JEDDAH, 7 June — A cooking contest for women, sponsored by LG Electronics at Alhamra Sofitel Hotel here recently, attracted more than 100 contestants from 20 countries.
They came with a variety of dishes to match their culinary expertise. “Competition was tough but extremely interesting,” said Zahida Arshad, who was the chief organizer and representative of the ladies’ group.
More than 300 women attended this “ladies only” event. The program included preparation and display of all sorts of dishes, ranging from simple soups to complicated recipes involving expert handling, according to Zahida, wife of the LG Electronics’ marketing manager.
Ladies started walking into the main hall of the hotel toward the evening and within an hour it was full of contestants and guests. Chief guest Ok Young Seo, wife of the general manager of LG Electronics in Saudi Arabia, arrived on time and the program started with a welcome address given by Zahida. She spoke about LG’s active role in community welfare activities and greeted the South Korean giant’s sponsorship of the event.
There were three judges holding doctorate degrees, presently teaching at Ummul Qura University. They belonged to different faculties and were connected to the art of cooking. They were introduced to the audience. All dishes entered into the contest were numbered and displayed in the dining section of the Hall. While the dishes were judged, the audience was kept entertained through a video film on LG, and some fun and games.
There were four prizes, each shared by two. Fathima Sultan (fruit carving) and Umaima Khan (tandoori chicken) claimed the first prize, Madam Hilda and Lubna Anwar Ali the second prize, Madam Siham and Reshma Thadani the third prize and Khalida Mukaddam and Madam Jumana the fourth prize. LG gave away its TV sets, microwave ovens and CD player stereo systems as prizes.
The chief guest also picked 10 winners in a draw and gave prizes. They received LG’s two TV sets and eight CD players. In her concluding remarks Zahida said such social activities interested ladies. “They provide an opportunity for us to set up a forum for interaction,” she added. Various LG products, including microwave ovens, were on display. A cookbook writer and an instructor was on hand to demonstrate microwave cooking.
