Celebrity chef shows off cost-saving tips for Chinese food

Sunday 15 October 2023

TV chef and author Ching-He Huang MBE is in Guernsey this week and has shown students and charities how to cook budget Chinese food at home, in collaboration with Guernsey Community Savings.

The demonstration was held on Friday afternoon (13 October) for young catering students at the Guernsey Institute, and a gala fundraising dinner followed at China Red.

She provided culinary advice and offered signed copies of her cookbooks to them, encouraging them on their career paths.

She was brought over by Guernsey Community Savings, which assists those who are denied access to banking and other financial services, and is excited to host its first major fundraiser as it relies solely on donations and grants to help disadvantaged people.

Tables of ten, eight and four are being provided.

Pictured: Ms Huang demonstrated how to cook two cheap dishes to budding chefs.

Ms Huang hails from Taiwan and fostered her trade in South Africa and Britain. Along her journey she has scooped up awards, emmy nominations and become an international ambassador for Chinese cuisine, receiving a Queen’s birthday honour in 2020 for services to gastronomy.

She has penned ten best selling cookbooks and signed copies of her latest efforts, Stir Crazy, Asian Green, and Wok On, were available to purchase at the event on Friday, with all proceeds going back to the charity. 

She told students that her families’ migration around the world saw them nearly slip through the social safety net, almost becoming homeless along the way.

Since then Ms Huang has become an ambassador for centre point, a homelessness charity.

She cooked up two “gorgeous dishes” from her book, oyster sauce chicken with celery and peanuts, and cauliflower with honey soy hoisin and pine nuts. 

Chinese cooking “doesn’t break the bank” as it relies on store cupboard staples and fresh, seasonal vegetables, she said, estimating the chicken dish to cost less than £1.50 per portion.

Pictured: She signed copies of her cookbooks after the demonstration too.

GCS Founder and Chair Peter Neville said the dinner was in a “special venue” and was a unique opportunity to enjoy top-class Chinese food and to meet Ching, who visited every table and met guests. 

“When we spoke to her, she was very interested to learn about our charity and keen to get involved, including holding a demonstration of cooking on a budget at the College of FE.”

Mr Neville thanked the various sponsors including China Red’s Eddie Sum, Kirkwood Properties, the RED Fund and Ravenscroft, and support provided by Handpicked Hotels and the Liberation Group.

Guernsey Community Savings was set up in 2020 and has helped over 120 people, getting them back into society through providing banking support to access accounts, credit, and build up savings. It also offers management education, with six-week programmes regularly run at the prison.