In this the final round of the Cook Off 2017, PizzaExpress collaborated with the Hong Kong Cancer Fund to raise awareness of breast and prostate cancer as part of Pink October.
As Celebrity Chef & Founder of Flavor Mart Hilda Leung took on the winner of the last Cook Off round, Chef Sophia Cheng, Product Development Manager of PizzaExpress in a challenge to create three innovative dishes including one pizza for the “Pink Menu” we spoke to both women about their love of pizza and cooking.
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What for you makes a great pizza?
Hilda: Fresh ingredients come first! Crunchy crust topped with colourful ingredients combing with perfect sauce, simply tasty and attractive.
Sophia: Freshly baked pizza with right combination of fresh ingredients will certainly bring out the best flavour in a harmonizing way.
What’s your favourite pizza style: Romana, Neapolitan, Sicilian, Deep dish/Chicago and why?
Hilda: I always love thin and crunchy crust, with a perfect balance of thin tomato sauce and LOTS of grated mozzarella cheese.
Sophia: Depending on the toppings. If it’s seafood toppings, I will go for Romana style’s thin & crispy crust, while for burrata mozzarella I prefer the Neapolitan style.
Best combination of pizza toppings?
Hilda: Tomato, cheese and basil.
Sophia: Burrata mozzarella, basil, olives and cherry tomatoes.
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How would you describe your approach to cooking?
Hilda: I focus on flavour matching, I love trying different combination of ingredients, fresh herbs and spice together. I have no boundary in using food elements, if it goes along, I will put them together and use the most perfect cooking method and create a perfect dish.
Sophia: Based on the seasonality, I will choose different ingredients and cooking methods. For example, I tend to create warm dishes with chilli, cheese and fulfilling ingredients during Winter, while I will use more seafood and fruits to create refreshing dishes during Summer.
For the PizzaExpress Cook Off 3, how did you go about creating your pizza?
Hilda: Using healthy and fresh ingredients that are suitable for everyone and the cancer patients. I’ve used lots of vegetables and fruits, as they are colourful and full of nutrients.
Sophia: Matching the theme of Pink October, I blended beetroot with béchamel sauce together and graced the pizza with a pinky look. Together with buffalo mozzarella, capers, cooked salmon chunks, fresh cucumber shreds and lemon oil, I want to add more vibrant colour and flavour to the pizza. So, people can enjoy the pizza when looking at it as well as tasting it.
https://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2017/Pizza-Express-Cook-Off-3-Times-Square-28-September-2017/i-59VnQNf