The final cook off- What a marvellous affair !!

http://www.pressurecooks.com.au/thefinals.html

                
http://shawjonathan.wordpress.com/2009/11/28/bankstown-cooks-with-grace-under-pressure/

The final cook off of the Bankstown Pressure Cooks was held this saturday. What a great day full of unexpected technical glitches, the buzz of the shoppers as they peered at the whole drama on way to buying their weekend groceries and the enthusiasm and flexibility of the contestants who remained undeterred despite of a sudden change in plans and the need to modify their recipes.

The final contestants were the Daisy Crazy friends team from Maltese background and the Hot and Spicy team from mainland China. As one of the judges, I once again got a chance to observe the cooking talent from up close. The Hot and Spicy team won for their meticulous knife skills and calm and finely tuned in orchestration of the entire cooking process. It was simply amazing how the husband and wife team quietly carried on with their task in a very focussed manner amidst a live audience.

The cultural advisers and the other competitors came to watch the grand final. Prizes were awarded by Mayor Tanya and MP Jason Claire. 

It was  a perfect closure to the competition that had created a buzz in Bankstown. Community members participated enthusiastically to make it a success by sharing their recipes and taking on the challenge of cooking from a different culture.

The essence of the competition was actually the joy it spread amongst people living in the same area, providing them a chance to break the barriers of social isolation and open heartedly welcome others to try their treasured recipes. Bankstown Pressure Cooks has proved that food is not just the way to a man's heart, it can infact pave way for a more harmonious and exciting fusion of cultures.