Wow, it's Chef Wan, live in person and bringing you delicious goodies! This is one of the most fun cooking demos ever held at the AFC Studio. Datuk Chef Wan is easily Malaysia's most prominent and entertaining cooking celebrities, and he is also one of the world's most prolific in terms of cooking shows. He has so many series and episodes, you'll likely find him concurrently on different TV stations in Malaysia (especially during festive seasons).
Well, this was a Tupperware party, but it wasn't just Tupperware engaging Chef Wan for a demo. I never knew this, but Chef Wan's childhood is deeply intertwined with Tupperware.
He related (with a lot of humour) how his family of many siblings depended on his mom's side income from organising Tupperware parties and sales, since his dad's salary was meagre. Oh, his mom is a Nyonya from Singapore, incidentally. Chef Wan himself sold Tupperware to his teachers! And oh, how glam it was to come to school with sturdy plastic containers when others could only wrap their lunches in newspaper. Over the years, Chef Wan has also tried to help less fortunate women gain financial independence or assistance by getting them to sell Tupperware.
Tupperware has also grown to include many more products than just lifetime-guaranteed plastic storage. Christine Wong from Tupperware Brands introduced the various lines, which now include TupperChef cookware, kitchen gadgets, TupperClean solutions, Natur Care health products and BeautiControl skincare. It's pretty much still a direct sales business, but I hear there is a showroom at their office (85 Defu Lane 10, #01-00; Tel: +65 6285-2988). You can sign up as a member for discounts.
Does this look like Tupperware to you? Well, it is! The Tupperware "Fast & Easy Cooking Set" is a great starter set for newly weds, or housewarming gift. It comes with the TupperChef Fryer, Turbo Chopper (the shiny red canister in the middle), Serving Spatula (not pictured cos Chef Wan was using it!) and Spoon, Multi-purpose Shears, and TupperClean Stainless Steel and Copper Cleaner.
We all liked the Turbo Chopper, and wish it was sold separately, but it only comes with this set! Chef Wan demonstrated with great hilarity how it works - no electricity needed, just pull a cord and the blades spin and dice your ingredients. It chops 288 times in less than 15 seconds - even Chef Wan says he can't chop that fast.
Anyway, Chef Wan demonstrated three dishes using the various items. All the recipes are available here on Tupperware's website.
Here he is using the 38cm Tupperchef stainless steel wok to cook Moroccan Chicken Tajine with Prunes and Olives. It's got a special 3-ply bottom for better heat distribution, and a high-domed cover.
One of the ingredients is the Ras el Hanout, the exotic Middle-Eastern spice blend that truly makes the dish. Every shop and family in Morocco has their own secret blend, which can feature as many as over a hundred ingredients. But here's a sample from Kayotic Kitchen, and from About.com.
Moroccan Chicken Tajine with Prunes and Olives. Kalamata olives and sweet prunes added the savoury and sweet notes to the dish.
Throughout the whole session, Chef Wan kept us in stitches. We were so busy bursting into laughter, we could barely take photos.
Next up was Arroz a la Cazuela (Spanish style Seafood Risotto) - see Chef Wan coming around with a pot of it in the first photo. It smelled so fabulous!
This is the portion they had pre-prepared in the kitchen. It was good but later on, we got to try the one cooked by Chef Wan.
Arroz a la Cazuela (Spanish style Seafood Risotto) as cooked by Chef Wan. Oh my goodness, was this the same recipe? It tasted so much nicer!
And now for dessert - Chef Wan made a cake from scratch.
Chef Wan drizzling butterscotch dressing onto his apple cake. Ah, the aroma of freshly made butterscotch...
Hot Spiced Apple Cake with Butterscotch Dressing - simple but delicious!
A happy Chef Wan with a cake well done!
His latest book "The Best of Chef Wan: A Taste of Malaysia" compiles the best recipes he has encountered from all over Malaysia.
The one and only Chef Wan. It was a great honour meeting the very creative and enthusiastic man. He's more colourful than our shirts!
Thanks to Tupperware and The Right Spin for the invitation to this phenomenally entertaining event.
I've been cooking peppers and onions in the skillet on the grill a lot lately. I'll have to add jalapenos next time. Yum. I like cooking bacon that way too, although hot fat + open flame adds a nice element of danger. I used to get flank steak, but my husband got me to try the carne asada cut from our local market, and I prefer it. Not sure if it's thin-cut flank or skirt (I'll have to ask), but it looks like this
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