DNA (18 May 2014)
Head honchos join Vikas Khanna for Cook for a Smile initiative to help raise funds to feed underprivileged kids
Thirteen head honchos are going to be judged today, not for their business acumen, but if they can dish up a delicious meal. And while children will be judging their culinary chops, the challenge is going to be no child’s play.
Celebrity chef Vikas khanna, who is a Goodwill Ambassador of Smile Foundation is hosting ‘Cook for a smile’, a fund raising event to provide for underprivileged children in India.
At Grand Hyatt Mumbai today, CEOs, MDs and directors from PepsiCo, BNY Mellon, BAE Systems, Hyatt, Harley Davidson, Air France KLM among others will have to cook up a meal within 30 minutes, a la Masterchef reality show style.
We hear Vikas has prepared different recipes for each of these contestants. “Each CEO is preparing a signature dish with a set of ingredients that will be given to them. They’ll also have kids from the Smile Foundation assist them. These kids along with Chef Vikas Khanna will later also taste the food to judge who is the best along with chef,” Manisha Singh, Manager Communications and Resources, Smile Foundation tells us.
But that’s not it. Finalists of round one will then have to face a food quiz devised by the chef.
This is the first initiative by Vikas since he became the goodwill ambassador. He intends to help raise funds to benefit 5,000 kids within one year. And with these company heads taking the initiative to be part of this event, funds to feed around 1,500 children have been raised.
“As a chef, I have been focusing my energies on taking Indian cuisine global, however, when I come back to India I see children suffering from malnutrition and that to me was a dichotomy. I am hoping with Cook for A Smile, we can start a new chapter in helping children. It’s small beginning and I am hoping that in one year, we can at least support 5000 children across India,” says Vikas.
Source : http://www.dnaindia.com/lifestyle/report-boardroom-men-to-battle-it-out-in-the-kitchen-1989364