Channel Four's Cookbook Challenge with Jamie Oliver is the perfect tonic for a young doctor from Huntly
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A young woman from Glass is into the quarter final of Channel Four's The Great Cookbook Challenge.
Sarah Wordie, 26, a junior doctor is one of 18 cooks in the programme for which Jamie Oliver and Penguin books have teamed up - with the prize at stake a publishing deal for a cookbook.
Sarah was one of two cooks selected from the second episode on Monday and will be back in action in the quarter final at 8pm on Monday, February 21.
Currently working in an Edinburgh hospital, Sarah said that it felt like she had been living a double life when she went to London last November for the filming - keeping it a secret from family and friends.
She only broke the news to her parents, George and Margo, when trailers for the programme began to appear on television - although someone had already spotted her in the previews!
On Monday night, she cooked a Christmas dinner lasagne - with all the traditional ingredients from a festive meal layered into a lasagne.
The idea stemmed back to her days in a student flat when she was hosting a dinner for friends but forgot the key item - a turkey!
A mad dash to the supermarket yielded only turkey mince but because she had all the other components she came up with the idea of layering the meat with pigs in blankets, brussell sprouts, chestnuts and cranberries - layering each sheet of pasta with the bread sauce instead of white sauce.
Sarah said: "After that I said I ought to write a lasagne cookbook then last year a friend sent me a link to the programme where people were invited to come up with a theme for a cookbook.
"I entered as a joke more than anything then made it into the 18 from the 800 who applied. It's been amazing - Jamie Oliver gave us tips."
Judges, Jimi Famurewa, Georgina Hayden and Louise Moore were impressed with Sarah's dish and for the next round she has taken on board their suggestion to replace her lasagne theme for layered dishes to broaden the appeal and move away from pasta.
Sarah added: "The crit shown on Monday was just a minute or so but it was hours and we had days of filming. It was an incredible experience to have Jamie Oliver as host.
The Great Cookbook Challenge with Jamie Oliver is on Mondays at 8pm on Channel 4 or catch up on All 4.
