The Big Break – Episode 9
Our Malaysian Contestant Eli cooked up a pizza in the Italian Episode, challenging her to the next level. With heart - thumping experience, Eli managed to succeed the challenge and bringing her a step closer to get her Big Break.
A few years ago, Eli’s mother had a stroke and was informed by doctors that she should not work any more due to health reasons. However, to support her family, Eli’s mother had to continue working as a cleaner.
Eli first became interested in cooking because her mother always used to cook delicious dishes for family. However, Eli hardly cooked at home herself. Her love for cooking and baking only really bloomed when she decided to help her mother ease her financial burden by getting a job in a cafeteria called The Good Café. There, she learned how to bake the cakes and pastries that were sold in the café.
The proudest moment in her life was when she told her father that she had made it into The Big Break and he was so happy for her and her achievement. By joining The Big Break, she hopes that she can use the skills that she learned to carve out a culinary career for herself. In five years’ time, Eli hopes that she will be a Pastry Chef working in a bakery or a restaurant.
When asked why she chose to participate in the Big Break, Eli said “ I was so excited when I first heard about the programme! It’s an amazing opportunity and I hope that from here, it can help me improve my skills in the kitchen and help me to get a better job in the future. I was very nervous during the audition rounds and kept praying that Chef Farah Quinn would be able to see my potential. When she told me I had made it through the audition round, it was one of the happiest moments of my life! I would like to thank RWS for giving me this opportunity can’t wait to watch it on AFC!”
Pizza Recipe by Eli
Episode 9 – (Italian Challenge)Eli: Pizza
Ingredients
Dough
1½ cups of flour
300g of water
2g of yeast
2g of sugar
2 pinches of salt
12-15g of olive oil
Tomato base
½ tbs of tomato paste
2 ½ of tomato blend
3-4 basil leaves
Salt & pepper to taste
Topping
1 tbs of olive oil
4-6 pieces of mussels
4-6 slices of squid rings
5-6 pieces of prawn
½ capsicum, diced
10 capers
Finely chopped basil leaves
Dill leaves
Smoked salmon
Method (Dough):
1)Combine olive oil, warm water, flour, salt, sugar and yeast in a large bowl and mix thoroughly
2)Combine warm water, sugar, yeast in a large bowl and let it rest until foamy
3)Then add olive oil, salt and the flour and mix thoroughly
4)Knead the dough and then let it rest for 45mins – 1hour
5)Take the dough and cut into two pieces and let it rest until needed. (You can keep it chilled if you wish)
Method (Pizza sauce):
1)Mix all the tomato ingredients together in a bowl until the consistency is that of sauce
2)Add salt & pepper to taste
3)Top with basil leaves
Method (Toppings):
1)Peel the prawn shells, devein and slice in half length-wise
2)Heat a skillet and add the olive oil
3)Then add the squid rings and prawns when the oil is glistening
4)When the squid rings and the prawns are halfway cooked, remove from heat
5)Clean the mussels and discard any with opened/cracked shells
6)Bring 1 cup of water to boil in a saucepan
7)Transfer the mussels into the saucepan and cover
8)Stir the mussels after cooking for 2 minutes
9)Cook the mussels for 3-4 minutes until they open
Assembly:
1)Take the dough and spread onto a large pizza pan
2)Spread the sauce onto the surface
3)Top as desired with the mussels, squid rings, prawns, capsicum cubes, capers, chopped basil leaves, dill and smoked salmon
PARTNERS ASIAN FOOD CHANNEL TO PRODUCE ORIGINAL REALITY TELEVISION SERIES “ THE BIG BREAK”
AFC original production, “The Big Break” will feature two Malaysian youths and help them realise their dreams of becoming a chef
Resorts World™ Sentosa (RWS) offers the chance of a lifetime to 12 underprivileged youths from six countries, including Malaysia, to fulfill their dreams in the latest original reality television series produced by the Asian Food Channel (AFC).
Titled The Big Break, the 13 x 30-minute series premiered with a bang exclusively on Astro, Channel 703 on 14 November 2012 at 10pm. More than 105 million AFC viewers from 11 territories across Asia were able to catch the premiere episode, which saw RWS Executive Chef, Alan Orreal and AFC celebrity chef, Farah Quinn on their travels to voluntary welfare organisations in Malaysia, Mongolia, the Philippines, Thailand, Singapore and South Korea, in search for the youths who exemplify a passion for cooking and determination to pursue their dreams of becoming a chef.
Among the 12 contestants are two promising youths from Malaysia, both of whom, though faced with hardship, still embody the passion and love for the culinary arts. 17-year-old Thashini Ramakrishnan, who is fondly referred to as Biula, lives in a community building in Selayang with her three siblings, her mother and her father. Her mother works to support the family as the father is stricken with kidney failure and has to rely on regular dialysis treatment to survive. Biula’s interest in cooking first blossomed when she was eating a pastry dish and become intrigued to find out how the pastry was made.
Judged based on their culinary and hospitality skills, techniques learned during the challenges, as well as attitude and performance, all participating youths try their hands 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. But there are 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.
Resorts World Sentosa is wholly owned by Genting Singapore, a company of the Genting Group. Giving back to society has always been a part of the Genting Group’s philosophy, and the Group contributes regularly to various charities and foundations to support the less fortunate, reaching out to different sectors of the community. A total of over RM25 million was contributed in 2011 to various charities and community causes in the countries where the Genting Group operates.
For more information on The Big Break, please visit: http://www.asianfoodchannel.com/thebigbreak. The site provides the latest information about contestants as well as summaries and highlights from each episode
Chef Farah
ON THE NEXT EPISODE: The students travel into the future and arrive at Sci-Fi City in Universal Studios Singapore. With Bumblebee and Optimus Prime looming over them, the contestants receive a pleasant surprise from the judges. But their joys are short lived when they discover they have to complete a molecular cuisine challenge! And this type of cuisine is ‘alien’ to them all! Who will shoot to the stars and who will crash land in this episode?
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