Chef Wan: Home cooks good at dishing out region’s delicacies
PETALING JAYA: There is a lack of chefs who are professionally trained in South-East Asian cuisine, and home cooks can help address the issue, says Chef Wan.
Datuk Redzuawan Ismail, who is better known as Chef Wan, said he would welcome home cooks into the industry with open arms.
“As long as they are good cooks, as long as they have the passion for cooking, why not? They can join the industry,” he said.
The TV personality said home cooks could join in different capacities, and he believed they would add spice to the industry with their heritage and special family recipes.
“For example, if I want to hire a chef instructor, it doesn’t have to be a professional chef; it can be mak cik-mak cik (aunties) who are good at making kuih.
“Even some professional chefs cannot produce the best kuih kompang or kuih kochi,” he said of the favourite Malaysian sweets.
However, Chef Wan warned that they should be able to stand the heat in the high-pressured and aggressive kitchen environment.
He also said professional chefs should set aside their ego and learn from home cooks.
Chef Wan and another culinary expert Chef Darren Chin are the celebrity judges for the Live Great Healthy Brekkie Challenge held in conjunction with the Star Health Expo 2018 on July 15.
Chef Chin said home cooks should first be trained in proper cooking techniques such as food handling, kitchen safety and hygiene if
they were to join the industry.
He added that there was an appreciation for home cooks, especially the sincerity, heritage and manual processes that went into their food.
The Brekkie Challenge, held in collaboration with Sunway Le Cordon Bleu, will see participants prepare a healthy ‘no-cook’ meal within a stipulated time.
To commemorate event partner Great Eastern Life’s 110th-year anniversary, participants will be given 110 ingredients to work with.
“What I want to see on that day is the participant’s creativity in terms of the type of bread and spread they use, the filling, and not forgetting the nutritional value,” said Chef Wan.
Chef Chin’s tip to participants was neither to overdo nor over-simplify their dishes, and to make sure they stood out.
Star Health Expo 2018 with the theme Get Fit. Live Great! aims to inspire Malaysians to lead a healthy lifestyle and adopt a holistic approach that includes physical and mental health, emotional well-being and financial wellness.
It is organised by I.Star Events Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of Star Media Group Bhd with Great Eastern Life as the exclusive event partner.
The expo will be held in Halls 1 to 3 of the Mid Valley Exhibition Centre from July 13 to 15. It is open from 10am to 7pm and admission is free.
For enquiries, call 03-7967 1388 (ext 1541/1097) or visit us at www.facebook.com/ starhealthexpo.