Chef George Calombaris, a MasterChef Australia judge, is on his way to the sunny shores of Durban to appear at the Good Food and Wine Show from 23 -26 August 2012. The Australian chef, who draws culinary inspiration from his Greek and Greek Cypriot heritage, has regularly appeared on Ready Steady Cook, owns three restaurants in Melbourne and one in Mykonos, Greece, and has published four recipe books. We caught up with George to lift the lid on his food heroes and favourites.

My favourite Australian restaurant is…
Vue de Monde in Melbourne.

The best thing about being a MasterChef judge is…
Inspiring people and kids to cook and eat fresh food.

The chefs I admire include…
Marco Pierre White, Heston Blumenthal and Massimo Bottura. Basically, any chef that cares and loves their craft.

My fridge at home is never without…
Gherkins.

As a child, I ate…
Peanut butter and jam on toast. I still do!

I first realised I was going to be a chef…
When I started washing pots and pans in a restaurant at 15 years of age.

My favourite Greek dish is…
Avgolemono, which is an egg and lemon soup.

My least favourite ingredient is…
Any ingredient that’s out of season.

I get recognised…
When I take my son swimming.

When I’m cooking for friends…
I source the best ingredients I can find and keep it simple.

My favourite thing to do with lamb is…
Slow cook it at 85°C for 12 hours.

At the Good Food and Wine Show…
You will see how life, time, place, people, events, highs and lows have influenced my food and my cooking.

I’ve never cooked…
Without care.

Try George’s recipe for mussels spanakopita, an unusual take on the classic combo of mussels, garlic and wine, which incorporates fresh spinach leaves, chickpeas and ricotta and feta cheese. Catch George at the Good Food and Wine Show in Durban from 23-26 August 2012. (Click here to see more food-related events in your area.) Buy tickets at Computicket now.