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DFF 2016: Etisalat Beach Canteen set to enthrall kids

Dubai - Exciting activities by Dubai Culture and cooking for kids by Al Islami are among the highlights.

Children visiting the Etisalat Beach Canteen, the main hub of Dubai Food Festival 2016, tomorrow (Sunday, 6 March) will be able to enjoy some exciting art and culture-oriented activities arranged by the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority.
My Gym will be back with their fitness and social development activities for children from 12noon onwards while Al Islami will be conducting a cooking class for children and Sunny's Pop will have a demonstration on how to prepare popcorn in different flavours. BookMunch Café and Bookshop will be narrating kids' stories once again as part of their 'Storytelling by the Sea' sessions while a Romantic-Comedy will be screened in the evening as part of the Food and Film night.
Earlier, on Friday, 4 March, foodies and their families relished the various dishes cooked by chefs from leading Dubai restaurants at the Etisalat Beach Canteen including Chef-Patron Darren Velvick from the Croft and Chef de Cuisine Walter Canzio from Social by Heinz Beck. There was also a cook-off session that involved two Instagram influencers, food blogger Karen McLean from the Secret Squirrel Food blog and Emirati Chef Faisal Naser. The main stage became a food haven as several people thronged to not only enjoy the cooking process but also get valuable advice from these experts. 
Chef Darren kicked-off the live cooking demonstration with a simple dish made of fresh mackerel fillets served with herb potatoes, onion ketchup and smoked tomato sauce. In response to questions from guests, he emphasised that he sourced fresh produce from the farmer's markets in Dubai. He also preferred to use sustainable seafood such as the mackerel in his dishes. He showed people how they can make their own version of ketchup at home, such as the white onion ketchup and the mushroom ketchup. 
Chef de Cuisine Walter Canzio quickly prepared a fagotelli carbonara where pasta is filled with egg yolks, pepper, Pecorino cheese and cream. He served it with finely chopped zucchini, the crispiness of which added a crunch to the inner smooth filling of the pasta. He stressed the health benefits of using rock salt while making food. Leaflets of the recipe were handed out to the crowd while the taste sessions took place. 
The influencer cook-off sessions attracted the fans of Karen McLean, the blogger of Secret Squirrel food blog, and influencer Chef Faisal who came together to cook alfredo pasta. Chef Faisal created a gourmet version of the dish complete with parmesan and butter before adding truffle and basil pesto. McLean went low on the butter and used freshly prepared garlic infused olive oil. 
The event was well received by visitors as various healthy concepts were integrated into the making of the dishes during the live cooking demonstrations.
The Etisalat Beach Canteen at Kite Beach is open from 12pm - 10pm on weekdays and from 10am - 10pm during the weekends, and will run throughout the third edition of DFF, which is organised by the Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE), an agency of the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM).  DFF 2016 runs until 12 March under the theme 'Celebrate Taste'.