Wanted: Raffles students or alumni for inaugural Rafflesian Cook-Off

Source: The Straits Times
Author: Eunice Quek

SINGAPORE - Calling all past and present students of Raffles Girls' School (Secondary), Raffles Institution and the former Raffles Junior College - it is time to show off your culinary chops at the inaugural Rafflesian Cook-Off.

With the theme Celebrating Singapore Heritage Through Heartfelt Recipes, the cooking contest is organised by the RGS Alumnae, the official alumnae society of Raffles Girls' School (RGS). It is an extension of the schools' cookbook project Consuming Passion: Memories From The Rafflesian Table from 2013.

To enter the competition, contestants - participating as an individual or in teams of three - must submit a video entry of no more than 30 minutes that tells a compelling personal story of two heritage recipes (one main course and one drink or dessert).

Parents of current students can be part of the teams, as long as one team member is a Rafflesian. No professional chefs are allowed to enter the contest.

At least one produce from the RGS Rooftop Garden must be featured as a key ingredient in each recipe. The garden, set up in 2023, offers a bounty of locally grown crops, including lemongrass, roselle and laksa leaf.

Entries must be submitted by March 15 and six of them will be selected for the final Cook-Off on May 1 at the halal-certified RGS (Secondary) Food Lab. The dishes have to be completed, plated and served in two hours.

The winning team or individual will receive the top prize of $600 and a Cuisinart Ice Cream & Sorbet Maker. The second- and third-place contestants will receive $400 and $250, respectively. There will also be food and beverage vouchers given out as consolation prizes.

The competition will be judged by its co-chair, Mrs Carmee Lim, 84, a former teacher, principal and alumna of RGS; RJC alumna and The Straits Times senior correspondent Tan Hsueh Yun, 56; veteran chef Damian D'Silva of Singaporean heritage cuisine restaurant Rempapa, 67; and Ms Vasunthara Ramasamy, 43, a contestant on the second season of MasterChef Singapore (2018 to present) and the creator of South Indian private-dining concept Cutlery Optional.

Lauding the lush rooftop garden, Ms Tan says: "I hope the participants will look for unusual herbs and vegetables and use them in ways that make sense."

Ms Vasunthara adds: "An integral part of heritage cooking is knowing how to select and use local produce to enhance flavours and aromas. I'm excited to taste some unique recipes that have been forgotten and to witness how cooking with love brings families together."

Mr D'Silva is looking for entries that tell a story of the relationship between the contestants and the person who taught them the heritage recipe.

He says: "The recipe does not need to follow the original (heritage dish), but what it must do is to extrapolate the essence of the dish, so that anyone eating it will understand the complexity of the dish in its simplest form."