I had the chance to take part in the Food For Life TV Cook-off Challenge, and it was a very memorable experience. My job has given me priceless opportunities to try out many interesting roles – from leading food tour overseas to visiting a cognac factory in France, but to be filmed cooking live Master Chef style? Now, that is a first.

For those of you who do not know, Food For Life TV is Singapore’s very own food channel and it features a range of food-related videos like product reviews, celebrity recipes, kitchen products, and simple recipes that you can try at home. Watch the bloggers’ cook-off challenge at www.foodforlifetv.tv and read on to find out more what happened behind the scenes!

Initially, I was both curious and apprehensive about the Food For Life TV Challenge because I am usually on the other side of the fence writing restaurant reviews. But for the challenge, I was required to cook two dishes while facing the cameras.

Even though I cook occasionally at home, it is usually simple stuff like steak, pan-seared fish, and simple stir-fried Chinese dishes. Let’s just put it this way: I am more talented at eating than cooking. So, cooking is not really my strong suit.

After the briefing by the folks behind Food For Life TV, knowing that it will be a friendly banter between my friend Kaykay and me, I felt more at ease because I know that it will be more of having fun.

There are two elements in the contest. The first challenge is a modern Pad Thai recipe. Being a fan of Pad Thai, I was excited to have my hands on the wok to prepare this dish personally. We were each given the chance to use a secret ingredient to complement the dish. I decided to choose pineapple as it is an essential ingredient in Thai cuisine, and I believe that the natural sweetness of the tropical fruit will accentuate the flavour of my dish. Apart from the fun, it was quite a fruitful attempt, and my dish turned out better than I had expected. To find out who won the first Pad Thai challenge, remember to tune in to episode 3 on 30 Jan!

The second part is a mystery box challenge that had us finding out the actual ingredients only on the day itself. It was nerve-wracking because we did not know what to expect. When I watched Master Chef, I did not think much of the mystery box challenge, but when it was my turn, I finally understood how the uncertainty and stress the contestants must have felt.

We were given many beautiful ingredients, and we were required to include three of them in our dish. I was dumbfounded for a few seconds – go ahead and laugh at my reaction when you watch the video – before I started digesting the ingredients and made a plan on what to prepare… Want to know what happened in the end? Go to www.foodforlifetv.tv to find out!

Food For Life TV is a wonderful platform for all food lovers, and I am really happy that Singapore finally has a food channel to call its own. What I love about Food For Life TV is how the contexts are always so relatable. Yes, it showcases celebrity recipes from chefs like Gordon Ramsay, but it is much more than that. You can find many food videos with a local theme, such as recipes for nasi lemak and roast pork belly. With Chinese New Year just around the corner, you can also find recipes for sugar free pineapple tarts, double boiled chicken & burdock root soup.

Recipes aside, there are so many videos to enlighten and let you in on easy tips and tricks in the kitchen, popular TV shows, and product reviews. Not to mention that there will be plenty of giveaways, contests and special discounts for members too. The best part? You can sign up for a free subscription – the process is fuss-free, all you need to do is to log in with your facebook account – and enjoy these exclusive member benefits.

I had a very fun time on the Food For Life TV cook-off challenge. There are four episodes of our Bloggers’ Cook Off. The first episode is already out, and the remaining three episodes will be launched on 23 Jan, 30 Jan, and 5 Feb. Remember to tune in to www.foodforlifetv.tv and follow them on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram for more updates!

This post is brought to you by Food For Life TV.