guests and iconic contestants Callum Hann, Poh Ling Yeow, and Reynold Poer.
“One of the reasons I was drawn to Callums is because I was probably in a little bit of shock and fangirling Reynold, Poh and Callum because they are Masterchef royalty.
“Oh, Poh I could die and go to heaven and I would be a happy woman after seeing Poh.”
Instead of focusing on the main components of the cook, Minoli made the mistake of getting lost in the excitement.
Minoli during a fun MasterChef moment.
(Credit: Instagram)“I just cooked stake a couple nights that week and that was in for fore front of my mind, so in all the excitement I went with what I had cooked recently.
“Rather thank thinking about the one hundred other dishes I could have cooked,” said Minoli.
Minoli’s background is Sri Lankan, and her relationship with food began with her family and watching her maternal figures work with spices and traditional recipes packed with aromatic flavours.
Those times in the kitchen gave Minoli her love of food which takes up her thoughts daily.
“Food is how my mum brought everyone together and it was a very important part of my day to day life.
“I know some people have food as fuel but for me food is everything and I think about what I am going to cook in the morning for lunch for dinner just constantly.
“I know some people have food as fuel but for me food is everything.”
(Credit: Instagram)“It is my creative outlet, food is my form of meditation,” said Minoli.
Her strongest and most cherished memories around food are from when she visited Sri Lanka when she was a child, and she got to cook with her beloved grandmother.
“When I was cooking with my grandma in Sri Lanka, I was so young I was about 8-years-old, and she was just cooking dal and some string hoppers, it was the fragrance of the food, smelling things I hadn’t smelt before, I became so curious about cooking after that,” said Minoli.
Unfortunately, like many families, due to Covid Minoli has been separated from her grandmother, but she is hoping to reunite with her soon.
“She is 91 and she is still in Sri Lanka and I spoke to her the other day.
“I would love to go see her, and that is really.”
(Credit: Instagram)“I am pretty sure she is forgetting things but the one thing she does remember is me and she is always asking me how I am.
“I would love to go see her, and that is really hard I can’t see her but hopefully sometime soon I can go and give my granny a hug,” said Minoli.
As for life after MasterChef, Minoli wants to start a YouTube channel to help teach people how to cook with achievable but flavoursome recipes.
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