Round Two was a bit of a disaster - sorry for the delay!

Happy Monday dearests! I must sincerely apologize for my delayed posting - its been a bit crazy and our house has been plagued by sickness. My cook-off meal on Thursday was not the greatest and hence I decided to forfeit for the week. HOWEVER, just so that I don't disappoint you, I am doing a little write up of the delicious meal that Buff, Justin and I cooked on Saturday afternoon!

 Having been very lucky and managing to get Kings of Leon tickets without having to queue (thanks Garth-man) we decided to spend the day doing something delicious. We ventured into Woodstock because we know of a little gem on Victoria road that sells fresh and delicious sea food. We bought calamari tubes and 8 tune steaks for under R80 - what a win! They even give you complimentary lemons - gotta love a place like that! We took our happy purchases back home and began cracking on the calamari. 

Buff and I were inexperienced at the art of cooking calamari (despite Buff's seaside upbringing - I at least have a good excuse) so Justin luckily tutored us through. (Justin us the guy on the right of the pic). Buff made a chilli, garlic, ginger, soy and lime juice marinade and flash fried them in a smoking hot pan. We cooked the tentacles first (crazy!!) to test and they were a win so onwards we went!

 This is Buff cooking the calamari rings - what a rock star! It was a triumph of a meal and let me just state here that it was my idea but it was Buff and Justin who made it the success it was. This was more like a weekend collaborative effort - wonderful food, wonderful weather and wonderful friends (sorry if that was super cheesy but it was!) :)

Pictured left is Justin Stang - guest judge, sous chef, magazine editor and part of the big Disney machine. Justin is a like-minded foodie and was a rocking guest judge. I don't know his scores yet but I'm thinking he scored Buffy at least 90 out of 100. 

Me scoffing the calamari! 

 Pictured left is the finish product which was seriously better than any calamari I've had in a restaurant so well done Buffy! He's seriously making me nervous about my positioning within this competition. It was soft but not rubbery, packed full of flavour but not overpoweringly so and he wins some serious points for his timings as it was so quick and easy to make.
Here are my scores on the matter: 
Price - 28/30 - it was SO affordable
Taste - 35/35
Time - 9/10
Presentation - 4/5 - simple food isn't about looks, its about taste. 
Texture - 5/5 - perfectly cooked!!
Drinks pairing - 4/5 - a lovely, crisp Chardonnay accompanied our meal, but I must say that I preferred Justin's choice of wine (call me a wine snob, I don't care)
Authenticity - 5/5 - can't get more authentic than that
Availability - 3/5 - it is quite a mission to get hold of but so worth it.
Total score = 93/100! Outstanding scores Buff!

We cleaned the lot. Happy weekend! :) When are the rest of you coming for dinner?