Aaron Craze: Rude Boy Cooks’ Tour - Malaysia

Recently the Asian Food Channel kicked off its third edition of Culinary Masterpieces In Malaysia With the ‘Aaron Craze: Rude Boy Cooks’ Tour, and frigglive’s Veronica Ng got up close and personal with Aaron, through a series of engaging culinary and dining experiences at the BERJAYA University College of Hospitality. Aaron dazzled attendees with an array of robust dishes specially created for this tour, while entertaining with stories of his hard-knock life and rise to stardom.

Famed Protégé of Jamie Oliver, Aaron Craze showcased his culinary talents and whipped up an array of delicious street eats for the first time in Malaysia, as part of the Aaron Craze: Rude Boy Cooks Tour

The witty and charming ‘bad boy’ stars in  his  own  hit  programme  ‘Rude  Boy  Food’  which  airs  exclusively  on  the  Asian  Food Channel (Astro, Channel 703) every Thursday  at 11.00pm. 

Born into a family of West London criminals, Aaron seemed destined to walk down the path of personal destruction, dropping out of school at the young age of 15, only to take on a succession of low-paid jobs, including working in a factory and as a gardener in Mortlake cemetery.

Aaron received his first big break when his wife, Nicci, signed him up to participate in reality programme “Jamie’s Chef”, filmed at a east London restaurant opened by world renowned  Celebrity  Chef  Jamie  Oliver.  The restaurant  was set up under  his foundation named  “Fifteen”,  and  used  as  grounds  for  his  social  experiment. 

Jamie Oliver and his brigade of mentor chefs help to train disadvantaged kids and young adults to develop their culinary skills.  Aaron graduated from “Fifteen” with flying colors, and as a reward, was named as Oliver’s natural successor. He was awarded £120,000 to establish a business and the license to a pub worth £500,000.

Beneath his tattooed and tough demeanor, Aaron Craze is passionate about street food and is a strong believer in using fresh herbs to enhance the flavor of dishes.   In his first cooking show, Rude Boy Food, he explores street food around the world and replicates the dishes with his own unique twists, reflecting the multi-culturalism of his upbringing in West London. Not satisfied with just a cooking show, he wrote and launched his debut cookery book, Aaron Cooks Italian, in June 2008.

Fun and sociable by nature, Aaron whips up delicious savory and sweet dishes that he fondly names “easy handheld grub”! Whether he is cooking a themed menu for his friend’s hen night, or preparing food for an out of this world house party, you can  be  sure  that  his  dishes  will  be  urban,  ingenious  and  of course tantalizing! Gear up for a wild time while Aaron breaks all conventional cooking rules and get fired up over his delicious food.

Fresh Flavours with Anna Olson in Kuala Lumpur

images by Veronica Ng

You could trust Anna Olson to charmingly disarm the assorted Malaysian media, press and bloggers gathered around the table to “grill” her by turning the tables on them.  Most of us present there were already die-hard fans of her easy going style and down to earth approachability anyway.

After patiently answering a couple of questions, Anna requested for a piece of paper and a pen, and asked conspiratorially us for a list of “must eat” places to visit and food to try. She hit gold with her request as those present scrambled to volunteer their choice of local favorites.

  

We did manage to gather bits of intel before she tapped into Malaysians’ insatiable hunger for food though, so here are some juicy bits you probably didn’t know about the host and star of “Bake with Anna Olson”, “Sugar” and “Fresh with Anna Olson” on the Asian Food Channel.

Even though she is renowned for her desserts, Anna prefers savory to sweet, and her absolute favorite thing to eat is beef, so she prefers serving beef for Christmas rather than turkey. Christmas dinner is a very peaceful and quiet affair for the Olson family as there are only six to eight people to cook for. It is a nice break from the hectic schedule that is her normal work day.

They have multiple desserts for Christmas and some of her favorites are sticky toffee pudding and Mont Blanc tart with white chocolate cream on top. Also, during Thanksgiving, she would serve seafood instead of turkey! She also loves collecting new and vintage Le Creuset pots and pans and KitchenAid mixers in different colors.

Throughout the demonstration held recently and called “Fresh Flavours with Anna Olson” and subsequent interview, Anna was her usual bubbly and cheerful self, showing no signs of jet lag or the fact that she and husband Chef Michael Olson had just landed in Malaysia merely an hour before the demonstration at the Berjaya University College of Hospitality.

She kept us jaded jounos mesmerized with her anecdotes on cooking, baking, and behind the scenes stories of her various shows. The only downer was our very own ugly Malaysian photographers who hogged the space directly in front of Anna and blocked the rest of the audience from a decent view of the demonstration. Even an appeal by Emcee Will Quah to disperse them went unheeded.

“This is my third visit to Malaysia and there are so many things I want to see, eat and buy for everyone back home,” she said. “I’m looking forward to the spicy flavors in Malaysia such as nasi lemak and local desserts such as kuih lapis.”

She taught us how to make Tourtiere, a French Canadian Beef Pie that is similar to the British steak and kidney pie, and Pumpkin Creme Brulee Tarts for dessert. Each family apparently has a secret ingredient for their own version of Tourtiere.

During her demonstration, Olson shared the hilarious bloopers that happen behind the scenes during the shooting of her TV shows.

There was the time when she was making a lemon tart and she forgot to put in the lemons while talking. Her producer noticed and stopped the shoot.

“Imagine a lemon tart dish without lemons! And that’s the most important ingredient,” laughed Olson. “Also, don’t try to talk while cutting at the same time,” she warned.

What you see on TV is also very different from reality as in truth, filming can take from 12 to 15 hours for a single episode of her show. Another secret is that it could take up to 16 meringue pies to shoot a show about making one single meringue pie!

“Taping an episode is actually the retirement of a recipe because it takes many months to prepare, taste and test the recipe before we film it,” said Olson.

One of her must-haves when she visits Malaysia is coconut. It is the one thing she cannot get fresh back home.

But she gamely confessed that she is no fan of durian when frigglive’s Veronica Ng posed the infamous “D” question. “Durian is ... interesting. I didn’t like it fresh. It was an assault on the senses,” she replied, before saying that for her last trip to Malaysia, she did whip up a durian mayonnaise to be paired with gourmet burger sliders, her most daring adventure ever. She also makes kaya from scratch back home in Canada.

Anna’s die-hard fans would have memorized this by now, but for the newbies out there, here’s the requisite backgrounder:

Anna Olson is a professionally trained pastry chef with over fifteen years of experience in the culinary field. She shares her talents with the world through award-winning cookbooks, opening culinary businesses and starring in television shows such as Bake with Anna Olson, Sugar and Fresh with Anna Olson, all of which air on the Asian Food Channel. Bake with Anna Olson recently premiered on Asian Food Channel.

She began her career as a pastry chef at a premier winery restaurant located in the midst of prime Niagara farm and wine country named, ‘Inn on the Twenty’. It was here where she met her husband, Michael Olson.

Anna has also published several successful cookbooks. Currently, she has six cookbook publications under her belt, with her most recent release titled, Fresh with Anna Olson. Using food as her creative medium, Anna likes to work backwards, starting with ingredients that sound delicious to create components within the recipe body to get a delicious end result.

Chef Anna loves cooking so much that she can work on her TV show for 10 hours in the studio then go home and cook for pleasure. She obviously has a rare passion for food, and it helps to explain her lively and down-to-earth programs.

Bake with Anna Olson airs on Tuesdays at 9pm on the Asian Food Channel, Astro channel 703 in Malaysia.

A big Thank you to AGC, Berjaya Hospitality and Asian Food Channel for the invite and giving us the chance to meet the witty and always charming Anna Olson in person.

The Big Break - An AFC Original Production

Text - Veronica Ng, images kind courtesy of AFC

Imagine being abandoned, lacking the means of providing material needs or comforts, children experiencing poverty with their hands, minds and hearts, starting the day without a nutritious meal or being forced to engage in hazardous labor to earn a few bucks for their families.

The challenges of poverty and a lack of education have always been a prevailing issue faced by disadvantaged youths in Asia. With so few opportunities available to those in need, many children grow up unable to reach their full potential.

In this exciting AFC Original Production produced in partnership with Resorts World Sentosa, 12 underprivileged youths from six different countries in Asia are offered an opportunity to transform their lives by learning invaluable skills needed in the kitchen. The final winner will be offered a one-year scholarship at the prestigious At-Sunrice GlobalChef Academy in Singapore.

Join Indonesian celebrity chef, Farah Quinn and Executive Chef from Resorts World Sentosa, Alan Orreal as they go on a search to Mongolia, South Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Singapore. Watch them travel the distance as they visit local charity organisations to find worthy young culinary candidates who exemplify drive, commitment and passion that are needed to excel in the kitchen. It is not easy searching for one shining star, but the result is well worth the effort!

Though the road to success for everyone is paved with hardship and adversity, these youths are willing to face it all with determination. Follow the inspiring and heartwarming journeys of these aspiring chefs as they are whisked away to Resorts World Sentosa in Singapore and put through a series of lessons and challenges with

some of the industry’s finest chefs and hospitality professionals!

The one-year scholarship at At-Sunrice is a prize of a lifetime and a chance to secure a brighter future. With success just within their grasp, which of these youths will get their “Big Break”? We guarantee that this is one programme you won’t want to miss!

Resorts World Sentosa (RWS), in partnership with the Asian Food Channel, has produced an original reality television series that offers the chance of a lifetime to 12 underprivileged youths from six countries across Asia to fulfill their dreams in the latest original reality television series produced by AFC.  Titled The Big Break, the series premiered exclusively on Astro, Channel 703 on 14 November 2012.

More than 105 million AFC viewers from 11 territories across Asia will be able to catch the 13 x 30-minute series hosted by RWS Executive Chef, Alan Orreal and AFC celebrity chef, Farah Quinn. The duo will travel to voluntary welfare organizations in Malaysia, Mongolia, the Philippines, Thailand, Singapore and South Korea, in search of youths who exemplify a passion for cooking and possess the determination to pursue their dreams of becoming a chef.

The brigade of 12 selected aspiring youths then travel to Singapore, where they will pit their skills in a series of challenges at Singapore’s first integrated resort, Resorts World Sentosa, where its myriad of attractions, restaurants and facilities will form the backdrop for the series.

Judged  based  on  their  culinary  and  hospitality  skills,  techniques   learned  during  the challenges, as well as attitude and performance, all participating youths will try their hand at getting one step closer to the grand prize of a scholarship worth over S$30,000 at At-Sunrice GlobalChef Academy in Singapore, co-sponsored by RWS.

There will be no losers either. Every week, a selected number of youths who don't qualify for the next round will be granted a S$2,000 bursary by RWS, allowing them to continue on with their education after they return home from the show.

To assist the youths on their journey, RWS and AFC have also assembled an all-star line-up of international and distinguished guest chefs to take on the role of judges and mentors. Featured  chefs  include  the  world’s  most  Michelin  star-decorated  Chef  Joël  Robuchon, Australian Celebrity Chef Scott Webster, RWS’s Executive Chefs Alan Orreal, Edmund Toh and Ron Cheng, as well as Unilever  Food Solutions’  Regional  Executive  Chef Yen Koh.

These world-class chefs ensure that each contestant receives first-class culinary and food and beverage  training throughout  the programme,  exposing them to a myriad of different cuisines  and  flavors  from  around  the  world.  The Big Break will also give them an immersive cross-cultural experience, while teaching them invaluable application techniques.

Mr Greg Allan, RWS’s Vice President for Food & Beverage and Rooms said, “We are very privileged to be a part of this meaningful project. Being involved from the conceptualisation stage of this series allowed us to offer up our extensive F&B expertise and knowledge and to really make a difference in the lives of these youths.

The entire RWS team including the 2,000-strong F&B team across various F&B outlets, have put their hearts into this production from providing the venues and facilities, to sharing their culinary and hospitality expertise and resources.

Through this programme and initiative, we hope that the youths will be inspired and enriched by this exciting culinary journey and that this experience will empower them to believe in themselves and what they can achieve.”

Ms Maria Brown, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Asian Food Channel also expressed excitement with the premiere of this AFC original production, “At AFC, we believe in the transformative power of food and the joy it brings to people.

It is an honor for the Asian Food Channel to be part of this life-changing experience that RWS is providing, and we hope that through The Big Break, all the youths who take part will be provided with a stepping stone to get one step closer to fulfilling their life ambition and dreams”,

Ms Brown added, “As Asia’s premier food channel, we are excited to leverage our expertise in producing successful programmes, to provide a platform to expose and develop these amazing talents which would have otherwise been undiscovered. We hope that the selected youths will be empowered by the life skills learnt throughout their journey on the show to make positive changes in their lives whatever they chose to do for a career.”   

For more information on The Big Break, please visit: http://www.asianfoodchannel.com/thebigbreak. 

Back To The Streets - An Original AFC Production

In its latest production, the clipboard carrying Gundam loving male chef is paired with the bubbly celebrity female DJ where they play secret agent types with a subtle undercurrent of romance. If it sounds familiar, it should. 

Last July 24th, The Asian Food Channel (AFC) premiered its first ever, fully produced Malaysian travelogue, airing regionally in Asia to more than 45 million AFC viewers in ten different territories. Viewers in Malaysia can of course catch the AFC Original Production nationwide on Astro channel 703.

The twelve-part series (12x30mins) which was created in collaboration with Berjaya University College of Hospitality, features two bubbly and charismatic hosts: Malaysian celebrity chef, Chef Malcolm Goh and Malaysian radio DJ and host, Tham Zher Peen.

They play the role of undercover agents scouring the streets of Kuala Lumpur searching for local culinary delights. On their mission, they interact with stall operators and cooks, trying to get them to share their priceless nuggets of culinary knowledge, food insights and even to divulge their cherished trade secrets.

With the information gathered, Zher Peen and Chef Malcolm rush back to BERJAYA University College of Hospitality where Chef Malcolm, with the assistance of Zher Peen and his students, utilize the knowledge that he has learned “on the streets” to create his own inspired variations of the dishes.

In the first episode, inspired by the rich and robust flavors of Ngau Kee beef noodles, Goh makes braised oxtail, but he adds a twist in the form of spiral cut potatoes cut to resemble noodle strands.

Then, inspired by Pudu’s famous Wei Kee roast goose, Goh cooks roast duck by French sous vide techniques.

“It took us two weeks from May 8 to shoot the scenes around Kuala Lumpur,” said Goh, while Zher and the production crew selected the shoot locations.

“It’s not about recreating a whole dish but being inspired by the textures, spices and ingredients from it,” said Goh.

Maria Brown, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of the Asian Food Channel is delighted with the premiere of another successful AFC Original Series Production, “The Asian Food Channel is fortunate to have a large and very loyal following in Malaysia, a large percentage of whom, have expressed the hope that AFC would further feature the amazing cuisine that is available across the country.

We really saw this as an opportunity to explore the rich culinary heritage that is present in Malaysia and at the same time, showcase Malaysian local talent pan regionally and even globally. Chef Malcolm and Zher Peen can only be described as a “passionate and dynamic duo" and I strongly believe that they will capture the hearts of all our AFC viewers easily.”

“It was all very professional,” replied Goh when asked about Zher who had to miss the Press launch due to work commitments.

BERJAYA UCH Chief Operating Officer, Mae Ho remarked, “It has been a great pleasure working alongside Asian Food Channel, and we are very excited to see how AFC viewers will react to this AFC Original Production. BERJAYA University College of Hospitality has always been a strong supporter of promoting, as well as educating the people about Malaysian cuisine.

We are extremely proud to witness how far Chef Malcolm, who is one of our own Culinary Arts Supervising Chef has come.

Chef Malcolm is no stranger to camera, he first saw his television career come to life when he starred in another AFC Original Production, Great Dinners of the World, which featured him and three other highly talented Asian chefs as they travelled to France and Scotland where they cooked for guest lists full of society elite and even royalty. When he is not in front of the camera, Chef Malcolm works as a Supervising Chef at BERJAYA UCH where he conducts theory and practical classes for students majoring in Culinary Arts.

Zher Peen too has had her fair share of stardom; She is not only the host of 8TV’s Quickie, a 15-minute variety show, she is also a at Fly FM where she hosts Fly30, a 3 hour radio programme that airs daily. In addition, she has also been featured in campaigns for international brands such as Converse, Levi’s and Nike.

Keep an eye out for the special Raya episode, where they eat nasi lemak and mee rebus at Damansara Uptown’s Village Park.

For more information about the Asian Food Channel and its programmes, please visit www.asianfoodchannel.com.

all images by kind courtesy of Asian Food Channel