U.S Potato Fest Culinary Best @ KDU University College

Yay... we nailed it! Team Dynamite is the champion. Thank you to my awesome partner, Sidney Kan. So I was invited to join a Christmas themed Blogger's Culinary Challenge organized by U.S Potato recently. The task? To create a potato dish for the upcoming Christmas celebration.

Do you know, potatoes are a good source of potassium, rich in Vitamin C and fibre. One medium (148g) potato with skin contains 2 grams or 8 percent of the recommended daily intake of fibre. Health enthusiast need not worry as one serving of U.S potato(148g) is only 110 calories with no fat, sodium or cholesterol.

We are lucky to catch Chef Kenneth Kam demonstrating his potato dishes before our Blogger's Culinary Challenge begin. Wow... look at his beautiful creation.

Creamy Gratin US Potatoes.

Purée of US Potato Soup.

Next, it's time for us to shine. Hehehe.....
Our team are well prepared with our ingredients and appliances.

Don't I look cute in a chef's hat? Hahaha......

Stop taking picture, let the chopping, cutting and cooking began. Ohh boy..... we are only given an hour to prepare our dish.

Sneak peek into our creation. 

The colours of Christmas consist of red from beetroot, green from spinach and gold from pumpkin. 

Gnocchi - Mix the puree with mashed potatoes, plain flour, eggs, sea salt and black pepper.

Final 5 minutes count down! So stressed. Phew.... luckily, amidst some shortage of ingredients trouble we faced, I'm super glad that we manage to overcome it, thanks to my partner brilliant idea.

Voila..... finally, our Winter Warmer Asian Soup is done. Tell me, isn't that one pretty looking bowl of heartwarming soup? 

Some of  the other contestants amazing creation. 

Group pic with the rest of the contestants. Good job guys, everyone's a winner. 😀

This is my first ever experience, taking part in a cooking challenge/competition and holding a mock cheque. Can I frame it, please? Hehehe.....

Thank you Sabrina for the opportunity.😃

Last but not least, thank you US Potato for the amazing experience and thank you Sidney Kan for being such an awesome partner.

Keep Calm and Eat Potato,
Naturally Nutritious, Always Delicious!

P/S : Winter Warmer Asian Soup recipe will be email to readers upon request. So feel free to ask! :D

#USpotatoes 

US Potato Culinary Festival Kuala Lumpur 2015

Do you love potato? I love potato! My mom used to make the best french fries out of scratch. Beside tasty, potatoes are full of nutritional values too. Do you know, one medium-size (5.3 ounce) skin-on US potato actually contains just 110 calories per serving, boasts more potassium (620g) than a banana, provides almost half the daily value of vitamin C (45 percent) and contains no fat, sodium or cholesterol. Are potatoes fattening? NO! Don't worry, the potato contains ZERO FAT.

With my darlings. 😍

US Potato Culinary Festival Kuala Lumpur 2015, held for the second time in Malaysia after a highly successful run two years ago. This bi-annual culinary fest will offer up a month long smorgasbord of dining delights to whet the appetites of both potato aficionados and the spud-curious.

Organized by the US Potato Board, the US Potato Culinary Festival will run from 1 – 30 June 2015 at a total of 13 top dining venues around the KlangValley, each of which will feature a mouthwatering assortment of unique and fusion dishes that elevate the versatility, nutritional benefits and superior taste of quality US potatoes.

The restaurants participating this year include popular hotels and restaurants such as

1. Best Western Hotel, Petaling Jaya

2. Big Hug Burger

3. Burger Factory

4. Jibby & Co.

5. La Bo Ca Latino

6. La Risata

7. Maria’s Steakcafe

8. Naughty Nuri’s

9. Rendezvous Steak Garden Restaurant

10. Secret Of Lousinana

11. Sheraton Imperial Hotel, Kuala Lumpur

12. The Daily Grind

13. The Roulette Bar

 *Pic credit Kai Kiat photography.

Chefs of these respective restaurants are put to a challenge to invent the most creative and delectable recipes from the quality US potatoes and you will find these wonderful potato dishes at their outlets around Klang Valley. 

Let's sneak peek, some of the stunning dishes shall we?

US Potato Gnocchi in Crispy Parmesan Cracker and Creamy Tomato Sauce.

Next, desserts! Yes.... Even desserts are made of potatoes.

US Potato Cake.

Mont Blanc Pudding.

US Potato Macaroon Bars with Chile Ancho Chocolate.

Fancy potatoes beverages?

Delicious and addictive potato milkshake.

And there's even dog's dinner? Haha....

Through this festival, the US Potato Board aims to showcase how US potatoes can be used as a main ingredient in a wide array of recipes from appetizers to desserts. Let's enjoy US potatoes in new, exciting and healthier ways beside the usual fried, mashed or baked. The humble potato when cooked discerningly is in fact one of the healthiest vegetables one can consume. 

Research published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition demonstrates that people can eat potatoes and still lose weight. So.....

"Keep calm, Eat your potatoes!"

Because potatoes play a positive role in healthy diet. 😃

Malaysians who would like to experience the difference in cooking with quality US potatoes can find these tuber gems in all leading supermarkets and hypermarkets in Malaysia.  Many leading restaurants and QSR chains also serve US potatoes due to their quality and superior taste.  

With my foodie gangs! Thanks boss for the kind invitation. Looking forward to  a whole lot more of gastronomic adventure with you! Yum....