The building in the corner was completely clad in red colour. The gleaming red colour, red costumes, red furniture in the lawn, and particularly the red-coloured food created a special ambience for guests at the building of The Cooking Academy (TCA), which stood out from far off areas.
Red– the colour of emotions, made the ‘Red Corner’ event a lively activity offering delectable cuisines and mouth-watering variety of sweets, all in red, to a select gathering.
The food tasting event was recently organised by the academy, a culinary startup in Qatar with the aim of bringing people together, to learn and enjoy the art of cooking, and to primarily promote its activities for food lovers who are also interested in learning to cook.
Besides the chefs from the academy, the organisers invited nine celebrated chefs from different organisations in Qatar to share their culinary expertise with the visitors, which included ambassadors, diplomats, social media influencers, food enthusiasts, and noted chefs from the city. They prepared all kinds of dishes with a fusion of different cuisine to test the taste buds of the guests.
The organisers took people in batches to visit the academy’s premises and had them taste different food items that were displayed in an artistic and fashionable way. The visitors were actually awestruck by the artistic presentation and delicious tastes of different cuisines. There was also a deft artist painted in red for the interest of the guests.
The celebrated chefs who took part in the food tasting event were namely; Aisha al-Tamimi, founder of TCA and celebrated Qatari chef; Chef Manuel Ross, from Hamad Hospital; Chef Nasser Saleh, Chef Syma, pastry chef from the Cooking Academy; Chef Evgeniya Sokolova, pastry chef from the academy; Chef Fawaz al-Omain, from Aura Hospitality; Captain Hassan al-Ibrahim, from Qatar Airways; Sheikha M J al-Thani, a chef and food enthusiast; and Chef Mark, barista. The organisers were namely; Mohammed Sufyan, chief executive officer, Mohammed Abdul Malik al-Emadi, founder; and Javed Kaleem, acting CEO.
Talking to Community just before the start of the event, Mohammed Sufyan said: “We named the event as red corner because our academy is located in a corner. Usually, red colour is used to stop the flow of traffic. We used red colour to stop passers-by and let them notice our premises. Different studies have suggested the red colour carries emotional impact on people. They say it is one of the oldest colours related to different human activities. The colour in our event also tells the story of how much man’s culinary journey has reached today. Everything cooked for the event is in red. The event introduced the visitors about our three activities; tasting the food, ordering the food, and learning how to cook the food. It is an enjoyment and educational experience at the same time.”
Addressing the gathering at the beginning of the event, Mohammed Abdul Malik said: “It has been a great team effort for last 10 days to put all things together for the red corner event. They say it is very difficult to manage two chefs in one kitchen. The academy has handled nine in total. I am thankful to all of our chefs and guests for making the red corner event a success and enjoying the food we have prepared.”
Talking about his mother, Aisha al-Tamimi, Mohammed said: “She has been I think a chef forever. She has been an inspiration all along. I would have never come to the food industry, had she not been in my life. Actually, she is the reason to have the academy. She is the cornerstone of the academy. She has always liked to document what she has learnt all her life and what has been passing through the generations.”
Sharing her experience of food tasting, Julia Toon, a seasoned chef based in Qatar from UK, said: “Visiting The Cooking Academy has been a tremendous experience of wows and talents. It has a great happy vibe. The food was great. I think the school is incredibly well positioned and well thought of.
“It is all about three points;’ visuals, taste and smell. If you host something like this, you got to reach the people and reach them with your food. It is getting the awareness about how creative the school is and what a great opportunity it offers for youngsters or anyone who has a passion for food.”
GROUP: Chefs and organisers pose for a group photo during the ‘Red Corner’ event.
