So our intrepid eaters gather once more, this time at the home of Rhydian, ready to uncover the mysterious 'Interactive Feast'. Rumours had been doing the rounds; would we be ordering from Deliverance? would we have to bring our own picnic fixings? But Leonie correctly guessed...Guests are topping their own pizzas and tossing their own pancakes!
Genius! Rhydian's thinking is that if you don't like it, you made it, it's your fault, you can't mark me down! Risky strategy maybe, but sounds like a lot of fun all the same! Let's see...
Refreshed by perfectly chilled Cava on arrival, and after some nosing around, the contestents crammed into the cute little kitchen, where Rhydian was rustling up their toppings...
...and it was quite a spread: Venison sausages, parma ham, griddled asparagus, mozzarella, goats cheese, mushrooms with balsamic, caramelised red onions, fresh rocket and smoked salmon. All with a base of smooth red pepper sauce. Wow!
Trepidation, excitement, wondering and bemusal were just a few of the emotions our diners were feeling before tackling the toppings head on!
Leonie gamely goes first, creating a veggie feast, heavy on the cheese with a distinctive triangle of asparagus.
Philippa, when asked what she was going for, replied simply "Everything!".
Gabriela went for another meat free one, leaving more sausages etc for everyone else, but a squabble was kicking off over the balsamic mushrooms so Rhydian quickly whipped up some extra servings.
Nadia looked highly satisfied with her handiwork, and by this point Rhydian was left with just enough to top his own base with. He was also sharing his with a poorly housemate, what a sweetheart!
Leonie and Philippa's came out of the oven first, looking done to perfection as guests could choose how well done they liked theirs (passing the blame again Rhydian!). Condiments and crushed black pepper were provided and people were making a dent in tonight's red wine haul.
Nadia and Gabriela's up next.
It looked like the less formal approach was paying off, everybody was enjoying themselves and somehow Rhydian had managed to keep his kitchen completely clean (he admitted to being a bit OCD).
Next, our tireless host whips up the batter for dessert. A couple of weeks before Shrove Tuesday he gives his guests an opportunity to perfect their tossing technique! See a video of Gabriela having a go here!
Philippa managed a full 360! Extreme!
And there were the sweet toppings to get stuck in to too! Maple syrup, blueberries, strawberries, Haagan Dazs and of course, lemon and sugar!
Then to round off the meal, Rhydian came over all George Clooney and revved up the Nespresso machine, offering his guests a choice of coffee capsules from his wooden display tray. How suave!
That kept him busy while the guests were whisked off one by one to give their scores. Will Rydian be in the lead after a fantastic interactive feast? Or will guests mark down for the lack of starter and having to lift a finger? All will be revealed once we've enjoyed our other hosts efforts. Next up is Leonie, her menu will be posted next week! Watch this space!
