Cooking up a Storm in the Heartlands

In the previous issue of MND Link, we brought you the myth busters about frozen meat and the forthcoming cooking demonstrations and competition. In this issue, we follow up with the highlights of the cooking demonstrations

Is frozen meat really less tasty, as some might believe? This contention was put to the test by participants who signed up for cooking sessions staged by the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA), which is cooking up a storm in the heartlands with its island-wide Frozen Meat Cooking Demonstrations.

Aimed at encouraging the use of frozen meat as a cheaper alternative to chilled meat, the first round of Chinese cooking demonstrations were conducted at Seng Kang, Toa Payoh, Ulu Pandan, Feng Shan and Bukit Batok Community Centres in September 2009.

Held in collaboration with popular local radio station FM 100.3, the participants had the chance to rub shoulders with the hosts - the radio celebrities Kemin, Jian Wen and Wen Hong. Under the tutelage of Chef Peng Yu Yun (who helms the healthy cooking column for Shin Min Daily, UW Magazine and omy.sg) and Chef Huang Qing Biao (Executive Chef of Yi Pin Xiang Chinese Restaurant), more than 500 participants learnt how to whip up scrumptious dishes such as steamed pork ribs with black bean sauce and Hainanese mutton stew dishes — all using frozen meat.

Buzzing with excitement, the enthusiastic participants bombarded the chefs with questions during the two-hour sessions. Many were spotted scribbling fervently away in their notepads, jotting down culinary tips shared by the chefs.

The final moment came when they finally tasted the dishes prepared by the culinary masters.

Their verdict? Thumbs-up for the dishes using frozen meat. Many were convinced that frozen meat is just as tasty and is a cheaper alternative, compared to chilled meat.

All the participants went back happily with their newly found knowledge of how to stretch their grocery dollar by buying frozen meat and their preparation methods from the secret recipes from the chefs, as well as discount vouchers, sponsored by Prime Supermarket.

And for those who have either missed the earlier cooking demonstrations or were too engrossed during the sessions to remember the steps and required ingredients, the recipes can be found on the AVA website.

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