I see the daily discussion thread getting a lot of activity and we’ve been discussing the contestants dishes/menus.
I’m sure many of us think of what we would’ve made in that situation.
Why not share it with the others?
starting with yesterday and todays episode - what would your menu have been for the four course Italian meal?
From my very limited knowledge of Italian food, I would make:
1) Italian skewer kababs with pesto sauce as the starter
2) A pasta dish using fish. Like maybe a lovely baked fish with italian dressing and a butter sauce that I would toss the pasta with. With some side salad.
3) A casata cake for dessert.
4) And the very famous Affogato for cafe where I would give a strong bitter mocha with a silky orange/Sicily lemon gelato dumped in it just the way they have the Affogato.
I would do anything but not serve pizza or tiramisu in a challenge like this. How basic would that be!
I would have made grilled eggplant slices (taken it to a bitter yet creamy state), pair it with a tomato, pinenuts, olives, grilled mozzarella salad inspired by Caponata Siciliana for the starter.
A seafood italian stew with tomatoes, olive oil, chilli flakes and a barely there hint of Italian lemons with toasted bread and evo to dip.
Dessert would have been a Torta Tre Monti alternating with a clementine crème and 80% dark chocolate crème / Napoli rum babà
Café would have been a green coffee tiramisu/or a strong espresso with a simple vanilla gelato and honeycomb.crumb
Any thoughts would be appreciated
Edit : I just realised my café course would be just affogato with honeycomb. 
Restaurant menus really be overselling the dishes lol.
From my very limited knowledge of Italian food, I would make:
1) Italian skewer kababs with pesto sauce as the starter
2) A pasta dish using fish. Like maybe a lovely baked fish with italian dressing and a butter sauce that I would toss the pasta with. With some side salad.
3) A casata cake for dessert.
4) And the very famous Affogato for cafe where I would give a strong bitter mocha with a silky orange/Sicily lemon gelato dumped in it just the way they have the Affogato.
I would do anything but not serve pizza or tiramisu in a challenge like this. How basic would that be!
What protein would you use for kebabs?
I would have made:
Starter - Bruschetta with trio of mushrooms (porcini, oyster and truffle) served with burrata with a pesto drizzle
Mains - seafood risotto with a side of arugula, cherry tomato and pear salad
Dessert - Lemon semifreddo with a berry compote and candied pistachio crumble (I’d leave some uncandied) this would resemble the Italian flag (if I can get the semifreddo to look more white than yellow).
Coffee - Hazelnut flavoured espresso with a chocolate and orange biscotti
I personally would use lamb along with some hard italian cheese, two types of zucchini, tomatos, onions and olives.
What would you have made in the Mediterranean challenge?
I would’ve made -
Mezze - Baba ganoush, beetroot hummus, tzatziki and Muhammara served with lavash/pita. I’d add grilled feta with a honey drizzle and black sesame, fattoush, grilled artichokes with a lemon and sea salt, dolma, grilled aubergine and I’d fill up the platter with olives (marinated if possible), figs, chopped cucumber and carrots.
Mains - salmon cooked with herbed butter and sun dried tomatoes. Served with a side of zucchini noodles with pesto sauce
Dessert - Crema Catalan
