Author: France

Andre Chiang cooked for his last service at Restaurant Andre

Post author By France
Post date February 20, 2018

Tonight, after a decade making his mark on Singapore's thriving dining scene, lauded Taiwanese-born chef Andre Chiang will cook for his last service at Restaurant Andre.

Even as consumers prepare to celebrate their love over an
aptly fine meal, one notably passionate chef is preparing to close a chapter on
a long culinary love affair with another country, one he has called home the
last decade.

Today, Andre Chiang will
cook his last meal at his two-Michelin-starred Restaurant Andre (No. 14 on last
year’s World’s 50 Best Restaurants list and No. 2 on the Asia’s 50 Best
Restaurants list the same year).

When news first broke last October, the same day he
opened the restaurant 10 years before (and coincidentally his wedding
anniversary), the industry was genuinely surprised. Today, at the restaurant’s
last “family meal” and press conference, it was clear how hard a decision it
was to make. With his tearful wife and pillar beside him, Chiang shared with
the media his final thoughts on the matter with the hopes of saying a proper
“thank you and farewell”.

“We pushed hard, we pushed very hard, but I don’t want to
stay still… I want to take another 10 years and do something greater than
this,” shared the 41-year-old (42 in April), who will be moving back to
Taiwan—a place he has known for so long but has never grown up with—in pursuit
of personal goals he has had on his list for quite a while. Among other things,
his vision for the next five to 10 years is devoted to leading the food
education in Asia, strengthen the Taiwanese culinary heritage and identity.
“Singapore’s home, Taiwan ‘s home, Asia’s home,” he continued. “So regardless
where I am, I’m going to make sure we make Asia proud.”

In a thank you letter issued today, he started by
admitting how hard it is for him to express his feelings during this period.
But he was clear how proud he should be of what he has achieved “for Singapore,
for Asia, and for the world”.

“I am unsure if I should be happy as I embark on this
bright new future ahead of me, or to be sad as we close this chapter and say
goodbye to Restaurant Andre—one of the best restaurants in the world,” he
shared, adding that the one thing he will miss most is having “the best team”
behind it.

Still, he insists, this is not goodbye. While he may not
be helming the kitchen, a new venture is set to take over the original
location. “We are planning a new category of cuisine and concept after the
closure of Restaurant Andre,” he shared. It’s slated to open towards the end on
the year, and is still going to serve a fine dining experience.

Chiang also endeavours to spend more time with his chefs
and take good care of all seven restaurants under the Restaurant ANDRE group
(including Burnt Ends, MeatSmith, Bincho, Porte 12 in Paris, Raw in Taipei, The
Bridge in Chengdu, and 3 new upcoming projects set to open by the end of 2018.

In the meantime, he said he wanted to simply say: “Thank
you Singapore for a decade of love and support, this has been the best period
of my life so far”.

Reprinted from: https://sg.asiatatler.com/dining/one-last-meal-at-restaurant-andre?utm_source=Singapore+Tatler+Dining&utm_campaign=c946d0df24-SGTD_20180214&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_961932cf98-c946d0df24-54118205

Blog News

England wins Battle for the Dragon cook-off in Wales

Post author By France
Post date February 19, 2018

ENGLAND’S NATIONAL
JUNIOR TEAM WIN GOLD

Battle for
the Dragon cook-off matched Wales against England. Wales’ young chefs
were looking to succeed where the nation’s rugby team failed against England at
Twickenham in the Six Nations Championship but England won once again with the
National Junior Team taking the Gold Medal and the Trophy

The two countries went head to head again, but this
time in the heat of the kitchen in the Battle of the Dragon contest at the
Welsh International Culinary Championships at Coleg Llandrillo Menai,
Rhos-on-Sea on Wednesday and Thursday, February 14^th and 15^th.

At stake for the winner was national pride and the
Dragon Trophy, which has been won in the past by national culinary teams from
around the globe, including Sweden, Germany and New Zealand.

The challenge that faced the young chefs from both
Wales and England was to prepare and cook a three-course meal for 70 people. A
panel of international chef judges were keeping a close watch on their work in
the kitchen before tasting the dishes.

It’s a huge test for both teams, as they prepare to
compete in the world’s top culinary competitions in the future. England’s next
major event is at the Culinary World Cup in Luxembourg later in the year.

Wales’ menu was Seared Scallop, Langoustine Thermidor,
Granola, Cucumber, Piccalilli and Seafood Espuma. Main Course of Pork Tenderloin
wrapped in Prosciutto, Pig’s Head Bonbon, Honey Roasted Carrots, Carrot Purée, Sprout
Leaves, Apples and Parsnip with Pork Jus. Dessert was Bramley Apple, Vanilla Ice
Cream

England’s Junior Team, managed by Matthew
Shropshall, was captained by Edward Marsh (Michelin starred The Manor,
Wiltshire) and included Jack Gameson (UCB HE student and Warwick Castle pastry
chef), Greg Evans (Lainston House Hotel, Wiltshire – 4 AA rosettes), Nathan
Lane (Michelin starred The Ritz, London), Angelina Adamo (3 AA rosettes Park
Restaurant, York), Elliot Lawn (UCB HE student and Michelin starred Adam’s
Restaurant, Birmingham) and Millie Tibbins (UCB HE student and Harborne
Kitchen, Birmingham).

England’s winning menu was Farmed Pan-Roasted Halibut,
Langoustine Croquette, Radish and Cucumber Salad, Romanesco and Langoustine Velouté.
Main Course of Venison Loin, Potato Gateau, Fennel Purée, Cabbage, Sweetbread Boudin,
Sautéed Wild Mushrooms and Port Sauce. Dessert, Dark Chocolate and Orange Mousse,
Citrus Sponge and Iced Blood Orange.

Quote from Mathew: “It continues
to be a real honour to manage, train, develop and compete as the National
Junior Team Manager. I'm really pleased to be the first Manager for England to
win the Gold for England’s Juniors and so proud to watch Ed, Jack, Greg,
Nathan, Angelina, Elliot and Millie develop within the team. During the past five years we have grown as a
team and are working well as a unit. The comment from WACS Continental Director,
Dragan Unic, during the competition that the England Juniors work similarly to
the Swedish Senior Team is a real credit to the hard work the team put in to
training and developing. We aim to work harder for the run up to the Culinary
World Cup. My assistant Manager, Richard Taylor has also played a key role in
supporting the team. A big thank you to England’s Team Sponsors, best result to
date and we now look forward to competing in Luxembourg.”

The British Culinary Federation and National Team
sponsors offer their sincere congratulations to Mathew Shropshall and the team
for lifting the trophy and winning Gold Medal.

Picture captions:

England’s National Junior Team, L-R Jack Gameson,
Angelina Adamo. Edward Marsh, Greg Evans, Nathan Lane and Mathew Shropshall.

Nathan
Lane in action, with Edward Marsh.

The
victorious England team with Lesley Griffiths, Cabinet Secretary for Energy, Planning and Rural Affairs, Dragan Unic, Worldchefs
continental director for Northern Europe and Lee Corke, BCF Senior Culinary
Team Manager who was one of the judges.

Blog News

Today is Chinese New Year

Post author By France
Post date February 16, 2018

Let us share our magic with you today by celebrating together
the Chinese New Year with the recipe of Shanghai Spring Rolls that are said to resemble gold bars as a symbol of wealth!

Story: The Chinese New
Year is considered to be the most important of the holidays in China. It is
based on the traditional Chinese lunisolar calendar, which dates define both
the moon phase and the time of the solar year. Today begins the year of the Dog.

Recipe
(serves 2)

Preparation: 25 min

Ingredients:

·
6 Chinese dried mushrooms

· 1 fresh
bamboo shoot, about 350 grams

· 250 grams
bean sprouts

· 200 grams
pork belly

· 10ml soy
sauce

· 10ml rice
wine

· ½ tsp
granulated sugarA pinch of ground white pepper

· 2
slightly heaped tsp cornstarch

· Cooking
oil, as needed

· Fine sea
salt, as needed

· 40-50
fresh shrimp, with bodies about 6cm long

· 40-50
Shanghai spring-roll wrappers, thawed

· 1 egg,
whisked

For the dipping sauce:

·
Chinese brown rice vinegar

· Finely
minced ginger

Method:

Soak
the mushrooms in warm water until soft. Squeeze out the liquid. Remove and
discard the stems, then cut the caps into fine dice. Peel the bamboo shoot
until you reach the tender flesh. Slice the bamboo shoot about 3mm thick. Bring
a pot of water to the boil, add the bamboo slices and simmer for five minutes.
Drain and, when the bamboo is cool enough to handle, cut the slices into fine
julienne.

Cut the pork belly into
fine strips about 2cm long, put them in a bowl and add the soy sauce, rice
wine, sugar, a quarter of a teaspoon of salt, the pepper, cornstarch and 10ml
of cooking oil. Mix thoroughly then leave to marinate for about 30 minutes.
Peel the shrimp, leaving the tail intact. Devein the shrimp by cutting a slit
on the back close to the tail, then carefully pull out the dark digestive
tract. Cut a slit down the front of each shrimp along its entire length, then
lay each one belly side down on the cutting board and cut perpendicular slits
about 1cm apart down the length of the back (this helps the shrimp to remain
flat when cooked).

Heat a wok until very
hot, then add about 20ml of oil. Add the bean sprouts, sprinkle lightly with
salt then stir-fry briefly, just until the sprouts start to wilt. Transfer them
to a bowl. Heat about 20ml of oil in the wok, add the mushroom, bamboo and a
little salt and stir-fry for about a minute before putting them in the bowl.
Heat 20ml of oil in the wok, add the pork and stir-fry until the meat loses its
pink colour. Add the vegetables back into the wok and stir until thoroughly
combined. Taste the mixture and correct the seasonings if needed. Put the
ingredients into the bowl and cool to room temperature, stirring often to
release the steam.

Stack the spring-roll
wrappers on a plate and cover with a clean dishcloth. Put one wrapper on a
cutting board (if they are square, lay it so one angle is pointing towards
you). Lay a 7cm-long strip of filling down on the wrapper. Fold up the bottom
of the wrapper over the filling then fold in the sides. Roll away from you
until you reach about a third of the way, then lay one shrimp down so just the
tail is sticking out. Continue to roll until you almost reach the other side.
Very lightly brush egg on the far edge, then finish rolling. Put the spring
roll seam-side down on a baking tray lined with cling-film. Repeat with the
remaining wrappers.

Heat oil to a depth of
about 2cm in a skillet. When the oil is 180 degrees Celsius, fry the spring
rolls in batches until pale golden, then drain on paper towels. After frying
all of them, briefly fry them a second time (this makes them crisper). Drain on
paper towels then serve with the dipping sauce.

#ThisIsWorldchefs
#InternationalHolyDay

Reprinted from: http://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/article/1410303/golden-moments-shanghai-spring-rolls

Blog News

Today is Valentine's Day

Post author By France
Post date February 14, 2018

Let us share our love with you today by celebrating together Valentine’s Day with the recipe of Persian Love Cake!

Story: Valentine’s Day became associated with romantic love in the 14th century, when the tradition of courtly love flourished. Later on it evolved into an occasion in which lovers expressed their love for each other by presenting flowers, offering confectionery, and sending greeting cards known as “valentines”. Nowadays it is widely known all over the World and celebrated on the 14th February each year.

Recipe

Preparation: 25 min

Ingredients:

Cake:

· 1 3/4 sticks unsalted butter

· 2/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons superfine sugar

· 4 large eggs

· 12 cardamom pods

· 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, sifted

· 2 3/4 cups almond flour

· Zest of 1 lemon plus 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

· 1 1/2 tablespoons rose water

· 1 teaspoon baking powder

· Pinch of fine sea salt

Icing:

· 1 1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar

· 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

· Chopped pistachios and dried rose petals (optional), for garnish

Method:

Make the cake Preheat the oven to 320°F and grease an 8-inch spring form pan and line it with parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl and using a hand mixer, beat the butter and 2/3 cup of the sugar until fluffy. Then beat in the eggs 1 at a time until incorporated.

In a mortar and using a pestle, crack the cardamom pods to release the seeds. Discard the pods and grind the seeds to a fine powder. Beat them to the cake batter, along with the flour, almond flour, lemon zest, 3 tablespoons of the lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of the rose water, baking powder and salt until smooth. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until the cake is set and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Transfer the pan to a baking rack and let cool slightly.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, bring the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, 1/2 tablespoon of rose water to a simmer, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Poke holes all over the cake and pour the warm syrup over the cake. Let the cake cool completely, then remove from the pan and transfer to a cake platter.

Make the icing Wisk the confectioners’ sugar, lemon juice and 2 teaspoons of cold water until smooth. Spoon the icing over the cake and garnish with pistachios and rose petals, if using.

Serve it together with a

heartwarming chai made with Dilmah Rose with French Vanilla tea for a touch of romance!

https://www.sevenstartea.com/recipes.html?recipe=valentines-chai&id=2344ce9bc9c573db4820f360cf4e1cb8

#ThisIsWorldchefs #InternationalHolyDay

Reprinted from: http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/persian-love-cake

Blog News

Today is the Hindu festival – Maha Shivratri

Post author By France
Post date February 13, 2018

Let us share our magic with you today by celebrating together the Hindu festival Maha Shivratri with the recipe of Aloo Tikki.

Story:

Maha Shivratri, a Hindu festival celebrated in the reverence of Lord Shiva, signifies the day Lord Shiva was married to Goddess Parvati. Maha Shivratri is celebrated on the 6th night of the month of Phalgun, which comes in the months of February or March every year. Devotees fast for the whole day and eat only one meal during the day which may be restricted to evenings. However, even for days of fasts there is a permissible list of eats.

Aloo Tikki Recipe (6 servings)

Preparation: 25 min

Ingredients:

· 3 potatoes / aloo

· 1 tbsp corn flour

· 1 tsp kashmiri chilli powder

· ½ tsp garam masala powder

· salt to taste

· fistful coriander leaves, chopped

· 4 tsp oil, or as required

Method:

1. Firstly, in a large mixing bowl mash boiled potatoes.

2. Add corn flour, chilli powder, garam masala and salt.

3. Add coriander leaves and mix well.

4. Mash well till the dough turns soft and non sticky.

5. Add more corn flour if there is still moisture in aloo mixture.

6. Grease your hands with oil and pinch a ball sized dough.

7. Make a patties of round shape.

8. Heat the tawa wit some oil and place the prepared patties.

9. Fry for a minute or till the base turns golden and crisp.

10. Flip the patties and roast the other sides.

11. Add oil if required to make patties more crisp.

12. Serve aloo tikki with mint yogurt dip and sauce.

#ThisIsWorldchefs #InternationalHolyDay

Reprinted from: http://hebbarskitchen.com/aloo-tikki-recipe-crispy-potato-patties/

Photo credit: http://images.honestcooking.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Aloo-Tikki-Chaat1.jpg

News Press Releases

IKA/Culinary Olympics 2020: Rules are out!

Post author By France
Post date February 12, 2018

IKA/Culinary Olympics 2020: Chef’s Table instead of show platters.

As the organizer of the
IKA/Culinary Olympics, the German Chefs’ Association, Verband der Köche
Deutschlands e. V. (VKD), presented the regulations for the world’s largest
culinary exhibition today, Tuesday 6th February. A new element will be the Chef’s Table, which will allow
the visitors to sit right in the kitchen of the national teams and enjoy their
meal. With the leaving out of the show platters, an era will come to an end.
International team representatives welcomed the new regulations.

Stuttgart, 6th February 2018 – For the visitors of the
2020 IKA/Culinary Olympics in Stuttgart, sitting at the Chef’s Table is likely
to become the highlight of the event: the guests will sit at tables of ten
directly at the cooking booths, in which the national culinary teams from all
over the world will prepare their culinary delights – and a chat with the chefs
will of course be included. Never before have the visitors of this culinary
contest been able to get so close to the teams. At the 2020 IKA/Culinary
Olympics, the German Association will set new standards regarding international
cooking competitions: for the very first time no cold show platters will be
exhibited by the national teams.

This announcement was made by the
VKD as the organizer of the event on Tuesday, 6th February, during Intergastra in Stuttgart. “With this decision, an
era has come to an end,” explains Hans- Peter Tuschla, Vice President of the
VKD, and as such, responsible for the scope of culinary competitions. Since the
very first edition of the IKA/Culinary Olympics in 1900, the exhibition of cold
platters has always been one of the major attractions of the event. Starting in
2020, the exhibition of cold platters will now be replaced by a Chef’s Table.

“Our decision was made mainly for
two reasons”, explains Mr Tuschla: “The waste of food is an important issue.
This is something we want to actively reduce”, he underlines. The other reason
was to increase transparency during the preparatory phase of the competition.
“The entire cooking process for the Chef’s Table takes place in the cooking
boxes under supervision of the jury and the inquisitive glances of the guests –
which is quite unlike the cold platters which the teams used to bring to the
competition already plated”, explains Mr Tuschla.

This decision was also welcomed by the
Culinary Committee of the World Association of Chefs' Societies (Worldchefs), which
is in charge of the regulations and the training of the jury for all of the
competitions. According to Gert Klötzke, chairman of the Culinary Committee,
the worry that an element of “true culinary art” will be lost, is unfounded. At
the 2016 IKA/Culinary Olympics in Erfurt, the junior national teams exhibited
an “Edible Buffet” instead of a cold platter. “This shows”, he claims, “that
the teams have proven that great culinary art may also be presented in form of
hot dishes”.

Approximately 50 representatives of
national culinary teams from 18 nations travelled to Stuttgart to familiarise
themselves with the new regulations and to check out the on-site conditions.
“The fact that the team representatives travel so far to find out about the
latest requirements, shows their great interest in the IKA/Culinary Olympics”,
explains VKD President Andreas Becker. The modernisations of the competition
were met with a consistently positive response.

Visitors of the IKA/Culinary
Olympics, which will take place from 14th to 19th February 2020, in
conjunction with the Intergastra, will have various options to taste the creations
of the national culinary teams: at the Restaurant of Nations, the menus of both
the junior and senior culinary teams will be available. The national culinary
teams will prepare the Chef’s Table, while the juniors will compete for the
medals in the category “Edible Buffet”. In addition, the community catering
teams will prepare high-quality meals.

Both the categories “Show Piece”,
in which individual exhibitors will show their skills, and the category “Live
Vegetable Carving” will remain unchanged. And just like in past editions of the
contest, there will also be regional culinary teams participating.

The German Chefs’ Association will
provide further information with regard to advance ticket sale dates for the
2020 IKA/Culinary Olympics. The regulations for individual exhibitors will be
available for download soon at www.culinary-olympics.com.

Conditions of Participation for the 2020 IKA/Culinary Olympics can be found here: http://www.olympiade-der-koeche.com/en/competitions/conditions-of-participation.html

_____________________________________________________________________________

About the IKA/Culinary Olympics:

Dedication and passion, culinary
creations and trends from all parts of the world are what culminates in a
culinary feast of nations at the IKA/Culinary Olympics (International
Exhibition of Culinary Art). In 2016, more than 2,000 chefs and pastry chefs
from over 59 countries competed during this event. This included 32 national
teams, 19 junior teams as well as regional and community catering teams. Over
7,000 fresh menus were presented for the enjoyment of thousands of visitors
from all over the world. At the 2020 Stuttgart event, participants and visitors
will once again wait with great anticipation to discover who will be the new
Olympic Champions.

Since 1900, the world’s oldest
and largest professional competition of chefs and pastry chefs has taken place
every four years in Germany. The event organizer is the German Chefs’
Association, Verband der Köche Deutschlands e. V (VKD). The next event happens
from 14th to 19th February 2020, and will take place in
conjunction with the Intergastra trade show in Stuttgart for the very first
time.

www.culinary-olympics.com

About the Verband der Köche
Deutschlands e. V. (VKD – German Chefs’ Association)

With approximately 9,000 members,
the German Chefs’ Association (VKD) is Germany’s largest chefs’ community. This
community is a key pillar for the professional development of the VKD
membership and for the future of the profession. The VKD is the point of
contact for all topics regarding the culinary profession and supports its
members in every aspect of their profession. VKD-members are both passionate
chefs and apprentices. They rely on an active VKD-network and the competent
contact persons within their own ranks.

www.vkd.com

Blog Company / Partner News

Emirates and Dilmah celebrate 25 years of exclusive brewing in the sky

Post author By France
Post date February 12, 2018

As Sri Lanka celebrated the 150^th
anniversary of Ceylon Tea in 2017, Emirates marked its 25 year partnership
with Dilmah, the country’s premier tea brand.

A collaboration that began in 1992 has resulted
in a select range of 10 types of tea being produced exclusively for Emirates
passengers on flights worldwide, catering to a wide palate of taste and sensory
preferences.

More than 9.6 million tea bags made in Sri
Lanka by Dilmah are served on Emirates flights around the world per year. Both
brands have grown exponentially since their collaboration began and today
Emirates, the world’s largest airline by passenger kilometres, takes the Dilmah
brand to more than 150 destinations on six continents.

At the top of the airline’s exclusive tea
selection is the Emirates Signature Tea – a single-estate tea made from Flowery
Broken Orange Pekoe 1 leaf growing at an elevation of 1020 meters above sea
level on the Dombagastalawa Estate, in Sri Lanka’s Nawalapitiya region. Made in
the artisanal orthodox style with a sprinkling of marigold and safflower, the
coppery infusion reveals the excellent natural climatic influence on the tea
before the tender shoots were handpicked.

“The Emirates Signature Tea is really a very
special tea that we are honoured to have crafted for Emirates passengers,” said
Dilhan C. Fernando, Director at Dilmah. “Our emphasis was on offering
passengers a signature and therefore uniquely Emirates experience in tea, so we
integrated Rose as a defining element of the cultural heritage of Emirates airline,
added Almond to balance the richness of the Rose especially for male guests,
while using an ingredient that symbolises good health and luxury in the Middle
East. The hint of Ginger has a functional element in restraining the
extravagant aroma and flavour of Rose and Almond while emphasising the natural
goodness that the tea offers – for Ginger, like tea, is potent in its human
health benefits.”

The aroma and taste elements in the Emirates
Signature Tea are designed to work in elegant pairing with food, but the tea
can be a dessert in itself. While savoury dishes with nuts or leafy
vegetables in them work well with the tea, it is also an excellent accompaniment
to most desserts including chocolate, caramel or light cake.

“We’re proud to offer gourmet food
and beverages as part of our commitment to a superior passenger experience.
Food and beverages are at the heart of our on-board offerings which is why it’s
so important to have the right partnerships in place and is why we continue to
invest in and support world-class local suppliers like Dilmah,” said Joost
Heymeijer, Emirates Senior Vice President, Catering.

The teas offered to passengers flying with Emirates
are chosen on the basis of the popularity of different types of tea such as
Earl Grey, but also looking at trends and functional expectations such as a
certain intensity of flavour and the need to cater to different preferences
like minty or citrus infusions.

In general, black teas are the most popular
among passengers in Economy Class, while passengers in First and Business Class
seem to favour Moroccan Mint and English Breakfast tea. The range available on
each flight is based on the route and configuration of the aircraft, but every
First Class cabin on a long-haul flight offers a choice of 10, from Ceylon
Black Tea, Green Tea, Camomile Infusion, Earl Grey Tea, Moroccan Mint Tea,
Moroccan Mint Green Tea, Brilliant Breakfast Tea, Original Earl Grey Tea,
Sencha Green extra Special, Pure Chamomile Flower Tea and the Emirates
Signature Tea.

Emirates commenced operations to Sri Lanka in
April 1986 and operates a total of 35 flights a week from Colombo — 28 flights
westward to Malé and Dubai and seven eastward to Singapore. The airline has
deployed ultra-modern Boeing 777-300 ER aircraft on flights serving Sri Lanka,
offering passengers gourmet regional cuisine and the airline’s award-winning
ice entertainment system with up to 3,000 channels of movies, television
programmes, games, audio books, and music, as well as the famed hospitality of
its multi-national Cabin Crew.

Travel with Emirates also earns passengers
Skywards Miles on the airline’s award-winning frequent flyer programme. Accrued
Skywards Miles can be redeemed for free tickets, travel upgrades or other
benefits.

(Ends)

Blog News

Hualien Earthquake support by Taiwanese Chefs

Post author By France
Post date February 9, 2018

In great support to the recent devastated Earthquake in
Hualien, Eastern Taiwan; members and volunteers of the Taiwan Chefs Association
(TCA) lead by Vice President's Chef Alan Ho, Chef Rowson Wong, 15 young chefs
volunteers, members of the Hualien Chefs Association in collaboration with 4
Culinary University's Departments in an effort to support physically, mentally
and providing hot food to community members, rescue workers, army and volunteers
of the affected area.

Volunteers gathered under self funded arrangements and prepared donated food
commodities by the affected County Government for over 500 affected community
members and rescue workers.
Sincere appreciation and many thanks towards all chef volunteers whom have
responded quickly to the effort to provide support to our community members in
Hualien.

News Press Releases

Culinary championships set to attract 350 chefs to North Wales

Post author By France
Post date February 8, 2018

February 2018, Wales:

Culinary Association of Wales

More than 350 chefs from across
Wales and England will be competing at the Welsh International Culinary
Championships in North Wales next week.

Gr?p Llandrillo Menai’s, Rhos-on-Sea campus welcomes the annual four-day event,
which sees all the nation’s culinary competitions brought together in one venue
for the first time.

In addition to the National and
Junior Chef of Wales finals and the Battle for the Dragon contest, there will
be the culinary finals of Skills Competition Wales and the Major International
Regional Competition.

The Junior Chef of Wales final and
Skills Competition Wales culinary finals get the WICC underway on Monday
afternoon. Seeking to become Wales’ top junior chef are finalists: Harry
Paynter-Roberts, 20, Manchester House Restaurant, Manchester; Arron Tye, 22,
Carden Park Hotel, Chester; Oliver Thompson, 19, The Bull, Beaumaris; Luke
Jordan, 20, who works at Slaughters Manor House, Cheltenham and Martin
Thomas, 21, Marine Parade, Cardiff.

Paynter-Roberts is looking to go one
better after being a finalist this year. The Junior Chef of Wales winner will automatically
qualify for the Craft Guild of Chefs’ Young National Chef of the Year contest
semi-final, receive a study tour with Koppert Cress and receive a set of
engraved knives from Friedr Dick.

The growing popularity of baking,
sugarcraft and cake decorating is reflected in the Cake Cymru show, which opens
on Tuesday, with entries expected from across Wales and England.

The Battle for the Dragon contest
begins on Wednesday, with the Junior Culinary Team Wales competing against
England’s junior team. Wales are first into the kitchen followed by England on
Thursday, with both teams challenged to prepare and cook a three-course meal
for 80 paying guests in three hours.

The Skills Competition Wales
culinary finals and the Major International Regional Competition run from
Monday to Wednesday alongside a wide range of WICC competitions for chefs and
front of house staff.

The event concludes on Thursday with
the prestigious National Chef of Wales final, which sees eight chefs compete in
morning and afternoon heats. They will be given three hours to prepare and cook
a three-course menu for four people using Welsh ingredients wherever possible.

The finalists are: Jake Mann, 26,
The Bull, Beaumaris; John Quill, 45, JQ Catering Services LTD, Barry; Dion
Jones, 30, Carden Park Hotel, Chester; Matthew Ramsdale, 25, The Chester
Grosvenor, Chester; Matthew Smith, 34, Hawkstone Park Hotel,
Weston-under-Redcastle, Shrewsbury; Wayne Bernard, 35, Pier 64, Penarth Marina,
Cardiff; Tom Westerland, 26, Lucknam Park Hotel, Colerne and Gavin Kellett, 33,
The Vine Tree, Llangattock, Crickhowell.

In addition to the coveted title,
the national chef winner will receive a study tour with Koppert Cress, £250
worth of Churchill products and an engraved set of knives made by Friedr Dick.

Winners of the showpiece
competitions will be announced at a presentation dinner at Llandudno Bay Hotel,
Llandudno on Thursday night, which will be attended by Lesley Griffiths,
Cabinet Secretary for Energy, Planning and Rural Affairs.

Organised by the Culinary
Association of Wales, then WICC’s main sponsor is Food and Drink Wales, the
Welsh Assembly Government’s department representing the food and drink
industry.

Other sponsors include Meat
Promotion Wales/Hybu Cig Cymru, Castell Howell, Major International, Harlech
Foods, H. N. Nuttall, Churchill, MCS Tech, Rollergrill, Koppertcress and Dick
Knives.

Arwyn Watkins, Culinary Association
of Wales president, said: “The Welsh International Culinary Championships is
the perfect place for all the nation’s culinary competitions to come together
for the first time.

“I welcome the co-operation and
collaboration by the competitions’ organisers and it promises to be a fantastic
showcase for culinary and hospitality skills over four days at Coleg Llandrillo
Menai. I encourage members of the public to come along and see the talented
chefs and front of house staff in action.”

Picture captions:

Harry Paynter-Robert looking to go
one better in the Junior Chef of Wales final next week.

Tom Westerland who will be competing
in the National Chef of Wales final.

Ends

For more information, please contact Arwyn Watkins, Culinary Association of Wales president, on Tel: 01938 555893 or Duncan Foulkes, publicity officer, on Tel: 01686 650818.

News Press Releases

The UAE Chefs have done it again! 5000 liters of Karak Chai

Post author By France
Post date February 5, 2018

The members of the Emirates Culinary Guild teamed up
with Global Village and Mindset for the attempt on 25^th January in
Global Village. The original plan was to
break the record from Oct 2017 achieved in China then 4050 liters of hot tea in
1 cup by 450 liters to 4500 liters. This
goal was then only changed on the day itself explained by Chef Uwe Micheel,
President of the Emirate Culinary Guild and Director of Kitchens – Radisson Blu
Hotel Dubai Deira Creek. We had prepared
extra ingredients and when we saw during the morning that all went well, we
decided to increase to 5000 liters. For us the preparation for this event
actually started in November 2017 with the first discussion with Mindset and
Global Village teams. By end of December
we had all agreed on logistics, size of big pot, cooking stations etc. Keeping in mind that Karak Chai has a lot of
milk we needed to make sure we follow very strictly the Dubai Municipality Food Safety Rules to ensure
the chai is safe (taste great for consumption of the Global Village visitors).
Beginning of January 2018 we started to work then on the first recipe to be
used. Chef Uwe explained that he got
Senior Chefs from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Syria together and we tested
different recipes. The team has then
agreed that the best recipe for the event was the Karak Chain from Aseelah
(Emirati Restaurant at Radisson Blu Hotel Dubai Deira Creek) which was prepared
by Rabeh Amir. After the testing with
Global Village and Mindset Teams, the ingredients could now be ordered. A total of 400kg of Team Powder, 270 kg of
Milk Powder, 400 kg of Sugar, 4.5kg of cloves, 135 kg of fresh ginger. 27kg of
Cardamom and 27 kg of cinnamon sticks were used. By a total of 138 chefs.

Andy Cuthbert, Chairman of Emirates Culinary Guild and
General Manager Mina A Salam, Madinat Jumeirah C&I, Jumeirah Hospitality told
us that he is very proud for yet another achievement by the Emirates Culinary
Guild Team. The Team work by Chefs from
all the Emirates was second to none. The
team started the setup 2 days before the event. The chefs started to cook the
tea from 9: am. The Karak Chai was
prepared in batches of 10 liters. Chef
Uwe explains that it is very important to boil the tea with the spices long
enough to get the flavor right, the milk powder will then be added last. By 16:00 when Kevin Southam from Guinness
arrived the mission was achieved 5000 liters of Karak Chai at 80^oC
in one big pot of 3.66 meters in height and 1.42 in diameter.

After the official Audit and amount of the New World
Record. The Tea was then offered and consumed by 45000 Global Village visitors.

– Emirates
Culinary Guild

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