Chris Badenoch out of MasterChef Final

CHRIS Badenoch’s elimination has left Poh and Julie to the final.                                                                                                                                                        

Poh, is lucky to be in the final after she was given a second chance and allowed back on the show two weeks ago.

Julie, mother-of-three who is also in the final  has consistently been in the bottom two and faced numerous pressure tests but has always managed to scrape through.

Badenoch had dismissed Julie’s chances of staying in the competition in a magazine article earlier this week. 

The final three had to impress guest judge Donna Hay with the three dishes they wanted to see in their first cookbook.

Badenoch’s dished up quail, beef cheeks with sherry, and pigs trotters cooked in beer.

“It’s hugely disappointing. Unfortunately some of my dishes didn’t live up to my usual standards,” he said

Badenoch was distraught to miss out on Sunday’s final.

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Flights ‘cheaper than a carton of beer’

TRAVELLERS can fly to destinations around Australia for less than the price of carton of beer thanks to cut-price airline Tiger Airways. 

As part of its latest discount assault on rivals Qantas, Jetstar and Virgin Blue, Tiger Airways has aggressively cut the cost of some of its airfares.

For a limited time some of Tiger’s one-way flights from Sydney to Melbourne cost as little as $25.51, the Gold Coast to Melbourne from $23.33, or Adelaide to Perth costs $22.78, including taxes, The Advertiser reports.

But there is a catch. While there are 30,000 seats available for various destinations, the price is for a one-way flight which must be taken on a Tuesday or a Wednesday between August 4 and March 24.

The discount flights aren’t available during the summer school holidays, from December 15 to January 27, or on March 9 and 10.

Tiger Airways says the fares include all fees and taxes, so in essence, it is giving away the seat on the plane.

The fares include up to 7kg of carry-on luggage, but passengers are charged $10 for up to 15kg and $35 for up to 25kg of check-in luggage. The one-way discount fares include Adelaide to Sydney for $28.76 and to Melbourne for $25.14.

“For the price of a couple of movie tickets or a few beers you can travel some of Tiger Airways’ most popular routes midweek,” Tiger commercial director Steve Burns said.

“While everyone’s tightening their belts in the current economic climate, it’s nice to know you can still take a short break or get that work-life balance back on track with incredible deals like this.”

Comparable airfares from Adelaide to Perth aboard Jetstar during the same period currently cost $79, with Virgin Blue’s from $89 and Qantas’s from $129.

King William Travel manager Sandra Cosic said people needed to be wary of what they received for a low fare, taking into account extra charges for luggage and other services.

“But there are some great deals out there,” she said.

Tiger’s 30,000-seat “Just Pay Taxes and Charges” sale is on until midnight tomorrow.

HOW TO PAY FOR YOUR FARE

Don’t buy that carton of Platinum Pure Blonde for the weekend. SAVE $37.98.

Instead of heading out for dinner, stay at home and eat in. SAVE $20-$30.

Wait for that new movie to hit the DVD shelves instead of catching it on opening night. SAVE $34.

Give up that manicure. Your nails can wait a little longer. SAVE $40.

Bring instant coffee to work for a week instead of buying two a day. SAVE $35.

Catch public transport to work for a week instead of driving. SAVE $40.

Source  :  www.news.com.au

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Cheers to you, brew

Western Australia continues to produce the best beers in the country, with the state’s beer drinkers’ sophisticated palettes allowing brewers to continue to test tasty award-winning concoctions.

Margaret River’s Colonial Brewing Co. last night won the Cryer Malt Perth Royal Beer Show best commercial beer prize for their Colonial Kolsch.

Colonial was the toast of the awards hosted by beer-loving dancer Paul Mercurio, also winning the Barrett Burston trophy for best ale draught and the Premier’s Trophy for best WA beer in the show.

Chief judge Brendan Varis, head brewer at Feral Brewing Company, said Colonial’s Kolsch “is a world-class example of a top-class beer”.

“The Kolsch beer is a difficult one to make because they are really light in flavour so any faults at all will show through really quickly. This was a technically perfect beer.”

He said the standard of beer being produced by WA brewers was moving forward.

He said the standard of beer being produced by WA brewers was moving forward.

“It’s also great to see iconic WA brands like Red Back picking up awards.

”WA beer drinkers should be grateful and happy to have beers of this quality available to them locally. It’s great to know we have this kind of beer in our own backyard.”

The Cryer Malt Perth Royal Beer Show attracted 300 entries from 65 brewers.

Tops for taste:

Henley Brook’s Mash Brewing best stout draught and best lager draught

Myaree’s Billabong Brewing best stout.

Matilda Bay Brewing Company won best wheat beer draught.

Mr Varis, whose Feral Brewing Company recently took out a slab of top prizes at the Australian International Beer Awards, said WA brewers were more likely to produce extreme beers than brewers from around the country.

The sophisticated tastes of the WA beer-loving public allowed brewers to test different beer styles. Beers featuring hibiscus and black wattle seed provided new flavours for beer.

The sophisticated tastes of the WA beer-loving public allowed brewers to test different beer styles. Beers featuring hibiscus and black wattle seed provided new flavours for beer.

“There were some interesting experimental beers entered this year,” Mr Varis said.

“They represent an opportunity for brewers to explore further over the next few years and their commercial potential could be most interesting.”

Gryphon Brewing Services won the amateur brewer prize, as well as the trophy for best amateur brewer and best ale.

“The exciting thing about this competition was that the best of the amateur beers were very comparable with the best of the commercial beers,” Mr Varis said.

“Those beers came from the people who are serious about making beer and they are doing a very good job of it.”

Source  :  www.watoday.com.au

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Aussies win ‘Ashes’ cricket in Hollywood

Entertainment

The sun shone. The beer flowed. The Four’n Twenty meat pies were a hit. The Aussies thrashed the Poms. The Americans were largely clueless about what they were watching.

That sums up the second annual Westfield Hollywood Ashes cricket match held on the picturesque Woodley Park cricket field in Los Angeles on Saturday, with retired Australian paceman victory.

leading a team of Australian celebrities and ring-ins to a 29 run victory.

England were the favourites for the Twenty 20 contest.

At last year’s inaugural Hollywood Ashes, England scored a one run upset victory over an Australian team led by one of the all-time greats, Steve Waugh.

With lanky 65 test veteran Graham Hick at the helm this year, the English team also included actor Julian Sands, a star of the action TV series 24, and 65-year-old UK and US Dancing with the Stars judge Len Goodman.

England also had plenty of celebrities in the VIP tent, including Monty Python funnyman Eric Idle and comedienne Tracey Ullman, the game’s official “coin tosser”.

“It is one of the greatest wins of my entire cricket career,” Kasprowicz, a 38 test and 43 one day international veteran for Australia, said with tongue firmly implanted in cheek.

“Nineteen years of first class cricket, so yeah, as you can see it is a big moment.

“I’m glowing.”

Australia batted first and set the healthy target of 153, with Kasprowicz the top scorer with 29 not out off 17 balls, and former Perfect Match host Cameron Daddo drawing on his high school cricket days to add a quick fire 23 off 17 balls.

England managed just 135, with Hick scoring 20 not out.

Jessie Spencer , a star on the TV series House, and celebrity chef Curtis Stone, were late scratchings from the Australian team but former Calvin Klein underwear model model Travis Fimmel was a favourite among the female fans in the 800 or so strong crowd.

Fimmel, however, was limp with the bat, scoring a duck.

Kasprowicz gave a one word answer when asked after the victory if any members of his team may be good enough to sneak a spot in Australia’s test or one day team.

“No,” Kasprowicz replied.

Daddo was not so sure.

“I disagree with that,” LA-based Daddo, 44, who has appeared in numerous US TV series including 24, Without a Trace and Boston Legal, said.

“I think Travis has a good shot and I think I can carry the drinks for the test team.”

The biggest laugh came when an American spectator watching her first cricket game asked why it was called “The Ashes”.

“Who died?” she asked.

http://www.thewest.com.au

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