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The finals of the Global Cooking Challenge will take place on 28 October, with Luxembourger Sarah Bamberg taking part. We caught up with the amateur chef.
A culinary competition
Organised by Fissler under the aegis of Michelin-starred chef Alexander Herrmann, the Global Cooking Challenge is a culinary competition. It invites international participants to shine in three themed challenges, such as “Environmental responsibility in the kitchen”. After the initial online stage, five of them will go on to compete in a final in Munich. The prize? A culinary trip worth 10,000 euros.
For this final stage, they will be guided and assessed by chefs Alexander Herrmann, Joon-Woo Park and Corentin Delcroix. Each finalist will have to incorporate a local ingredient into their recipe, and the winner will be determined at the end of a 60-minute round.
A Luxembourger reaches the final
It’s at double Michelin-starred chef Cyril Molard’s restaurant Ma Langue Sourit that we meet up with the Luxembourger Sarah Bamberg (@cookitlikesasa), a candidate selected for the grand final of the culinary competition.
This nursery school teacher, who is passionate about cooking and gastronomy, embarked on this adventure somewhat by chance: “I still can’t believe it. I’m an amateur chef; I saw online that you could send in your first recipe for the competition, so I took the plunge and was selected after the first round along with 25 other candidates”. Following her selection, she went through two more stages before reaching the finals, scheduled for 28 October.
For this final round, the participants have to prepare a recipe based on poultry and a local product. In her quest for excellence, she is coached by Cyril Molard**, who insists that for him it is important to “pass on, exchange and share”.
The Chef continues: “The 60 minutes allotted to the candidates for their recipe go by very quickly. That’s why it’s essential to train beforehand to avoid being overwhelmed on the day of the challenge.”
For her dish, Sarah opted for a chicken supreme filled with fresh marinated damson plums, accompanied by a potato roll and a smooth pumpkin purée. “The Chef provided invaluable insights during the creation of this recipe, stressing the importance of using fresh and premium ingredients. Having the Chef’s mentorship is truly a privilege; I’m learning so much. The kitchen’s ambience and its inherent discipline have deeply resonated with me,” shares the contestant.
We wish Sarah all the best in this extraordinary adventure, which has undoubtedly already changed her life as a teacher. Perhaps this is the beginning of a newfound vocation?
Pictures: KACHEN