Video: Interview with Gifted Chef amateur competition winners
Ahram Online, Thursday 11 Jul 2013
Casper & Gambini's is hosting the winning recipes from their Gifted Chef competition; Ahram Online speaks to the winners on their recipes and plans


Two local, amateur chefs speak to Ahram Online about how they came up with their unique recipes that won them the Gifted Chef competition, which will feature their recipe until mid-July at Casper & Gambini's.

For the second year in a row, the high-end restaurant has hosted a live cooking competition, whose winner is picked by a tough panel of judges. As David Blanks, food critic told one of the winners: "Food is serious!"





Sarah Yehia won first place with her fried sweet potato invention, Sweet Buds. Yehia reveals that she's always loved to cook. Her first try in the kitchen when she was a child was a disaster, but her family still ate.

This recipe that won her the Gifted Chef competition comes straight from the workings of her mind. An interesting, sweet root that's deeply part of Egyptian culture, the sweet potato makes a great dessert since it's not too sweet. Children nowadays have lost the excitement over something that is simply burned on pit and sold on the streets, however, and she thought to "reinvent" it somehow, adding cinnamon and breading and frying it.

Now Yehia's mother seems to have faith that her daughter can put her skills and sharp mind together to start a business.

Alessia Ferruci, second place winner, hails from Italy and wanted to offer a recipe close to her heart. Her hometown, where they specialize in orecchiette pasta. She was surprised to her studies are far from this new-found …"passion," as she shly calls it. Originally, she had planned to give Italian cooking classes locally, but further plans definitely include studying gastronomy a bit more seriously, possibly when she returns to her country.

Casper & Gambini features the two recipes as an "extra" on their menu, but only for few more days.



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