Cultural Kitchen

Richard Cornish is a Melbourne-based food writer, author and events host. He's well known in the food scene as an independent writer and commentator on food. He's been a commentator on Iron Chef Australia and contributor to various publications including the 'Good Food' section in Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.

richardcornish.com.au

Mei Hsin will be cooking Vegetarian Fried Rice from Taiwan

Mei Hsin is from Taiwan and learnt to cook when she was just 10 years old. Cooking with love and passion, she enjoys learning about food from different cultures and believes sharing food is great for building a community of connection and cultural understanding. Mei worked at Stevensville Primary School and retired earlier this year. She was the Community Hub Coordinator at Westvale Community Centre for many years, where she organised healthy multicultural cooking classes at the centre for local community members.

Cultural Kitchen (Errington Reserve Oval), 11.30am

Stephanie Lockwood will be cooking Mushroom Gnocchi

Stephanie is a bright aspiring young chef who only graduated from high school last year. She was accepted into one of Melbourne's leading food, tourism, and hospitality institutes, William Angliss, where she has continued her learning journey. Stephanie is following her dream of becoming a chef and would like to share a dish she has learned with her community.

Cultural Kitchen (Errington Reserve Oval), 12.30pm

Fipe Preuss is making something special using Living Koko chocolate

Koko in Samoa means cacao but Koko (toto) also means blood. Join Lolopō Fipe Preuss & Glen Reiss founders of Living Koko a chocolate manufacturing space in the west and get creative with koko. Fipe's family heritage in cacao goes back over 200 years and Living Koko was created to support the domestic plot farmers in Samoa through fair, ethical trade that continues the unique cultural heritage.

Cultural Kitchen (Errington Reserve Oval), 1.30pm

Manisha Kaushik will be cooking Besan Ka Cheela with coriander and mint chutney

Manisha is a Botanist (Ph.D) and Certified First Aid Trainer/Accessor with a passion for cooking. Growing up in India, Manisha was surrounded by the vibrant colours, smells, and tastes that make Indian food so unique. Each region of the country offers something distinct, shaped by its local ingredients, climate, and cultural influences. Driven by this curiosity and love for food, Manisha travelled across India, learning first-hand from locals and home chefs about the secrets behind their regional cuisines. Manisha is committed to preparing plant-based healthy and nutritious meals without compromising on taste, and has a passion for environmentally friendly ways to enjoy food.

Cultural Kitchen (Errington Reserve Oval), 2.30pm

Brenda Lo is cooking Hong Kong style Fried Shanghai Thick Noodles” 上海粗炒

Brenda is a retired education professional back from Hong Kong. In 2017, she moved to Sunshine West. She has a PhD and a certificate IV in Ageing Support. She is an aged care worker and casual teacher. Brenda is a grandma of three boys and spends her leisure time in ball games, handcrafts, gardening and cooking.

She says "Hong Kong is a special place of people upbringing with international perspectives and varied cultural backgrounds. Thus we learned to respect and embrace diversity. Through this Cultural Kitchen event, I have some yummy recipes of the Hong Kong Food to share, hope you will like it!"

Cultural Kitchen (Errington Reserve Oval), 3.30pm