Exercise Pitch Black takes to the skies in the Top End

AIR F RCE August 2, 2012
News
You’re still
ill
a winner,
Mindy
Tindal cook proud of daughter’s MasterChef journey
Simone Liebelt
MINDY Woods may not have become
Australia’s next MasterChef, but she
was certainly a winner to proud dad,
WOFF Gary Woods, of RAAF Base
Tindal.
The Air Force cook of 37 years was
thrilled that Mindy, a physiotherapist
from Queensland, had made it into the
top four on Network Ten’s MasterChef
Australia program.
And he wasn’t the only one.
“Knowing Mindy was a RAAFie’s
daughter sparked a lot of interest within
the Air Force community,” WOFF
Woods said. “She had a big following
while on MasterChef.”
Mindy was chosen as one of the top
24 amateur chefs among 7000 hopefuls
who auditioned for the show, which ran
over 12 weeks.
When the program began, WOFF
Woods was deployed at Al Minhad Air
Base in the United Arab Emirates as part
of Combat Support Unit 6.
“I would always update the execs at
the morning brief on Mindy’s progress
on the show,” he said. “When I returned
to Australia, current and former Air
Force friends that we have made over the
many years would make comments on
acebook supporting Mindy, and I also
received heaps of emails and phone calls.
“We were really thankful for all the
upport.”
Mindy was the last contestant to be
liminated from the show before the
inale, which aired on July 24.
“We knew Mindy would do well
s she had the personality, attitude and
etermination to do as well as she did,”
OFF Woods said.
“When she was eliminated, we were
isappointed but happy for her at the
ame time. For her to come fourth out of
000 people who auditioned was a great
chievement.
“My wife and I and all of our famly
and friends are extremely proud of
Mindy, and even though she didn’t win,
in our eyes she is still a winner and can
only go forward from here.”
In the lead-up to the final week of
competition, WOFF Woods made a surprise
visit to the MasterChef kitchen as a
special family guest.
He said taking part in the episode,
which aired on July 19, was an exciting
experience, especially when Mindy
cooked the dish of the day in his honour.
“Mindy cooked Crispy Skin Duck
with Lychees and Red Curry Sauce, and
when I tasted it (along with the judges)
on the set, I thought to myself ‘the flavours
in this dish are amazing’,” he said.
“Then standing in front of the judges
at the end of the day waiting on their
decision was a nerve-racking experience;
you could cut the air with a knife. When
Mindy was given the dish of the day and
put into the top six, I was the proudest
dad. My wife Brenda, who in the background,
was the proudest mum as well.”
WOFF Woods said a family posting
to RAAF Base Butterworth in 1991-92
influenced Mindy’s love of Asian cuisine,
which featured prominently in her
cooking on the show.
“Living in Butterworth made us
aware of the fantastic food available in
Malaysia and Thailand and we all fell in
love with it,” he said. “Whenever we are
together we always cook up curry with
Rotis and Char Keow Teow, which is one
of our favourites.”
He said they had always loved cooking
as a family.
“My wife and I taught all three of
our children at a young age to cook various
types of food, with Asian being our
favourite.
“Now I guess it’s our turn to get a
few cooking lessons from Mindy. We’ve
already received some great tips and
recipes from her since she’s been on
MasterChef, and we can’t wait to see
where her culinary skills will take her in
the future.”
... just $190 out-of-pocket with PEEP Funding
The natural choice for health cover
10% discount for serving
families and reservists*
navyhealth.com.au
1300 306 289
* Conditions Apply
9
GUEST CELEBRITY:
WOFF Gary Woods with
his daughter Mindy on
the set of Network Ten’s
MasterChef Australia,
where he made a
surprise appearance
during one of the shows.
Photo courtesy Network Ten
IN SERVICE: Left inset,
WOFF Woods (far left)
enjoying a meal with
colleagues at Al Minhad
Air Base while deployed
there late last year.
Photo: CPO Damian Pawlenko