AN AUDIENCE of delighted food fans swooned over the culinary masterpieces cooked up by top chef Anton Mosimann in a charity demonstration.

Centenaries Theatre, at Stonyhurst College, was full to over-flowing for the demonstration by the internationally acclaimed chef, in aid of Marie Curie Cancer Care.

He cooked up a six course meal in little over an hour and, like all great artists, made it look so simple.

Then it was on to a question and answer session with the audience, when he gave advice on everything from how to make the perfect risotto to how not to cook meat and fish.

And Lancashire Evening Telegraph Food News Competition winners Elaine Stuttard and Indra Whittle, from Burnley, were there to enjoy it all. Anton was born into a family a chefs but he broke away from tradition when he invented Cuisine Naturelle in 1986. He explained: "I had grown up around good honest food, but it wasn't what you would call healthy - it used a lot of cream and fats.

"Then in 1986 I invented Cuisine Naturelle, which cuts all that out. People often think that by making healthy food without cream or fat, they must be missing out on something, but I like to prove them wrong.

"Even after all these years I love to cook and I feel very proud whenever I put my chefs uniform on."

"People always ask me how they can improve their cooking and I tell them to learn the basic techniques, use the best ingredients you can get and never overcook."

The event raised a staggering £5,500, which will provide 550 hours of nursing care for cancer patients in East Lancashire.

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