DOHA: This year’s Qatar International Food Festival is attracting thousands of crowds not only for the multinational cuisines but for new features including the Cooking Theatre in which celebrated chefs encourage people to eat healthful food through cooking demonstrations.
At the opening night alone, a total of 18,000 visitors came to the festival to enjoy the scrumptious food and a variety of entertainment.
Yesterday, the Cooking Theatre organised by Qatar Airways witnessed cooking presentations by award-winning celebrity TV chefs Ramzi Choueiri from Lebanon and Vineet Bhatia from India including German Junior Master Chef Valentin Krapf (pictured) who wowed the young audience with his skill in food preparation even at a young age.
For yesterday’s show, Valentin prepared green salad and yoghurt and fruits, two recipes which he said could be done by children since they are easy to prepare as well as healthy. The teen chef stayed in Qatar and Abu Dhabi for several years where he discovered his interest for cooking leading to the publication of his first cook book at age 12.
Published in English, German and Arabic, Cooking is cool, Be healthy – Be fit! is Valentin’s way of encouraging the younger generation for a healthier lifestyle through better eating habits. “My vision is for people to stop eating fast food instead prefer healthy food,” he told the crowd at the cooking demo.
The young entrepreneur, who has already won international awards in Sharjah and Abu Dhabi for his exceptional skill in cooking, said he got his inspiration from his grandmother who owns a restaurant and mentored him to cook at a tender age.
Valentin will still conduct demonstrations at 5pm today and tomorrow at the Cooking Theatre which would also feature Chef Vineet, Chef Colin Binmore, Chef David Okuda, Chef Alvin Borromeo and Chef Anuj Sood.
The Peninsula
