Presentation isn't everything ... or is it ?

Surprise ... by definition a surprise is to cause or to feel wonder, astonishment , or amazement at something unanticipated.

And in today's modern world food and cuisine are both huge playgrounds that fill people minds and stomach with surprise and delight.

But did Alvin Leung aka the 'Demon Chef' take the element of surprise to a whole new level?

Watch the video and read on ... : )

Alvin Leung is the creator of "Bo Innovation' a 2-Michelin star restaurant situated in the busy city that never sleeps, Hong Kong.

Alvin Leung's Mission: To change people's perception of food. To remove phobia of foods and make people more adventurous to new dishes.

Having dabbled in engineering Alvin has brought a new crazy culinary art form to life by bringing science and food together.

What makes Alvin special from the other impressive chefs who use molecular gastronomy in their kitchens, is that Alvin is able to de-construct traditional / ancient Chinese recipes and re-construct them into something extraordinary.

One of the recipes that he has been able to de-construct is a very famous Chinese dish called "lap mei fun"

(which is preserved meats with rice). Alvin transforms the preserved meat (liver and sausage) and makes it into an ice cream with a bit of rice for texture. So when you eat the meal ,you are bedazzled by the look of the dish; you just can't put your finger on why something that tastes so familiar is coming from something that looks so different.

The main reason as to why I found this video so interesting is because of how people perceive presentation of food and the importance of the overall look of a dish. From the clip, it is very clear the visual presentation of food is very important when consuming a meal. Like the saying goes "you eat with your eyes, not just your stomach".

When considering the types of classes that are offered at SCAFA, our students will soak up different types of cuisine and their historic background from Stir Fried Chicken through to Florentine Steak. We will theoretically de-construct the main elements and techniques from each style of cooking.

Classes in 'molecular gastronomy' will soon be offered as part of our enthusiast classes. This class will be very popular so that students can try and create the same Alvin Leung creations at home to 'wow' their families and friends.

Bon apetit xx

Little Chefs

Just came across this video on youtube and thought it was an amazing clip.

When I saw this clip, it made me think of the saying in the animated movie "Ratatouille" : ... Anyone can cook ...

Lilly and Audrey are a young and talented culinary duo. Both of the little chefs started to cook from their own kitchen from a very young age. By watching how their parents prepared food, the twins were able to pick up the art of cooking from the age of 5.

Since then, they have been conquering the culinary world one spoonful at a time.

Lilly and Audrey have created many fabulous recipes ranging from "Orange Lassi" to "Citrus Smoked Salmon with Crostini", but the Bumini is one of their quirkiest recipes that has been created.

After preparing what looks like a normal French roll sandwich, the final preparation involves placing the sandwich in a paper bag on resting your bum over the sandwich until it becomes as warm as you would like the sandwich to be.

This sandwich is vegan friendly as well as curiously creative.

I would like to urge everyone to try this once at home with the kids, or even if you run out of time and need to heat your sandwich in a hurry.

What I liked about these little chefs is the message they give to other kids and grown ups alike : Cooking can be delicious, fun and healthy.

Having appeared on shows like Good Morning America and the Ellen Show, this twosome have catapulted into stardom and have a huge Twitter and Facebook following.

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen better watch out, here come the new twins!!

Check out their adorable website at : www.twinchefs.net .

Peace out home fries xx