An update on the TV show application and finding a major celebrity

So I thought I'd give a little update on the TV show application. I submitted it on the last day possible and I can only hope that it was still considered. I was told that if I were successful to go through to the next stage (interviews and screen tests) I would know by 12 January. As that date has now long passed and I have heard nothing, I'm going to conclude that I was not successful this time. Am I disappointed? NO WAY! I had fun putting the application together and giving myself the time to think about why I enjoy baking and I will continue to bake as and when it suits! And I'll learn to make macaroons!

Finding a major celebrity to have my photo taken with is one of the more challenging items on my list and although I do have a plan to help this situation, I'm keeping my eyes open for the chance meeting. On hearing that a colleague was sat next to Ronan Keating at dinner the other week, I was pretty jealous, not only because it's Ronan Keating (those who know me understand) but because, yes, he would qualify as a major celebrity! So far I've sat opposite Gary Rhodes (chef) on the tube and on Friday was sat near Jenny Frost (BBC3's Snog Marry Avoid), but neither of which qualify - they are most definitely more Z-list than A-list! The search continues!

15. Go to a wine tasting to learn more about wine

At university I had the pleasure of living in Oak House halls of residence with Mr Chris Johnson (as well as the wonderful Denise, the lovely Phil and some others who didn't really stick around).

Mr Chris Johnson (ironically, that's also my boss' name!) went on to become a sommelier and works at Jeroboams, a posh wine shop in London. Very conveniently a couple of weeks ago I received an email from Chris that he was hosting a wine tasting and would I like to come. Well yes, 1. because it's an opportunity to catch up with an old friend and 2. a chance to tick another item off my list.

Last Wednesday I was shown into the cellar of the Davies Street Jeroboams for a Bordeaux wine evening, sampling two white Bordeaux wines (yes Bordeaux can be white!) and sampling four red Bordeaux wines.

On arrival I was handed a very tasty glass of Laytons Brut Reserve Champagne. We then went on to sample the white wines: a 2009 Clos Floridene Blanc and a 2009 Caillou Blanc du Chateau Talbot. Both wines were priced in the £20-£30 region. Given that I don't know much about wine, the idea of spending that amount of money on a bottle of wine in a shop seems a bit much but they were both tast, although very different.

A brief interval of cheese and bread - very lovely cheese I must add - preceded the red wine tasting. In the reds we tasted:

2007 Chateau Quinault L'Enclos

2001 Cantermerle, 5th Growth

1996 Chateau Pontet Canet 5th Growth

1996 Chateau Lagrange 3rd Growth

Now after thinking that the £20-£30 was quite pricey, the reds totally outstripped that and the list included one £120 bottle and one £80 bottle. I have to admit that as hard as I tried to like the £120 bottle (pictured on the left), it just wasn't my cuppa tea, but the £80 bottle was pretty tasty.

Things that I learned at the wine tasting:

• Bordeaux does not just produce red wines, they also produce white
• Wine is often fermented in steel barrels, not wooden barrels as I had thought (to do with both cost and taste)
• White wines are not always one grape and can be a blend of grapes
• Robert Parker seems like an important man in the wine world - his ratings are essentially the equivalent of Michelin star ratings for restaurants
• 1996 was a very good year for wine and is one of the best vintages to get these days
• The older the vintage, the less time you should decant the wine for (as the air will just remove the taste like that)
• What chateau a wine comes from is important, the chateaux in France are super-important and vary in size and power

All in all a pretty good night, great wine, great food and great company! Thanks Chris for hosting!

Four down, 26 to go!

1. Apply to be on a TV show

Although I thoroughly enjoy clowning around amongst friends, being singled out and therefore being on camera isn't a natural thing for me and I've never really been overly keen on the idea of being on TV (those of you who know what I'm like with panto will definitely understand!), but a couple of months ago, my great friend Erica sent me an application form for a TV show she'd been watching and said I should apply. It came through at the point that I was compiling my bucket list so I thought why the heck not.

Yesterday, the day of the deadline for the application, I emailed over my application for the third series of the Great British Bake Off, a BBC Two TV show hosted by Mel and Sue where contestants bake various items (cakes, biscuits, pies, tarts, breads etc.) every week and face a number of a challenges with one contestant eliminated each week. My bucket list was only to apply, not to appear on a TV show as that actually strikes the fear of god into me!!!

Thank you Erica for the encouragement to apply.

Three down, 27 to go

29. Have the balls to return food in a restaurant

So as much as I hate to admit it, I'm very British when I'm out for a meal and when the waiter/waitress comes over after food has been served and says 'Is everything ok', my default answer is 'Yes, fine thank you' partly because I do not like being interrupted when I'm eating and in the middle of a conversation, I always feel that if I didn't like something I know I can call them over and tell them. Yet, time and time again, the food isn't quite right and I'm not 100% happy but I never say so.

Over the past year I have made good friends with a few Americans, who are very un-British and will be the first to send food back and tell the waiter/waitress that there is something wrong.

On 20th December, I was out for a meal with my American friend Jen and Australian friend Duschanca at a gastropub in Covent Garden (and as it was a gastropub it was posh nosh with uniformed waiters and expensive wine!). I'd ordered the burger and chips on Jen's recommendation and when it arrived I was a bit disappointed with the chips - they were limp, soggy and not properly cooked in my view. But did I say anything?!...No.... boo to me. Jen gave me a telling off for not sending it back and said that it's perfectly ok, particularly when you're paying a higher price. We ordered dessert and I ordered the blue cheese and truffle honey on raisin toast. What was presented to me was blue cheese and oatcakes - by the way for those who don't know oatcakes are not the same as raisin toast!!! I was fairly cheesed off (pardon the pun) and with encouragement from Jen and Duschanca, with my heart pounding because surely it isn't the done thing to complain, I called the waiter over and explained my discontent. It was fixed within a couple of minutes and I was much happier.

All in all that was easy and as much as it felt a little uncomfortable it was absolutely the right thing to do and I think I'd now have the balls to do that all again if I'm not happy with the food!

Two down, 28 to go!