Dinner Divas

Poised to thrill viewers and create loads of foodie-buzz, Dinner Divas is a television series about twelve local food bloggers who cook (and blog) their hearts out against each other for a panel of expert foodie and online judges for the title of the Ultimate Dinner Diva of 2012. The fun kicks off this Saturday, 13^th of October at 08:30 am on SABC2.

Here are the most divine Dinner Divas, bravest people in blogland:

 Nina Timm (My Easy Cooking)

Janice Tripepi (Janice Tripepi)

Thuli Gogela (Mzanzi Style Cuisine)

Barry Gerber (What’s cooking)

Kate Liquorish (UndomestiKATEd)

Tami Magnin (Rumtumtiggs)

Candice Le Noury (Gorgeous Gourmet)

Usha Singh (Healthy Vegetarian Cooking)

Zirkie Schroeder (Pink Polka Dot)

Anel Potgieter (Lifeisazoobiscuit)

Sue Green (Sous Chef)

Kristy Snell (Foodmonger)

The series kicks off with a Sudden Elimination Heat. This will last for six episodes (of thirteen) when two bloggers with similar blog messages are paired-up to square-off against each other in every episode.

Weeks before the shoot, the bloggers knew they had to work out a menu for a family weekend meal, write and test their own recipes for the meal and write a description of their blog in 100 words. Now, in this heat, we see them preparing their meals, set their tables and style their plates for the judges. To make it easier for them, they’re allowed and encouraged to use laptops, smartphones or tablets to refer to their blogs or recipes as they cook.

The judges do not know who the bloggers are that they’re judging and bloggers have no idea who the judges are for this heat. But we can reveal who they are now already and here they are:

(From let to right:) Caro de Waal Editor Food24, Andrew Lieber Editor Gourmet Guys,  Aubrey Ngcungama of  Dinner with Aubs, Fernando Roman executive chef and Leila Padayachi Cordon Bleu chef.

They alternate each episode when three of them sample the blogger’s fare, evaluate their recipes and writing skills. The criteria are authenticity, having a strong blog ‘voice’ and image, how well the recipes and blog descriptions are written and of course, how well the meals are prepared. Also counting is the meal’s affordability and the origin, seasonality and availability of the ingredients for a family living on a normal budget. After sampling the fare, the judges debate the efforts and then vote to put through one, both or neither of the two bloggers to the semi-final heat.

In the first episode we see the talented young blogger Kristy Snell of the blog Foodmonger go up against award-winning blogger and radio host, Nina Timm of the blog My Easy Cooking. Both their blogs are about easy, beautiful food and cooking and both are superb food photographers. One of them prepares a happy Mexican feast while the other prepares a simple meal oozing with class and understated elegance.

The judges appreciate the one meal greatly while the other meal is not too enthusiastically received… But they agree on one thing: this is not about finding the best cook – it’s finding the best, most authentic blogger. We wonder how this will affect their votes?

The show is hosted by working-mom-of-three, Michéle Coleman, editor of the delectable easy-mommy-kinda-food website I love cooking.

The headline sponsor of the show is Mr Price Home, Rhodes Foods, Nulaid Eggs and Sasko Flour. Each blogger received lovely prizes the bigges of which is a state-of-the-art Whirlpool microwave and the winner receives R25 000′s worth of Whirlpool appliances and R50 000 cash. More about all the exciting prizes and sponsors in future posts …

More news and recipes will be available weekly from the I love cooking website as soon as the first episode airs. Don’t miss the fun and excitement: Saturday, 08:30, SABC2.

Whew, and that’s a wrap!