From one family to all
Sherson Lian shares his treasured recipes in the Family Kitchen series.
WHEN working in the kitchen, celebrity cook Sherson Lian is calm, methodical and organised – a total opposite of his mother, he says.
“You know how every mother has her own cooking style? Well, my mum’s style is to turn the kitchen upside down,” says Sherson with a big grin. His mother, Ann, who is within earshot, is quick to jump to her defence: “But I always clean up after myself!”
It is an absolute delight to watch the mother and son work in the kitchen, as they prepare three dishes for the guests at Sherson’s home in Damansara Perdana, Petaling Jaya. They are hosting a luncheon for the media in preparation for their upcoming maiden television endeavour
Family Kitchen With Sherson.
Sherson, the more talkative of the duo, teases his mother at every opportunity he gets, and Ann good- naturedly indulges her oldest son as she helps out with the cooking.
“Sherson is always the commander ... ordering people to do all the tasks in the kitchen,” Ann deadpans.
This funny and entertaining interaction is what viewers get to see on the six- episode cook show. Filmed in Sherson’s home kitchen, the 30- minute series showcases the Asian Food Channel’s celebrity cook and his mum share some of the family’s recipes and the stories behind them. “This is the first programme that I’ve filmed with my mother and it was an incredible experience. She is the person who encouraged me to pursue a career in food, and her passion continues to inspire me everyday,” says Sherson.
One dish that is full of memories is the Paradise Fried Rice which Ann used to serve at her now defunct cafe.
“There wasn’t a kitchen in the cafe, so I had to prepare the paste at home. Then when someone ordered the dish, I would just mix the paste with rice, put it in the microwave, heat it and serve it with a fried egg on top,” she reminisces. Sherson remembers helping his mother prepare the paste at home when he was still a kid. “We were expected to help out and there were lots of onions and garlics to peel. It wasn’t fun,” says Sherson with a smile.
However, his constant presence in the kitchen somewhat inspired Sherson to take up cooking more seriously. At 13, he made coney dogs to sell at his school’s Canteen Day.
“I just came up with the recipe for the chilli dog, and it must have been really good because they were sold out. But I consider that experience my first commercial disaster because I didn’t make any money as my parents expected me to pay them back for the raw ingredients they purchased using their money,” says Sherson.
Nevertheless, that is one memory he still remembers fondly and, in fact, recreates the dish for the show. He has tweaked the recipe over the years and now adds cocoa powder to the mixture to add flavour to the chilli beef.
“The cocoa powder just gives it that extra earthy feel. It really makes a difference,” he says convincingly.
Sherson is right, the coney dog does taste delicous and this is just one of the many recipes and stories he and Ann will share on the show.
“I can’t wait to share our cherished family moments with viewers and hope that they will be able to create some of their own fond memories while watching the programme,” says Sherson.
Family Kitchen With Sherson airs thursday at 10pm on aFC ( astro Ch 703).