Lian (left) showing the young participants how to prepare the parsley for the Mushroom and Chestnut Tapenade Balls with Oven Roasted Cherry Tomatoes dish.
WATCHING the participants at the Massimo Junior Chef Cooking Workshop made me wish I was a kid again, taking part in the event too.
The whole morning was a flurry of activities with the children having lots of fun, whipping up three dishes prepared by celebrity chef Sherson Lian, who was invited to facilitate the workshop.
They were taught how to make Mushroom and Chestnut Tapenade Balls with Oven Roasted Cherry Tomatoes; French Toast, Smoked Duck and Cream Cheese Sandwich with Maple and Fresh Berries; and Cake Truffles, all using Massimo bread and chiffon cake.
The annual event, in its fourth edition, was hosted by The Italian Baker together with Kuntum magazine, and was aimed at giving “young chefs” hands-on experience to hone their kitchen skills.
Held in the cooking studio at The Italian Baker Sdn Bhd in Sungai Buloh, Selangor, the children, aged nine to 12, were clearly excited as they chatted away with Lian, eager to learn and answering his questions with gusto.
Rosella Lyra Dass was really excited at having the opportunity to be part of this workshop, especially given her love for the Massimo Ricco Chocolate bread.
“I enjoyed myself very much at the workshop. I also made new friends, and found the chef very funny,” said the cheerful 10-year-old from Petaling Jaya.
When asked what was her favourite dish, her answer was the French toast, and she looks forward to trying it at home with her mother.
Joining the workshop has made Hannah Haziqah Hassan Ali, 10, also from Petaling Jaya, want to cook more at home, on top of the sandwiches she usually makes.
“I really enjoyed myself. I liked how we got to learn the different ways of cooking and decorating the dishes. It was fun because I got to do it with friends,” she said, adding that she liked the Mushroom and Chestnut Tapenade Balls the best because it was scrumptious.
During the workshop, Lian took time to explain in detail about the role and make-up of each ingredient, encouraging the children to smell and taste them so they can better identify the components.
“Today, we had the experience of working with three different kinds of mushrooms – shiitake, oyster and button mushrooms. To the participants, they only know ‘mushroom’ and may not be aware of the differences; how they smell when they’re raw and taste after being cooked.
“I hope they will go back and get more curious about what happens in the kitchen, and bug their parents to make the dishes for them so they not only get to learn but have fun together as well,” he explained.
Through this workshop, Lian said the children would know what goes into the dishes and how they are made fresh, like making breadcrumbs from fresh bread instead of buying from the store.
“Healthy eating is crucial, and it is important to cultivate that habit from a young age. I urge parents to teach their children about food.
“At the same time, brands should have more events like this (workshop) to get more children involved and teach them about food, get them curious about ingredients and what they put into their system,” he said.
Lian currently hosts his own cooking show called Family Kitchen with Sherson, the first wholly-owned production by AFC, together with his mother. He is also the host of 5 Rencah 5 Rasa, a local cooking production.
The Italian Baker Sdn Bhd product manager Sanvie Chew was happy to watch the children getting excited and engaged during the workshop.
“I saw how fun the session was and we are glad to have Sherson here with us. He has a bubbly personality and the children enjoyed themselves,” she said.
Through the workshop, it hopes to encourage healthy eating among children with the use of bread in different creative ways, apart from learning different techniques in making fun dishes, Chew added.
Upon completing the workshop, the children were presented a certificate and goodie bag each.
Limited time offer:
Just RM5 per month.
