HOW exciting it was at the Adelaide #Homefresh Experience Crowns 1st Junior Chef event yesterday!
“YES CHEF!!! YES CHEF!!! YES CHEF!!!
I think some of the reality television shows have had some “influence” on the Junior Chefs! 
I have to say I was in AWE of each and every one of the Junior Chefs who had a story to share about their favorite ingredient in this Nasi Goreng dish to how many years they have already been cooking! 
My name is Joanne aka Joanna aka mickeydownunder aka FANG and I have a confession! 
I did not learn how to cook until I was 25!
I have never looked back about my food ENTHUSIASM which “consumes my PASSION” every day! 
You have been following my series of Homefresh Experience posts that started with Simply #French Homefresh Experience.
You DO remember that Coq Au Vin, eh?
Then I shared #European Passion the Homefresh Smiles with the Three Cheese Cheese Pots.
Let’s not forget the Middle Eastern #Food Journey with the featured photo appearing like it was going to cook before your eyes! 
I can STILL smell the Adelaide Homefresh Flavours Of Asia Food #Laksa Journey dish.
Which brings us back to this Adelaide #Homefresh Experience Crowns 1st Junior Chef event!
Last year, there were 4,000 children who came through the doors at Homefresh Experience.
This year looks to be “on target” for 6,000 children under the wonderful guidance of Chef Jean-Claude teaching children (aged 4 – 14) food hygiene, food preparation with knife skills, how to cook various recipes and most of all how “Cooking is all about FUN!”
I was asked to be one of the judges and ask my fellow judges Lauren and Chef Jean-Claude, it was very difficult in judging the Junior Chef’s dishes, taking into account not only taste and presentation, but hygiene, techniques and based on their age, their prep and cooking skills.
“What did the children cook?”, I “hear” you say?
The dish was Nasi Goreng which literally translates to fried rice in Indonesian.
The rice dish is often combined with other ingredients, usually egg, prawns (shrimp) or chicken; today was chicken and eggs with vegetables which created today’s “adapted sambal.”
All finalists were provided with the recipe in advance should they wish to have practiced at home.
The recipe was prepared and cooked the same on the day, using induction cook tops at Homefresh Experience.
When I was little, I didn’t have any “whiz-bang” KitchenAid machines to use.
Silly me, when I asked one of the finalists did they know how to use the machine and please watch your fingers, the reply was they had been using the machine for
years!
With the fresh ingredient sambal made, it was onto cooking!
With last minute food preparations on the way, garnishes were prepared.
Onto the judging by Lauren, Chef Jean-Claude and me!
Some of the dishes that were presented to taste:
I can honestly and genuinely share with you the decision of the judges was not an easy one and even though there could only be one winner and one runner up, I thought all the finalists were winners on the day and there was only a point or two between the winner, runner up and the rest of the finalists.
All the finalists on the day received a voucher to attend a future children’s cooking class for free.
Each of the finalist were “keen and eager” to thank Chef Jean-Claude and shake his hand.
And then there was the announcement all the finalists and their “support” teams were waiting for:
As there could only be one winner….
The winner for the Adelaide #Homefresh Experience Crowns 1st Junior Chef is: MATTHEW!!!!
Well done Matthew and well deserved!
Matthew received a $324 voucher to be used for a future children’s party!
Matthew’s mother also received a “lovely and generous” gift from Brand Manager/Homefresh Owner Stephen.
The runner up winner was Joseph who received a signed copy of Chef Jean-Claude’s Legendary Cookbook.
Joseph is now keen and eager to recreate Chef Jean Claude’s Coq au Vin and Magical Chocolate Souffle.
“YES CHEF!!! YES CHEF!!! YES CHEF!!, It was pandamonium (a very noisy place ), but was filled with VERY E-X-C-I-T-A-B-L-Y Adelaide Junior Chefs.
It was GREAT to see children that are SO young THIS excited about all things food!
With their PASSION, ENTHUSIASM and ENERGY, these junior chefs reminded me of a “mini-me” ; well not until the age of 25 anyway!
It was a GREAT day and ALL about “cooking fun!”
I can’t WAIT until next year’s event!
For local Adelaidians, Homefresh Experience is part of Tasting Australia;
the largest food and wine festival in the Asia-Pacific Region.
Grab you mum, your dad, your family, your workmates, your boyfriend, girlfriend or ANY foodie you know and secure your place to any of the nightly classes from the 27th of April through the 4th of May!
Look forward to seeing you there!
Do you like Nasi Goreng?
Do you know a Junior Chef Foodie?
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