Horizon House Bendigo hosts My Kitchen Rules competition
Horizon House Bendigo has celebrated the results of its second annual My Kitchen Rules competition with a special dinner at local restaurant, Rocks on Rosalind where 18 year old resident, Bradley took out this year’s top prize.
28 Sep 2016
The aim of the competition was to increase resident's awareness of cooking, budgeting, timing and meal presentation in a fun and engaging way.Supported by St John of God (SJG) Bendigo Hospital, My Kitchen Rules saw each Horizon House Bendigo resident prepare a two-course meal that was enjoyed and then anonymously scored by the other residents and House Caregivers.
Each meal was judged against four criteria: flavour; presentation; creativity; and nutrition.
Some of this year’s standout dishes included butter chicken (cooked from scratch), caesar salad, bruschetta and a special pastry dessert made from puff pastry, marshmallows and chocolate buttons.
During the competition period, St John of God Bendigo Hospital Chef, Peter Jaegar volunteered his time to visit the House each Wednesday afternoon and take the residents who was competing that evening grocery shopping with an allocated budget of $30 to feed six people.
He would then help the resident with their meal preparation and provide advice on timing and plating before handing the kitchen back over to them.
Horizon House Bendigo Support Coordinator, Pamela Biggins said having Peter as a mentor was a great experience for the young people.
“Peter really helped add value to the experience for our young people,” she said.
“During the competition he ran a masterclass in the St John of God Bendigo Hospital kitchen and made dinner for our young people, which they loved.
“One of our residents is an aspiring pastry chef and after the masterclass, Peter invited her to work with him for an evening at a Hospital event, preparing and serving finger food.
“It was a fantastic experience for her and a number of Hospital Caregivers at the event spoke very highly of her afterwards which was wonderful feedback to receive.”
To mark the end of this year’s My Kitchen Rules the Horizon House Bendigo residents, Caregivers and Peter attended a 10-course banquet dinner at Rocks on Rosalind, donated by SJG Bendigo Hospital. The restaurant helped make the evening even more special by providing each person in the Horizon House party with two complimentary mocktails.
One of the highlights of the evening was the announcement of this year’s My Kitchen Rules winner, Bradley.
“Food is very important at Horizon House Bendigo and this competition enhances our residents’ desire to cook and raises the standard of the meals they prepare,” Pamela said.
“Most importantly, it helps support the development of essential life skills such as budgeting and nutrition, which are a key part of their journey towards independence.”