Toowoomba’s youngest chef to cook for 1500
IN THE lead up to the Divali Festival Radhika Bhardwaj will deliver free meals for people in high-stress jobs.
Toowoomba
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YOUNG cook Radhika Bhardwaj, 13, has a busy week ahead.
The Fairholme College student set the ambitious goal of cooking for revellers at the Toowoomba Divali Celebration next weekend.
Radhika estimated she would need about 1500 meals.
“I will start a day or two before and try to make each recipe different, I will get some help from my parents and friends,” she said.
Despite the help Radhika said she would call the shots with her parents mostly doing the grunt work.
“I will be cooking with really large pots so I will need help moving them around. Some of the pots are as big as a table,” she said.
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The young cook is accustomed to cooking for a large groups. As a Hare Krishna she grew up sharing food.
“I started when I was three-and-half-years-old but I got serious about it when I was seven,” Radhika said.
“You can be very creative, cooking is very messy, if you are stressed it is very relaxing.
“Food is our way of expressing love and generosity.”
In the lead-up to the festival, Radhika gave meals to workers in high-stress jobs.
On Thursday she gave meals to 50 doctors and nurses in the St Vincent’s Private Hospital Intensive Care Unit.
The Toowoomba Diwali Festival will be in the Civic Square, from 10am-2pm, November 3. There will be cultural activities, henna tattoos, face painting, a jumping castle, prizes and giveaways.
Entry is free.