Hunky chefs whip up eclectic recipes for road trip

DAN CHURCHILL (left) and Hayden Quinn

Two athletic ex-“MasterChef Australia” contestants team up for the weekly cooking show, “Surfing the Menu: The Next Generation,” a series that combines a laid-back road trip and eclectic recipes.

Host Hayden Quinn described the atmosphere of the show (TLC, Mondays, 9 p.m.) as “excellent” during a phone interview: “It’s relaxed—it’s very pulled-back, organic, and it’s shot in an observational, documentary style. [My cohost] Dan Churchill and I have been good mates for a long time.”

“What you see is what you get—that’s the beauty of the show,” Dan told the Inquirer. “[We’re] young blokes just having some fun around the country.   ”

Both men, who travel in a five-decade-old Volkswagen Beetle in the series, appreciate their experiences with “MasterChef”—Hayden in 2011, and Dan in 2013.

“’It’s a phenomenal show,” said Dan. “It created so much of a foundation for both Hayden and me. We learned many skills and techniques beyond cooking and created relationships. From that show, we had our own different ventures.”

Dan released a cookbook after the competition. “A couple of [my recipes] have been very popular,” he revealed. “[The] Choc-Tella muffin, the sweet potato bake and hash have been highlighted across Twitter and Instagram.”

Hayden also released a cookbook and contributed to a food magazine. He was a professional lifeguard before TV opportunities beckoned. “The best thing about working as a lifeguard is that you get to be on the beach every day,” he enthused. “And the most memorable about it is when you actually save someone. I was a lifeguard for nearly nine years. It was a special job.”

While they may be around food a lot, the chefs enjoy different activities in “Surfing the Menu.” Both have a strong background in fitness and health, according to Dan: “Hayden’s got a gym. To make sure we’re able to stay active, we eat things that are very nourishing. We know when to treat ourselves. On the road, Hayden and I would make these massively awesome salads—chicken, sweet potato, rocket, cheddar and walnuts.”

On their fitness regimen, Hayden added: “In the morning, Dan and I go running and skipping, because they keep us focused.”

Practical and healthy meals that reflect their energetic lifestyle will also be shared throughout the series. But they stressed that these will be delectable, as well.

“I get to use [my education] when we’re developing recipes, like choosing seafood specific to a region,” related Hayden, who studied marine biology.

“My big philosophy is, I don’t work with the mathematics of calories,” said Dan, who started cooking when he was 12. “I want people to look at food and appreciate how colorful it is. But we also want everyone to be able to pick up the ingredients and know where to get them.”