The Malaysian Insider :: Food
The Malaysian Insider :: Food |
| YouTube’s ‘Epic Chef’ offers gluttony to the masses Posted: 13 Dec 2012 10:33 PM PST LOS ANGELES, Dec 14 — Bacon, whiskey and stilettos — this is not your mother's kitchen. This is "Epic Chef", YouTube's 20,000-calorie cooking spectacle that makes its debut today. "The show is complete madness," producer Rob Czar told Reuters on a set visit in Los Angeles, where two scantily-clad women in heels hurled greasy bacon and corn dogs at each other during a taping. "There are no rules other than the usage of bacon and Jack Daniels," Czar said. "Pandemonium is encouraged." "Epic Chef", an offshoot of the Canadian-produced YouTube sensation "Epic Meal Time" series, aims to bring in viewers by the million with extra helpings of gluttony — all in spite of Americans' obsession with health and weight loss. "We're here to say pizza is good, cheeseburgers are good, but pizza-cheeseburgers are even better," said host Harley Morenstein, a former substitute teacher whose "Epic Meal Time" garners some three million views per weekly episode on YouTube. "We do this so that you don't have to," writer Tyler Lemco added. "You can watch us and live vicariously through us." Lucky to have a camera "Epic Chef" pits contestants against each other to prepare outrageous heart-attack-inducing meat-laden dishes with massive calorie, fat and cholesterol content all in the name of impressing a panel of judges. The winner is determined by taste, presentation and use of ingredients. Chefs include the likes of Ilan Hall, a past winner of Bravo's hit "Top Chef", while well-known kitchen personality Duff Goldman (Food Network's "Ace of Cakes") and writer Timothy Ferriss ("The 4-hour Chef") serve as judges. The idea for the shows came to Morenstein two years ago after seeing a photo of an over-the-top meal online and later trying to replicate it with friends, Lemco said. "We were bored and had nothing else to do," the writer added. "Luckily we had a camera." In one upcoming episode, tentatively titled "Epic Chicken Challenge", the meals prepared include fried chicken wrapped in bacon and stuffed with Cheetos, Doritos chips and corn-dog hash. The final product emerges as fried chicken encrusted with the snack food, wrapped in bacon and smothered in barbecue sauce. Other dishes include gingerbread houses made of meat, human head-sized egg rolls and meat breakfast cereal with gravy. "We're going to die doing this," Lemco said. "That's how dedicated we are." — Reuters |
| Posted: 13 Dec 2012 08:17 PM PST  Fete Artisan Marshmallows at Carousel are beautifully packaged... perfect for gifts. — Pictures by Saw Siow Feng Most of these home-made, hand-made treats are all-natural, free of preservatives and, most importantly, made with tender loving care.  The Chococo Chips flavour is perfect for chocolate lovers. But thanks to Julian Chow, 27, and girlfriend Carmen Cheong, 28, we can now have fresh marshmallows that come in different flavours. Fete Artisan Marshmallow started out in September this year, taking online orders via Facebook, with the pair working from home. They juggled this venture with their full-time jobs, often finding themselves working in the kitchen until the wee hours of the morning. "It has always been a passion for us, experimenting with a lot of homemade pastry," said Chow. "We came across artisanal marshmallows online, there was this couple in the States doing it. After that, we did our own research and discovered how to make our own marshmallows. It took about half a year to get the recipe right." They experimented with all sorts of flavours, seeing which ones worked and which didn't, giving out samples to their friends to try out. Eventually, Chow and Cheong tweaked their marshmallows to suit Malaysian tastebuds, making sure that it was halal because the original recipe required animal-derived gelatin. The end result is six different flavours: Chococo Chips, Cookies Cream, Japanese Matcha, Tahitian Vanilla, Orange Marmalade and Expresso Double. "All of our ingredients are natural and of high quality," said Cheong. "For example, premium chocolate is used for Chococo Chips, and we brew green tea imported from Japan for Japanese Matcha. Also, vanilla beans are used for Tahitian Vanilla, orange fruit for Orange Marmalade, and Illy coffee for Expresso Double."  The Orange Marmalade complements chocolate, which is why it was paired with The Potong's Nutty Choc. It was through a bazaar at Publika and a stroke of luck that Carousel, a toy shop that was opening in Publika, decided to approach Fete Artisan Marshmallow and invited them to have a candy cart within the shop on consignment basis. "People can now get our marshmallows on the go from Carousel. The difference between ordering online and getting it from the candy cart is that online orders are more for events such as weddings, birthday parties, corporate functions and so on," said Chow. "Also, customers can customise the flavours when they order online. "With online orders, you get the standard packaging but when you buy it from Carousel, we have a nicer packaging because here people can just buy for gifts," he added. All of the designs, including the logo, packaging and marketing material for Fete Artisan Marshmallow are designed by Cheong, who majored in advertising and design. The marshmallows come in the form of pops with different toppings, which are more popular among children, as well as single- and multi-flavoured boxes. The prices range from RM3 for a marshmallow pop to RM18 for a box of 12 in different flavours at the candy cart. Prices vary online depending on customisation and volume.  The Cookies Cream flavour marshmallow goes well with milk. "We recently collaborated with The Potong ice cream during this year's Urbanscapes, releasing a limited-edition ice cream," said Chow. This was the Nutty Choc, with their Orange Marmalade marshmallows. "One of the founders of The Potong, Tee Rei, is a friend of ours," said Chow. "The Potong also believes in all-natural, artisanal products and that's why we decided to collaborate." Chow is also looking forward to working with F&B outlets to have marshmallow pairings, similar to wine pairings, where Fete Artisan Marshmallow is paired with different types of food and drinks to bring out the flavour profiles. "You can match the marshmallows with different types of drinks," said Chow. "For example, the Orange Marmalade goes well with cappuccino while dunking the Cookies Cream in milk makes a yummy combination." According to Cheong, Fete Artisan Marshmallow uses less sugar in their marshmallows. They also use honey as part of the ingredients for the recipe. The texture and taste profile of their marshmallows are very different from the ones sold in the supermarket. The couple is also very creative in the way they sell their marshmallows. Using the marshmallow cubes, they can create a "birthday cake" using a variety of flavours and colours with alphabets spelling out the birthday boy/girl's name. "We also create bouquets made of marshmallow pops. It's a new way to give gifts during special occasions like Valentine's Day," said Chow.  Carmen Cheong and Julian Chow are getting married next year... and no prize for guessing what their wedding favours will be. Fete Artisan Marshmallow also does wedding favours with customised packaging designed by Cheong. The couple themselves will be tying the knot next year so I asked if they will give out Fete Artisan Marshmallow as wedding favours. "Definitely!" said Cheong with a smile. Check out Fete Artisan Marshmallow at www.facebook.com/fetemarshmallow or get it on the go from Carousel, G3 - 14, Level G3, Publika Shopping Gallery, Solaris Dutamas, Jalan Dutamas 1, Kuala Lumpur. |
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