If the Twitter feed during the first episode of Poh Ling Yiew's new series on the ABC is anything to go on, Poh's Kitchen Lends a Hand has very quickly captured the hearts of the viewing audience. 'Watch it now, it will nourish your soul', and 'What an inspiration!' were among the many positive tweets. I loved it too!

Former MasterChef Australia contestant and television cooking show presenter, Poh, has taken the opportunity to lend a hand to people who are using cooking to help heal and inspire. The thing I like the most is that Poh has such a warm, effervescent and genuine way about her. Her compassion for the champions she meets throughout the series is truly touching.

Watch as Poh creates food for the homeless in her hometown, works with STREAT, a Melbourne community program getting troubled youths off the street and into the hospitality industry; helps a team of cooks with disability face up to their biggest ever test; visits a Victorian town where food is helping to heal after devastating bushfires; and takes on the role as camp cook for troubled teens on an outback adventure. The series concludes with a dramatic and life changing trip to the slums of Cambodia. 

Poh's Kitchen Lends a Hand screens on ABC1 at 8.00pm on Tuesday for six weeks from 11 September. 

Images appear kind courtesy of the ABC.

Regular followers of this blog and my Twitter feed will be familiar with my passion for the farmers and food producers of Australia; and my tweets about them being the 'Salt of the Earth'. This may explain why I have been so looking forward to Destination Flavour, a new ten-part series coming to SBS One.

Featuring MasterChef winner, Adam Liaw, Renee Lim from Food Investigators, and Lily Serna of Letters and Numbers, Destination Flavour profiles Australia’s renowned chefs, leading providores and food producers, top city restaurants and much loved suburban eateries. It also showcases Australia’s culinary regions that provide the best ‘paddock to plate’ food. 

Having watched the first episode, I feel this program is fresh in every sense of the word. From the hosts (particularly Adam Liaw, who I think is a very natural presenter) to the vibrant scenery, and delicious dishes and food regions shown. Incidentally, Liaw is currently the Featured Foodie on the SBS Food web site and re his food philosophy says that 'the way we cook and eat is the ultimate connection between human beings and the world'.  

Destination Flavour commences on SBS One on Thursday, 16 August at 8.00pm.