Entertainers donned aprons to showcase their culinary

skills at the sixth annual SunCity Bubble Di Pot Celebrity Cook-off.

Held last Friday inside St William Grant Park in downtown

Kingston, it featured G Whizz, Bascom X, Miss Universe Jamaica 2019 Iana Tickle

Garcia, 2019 Digicel Rising Stars winner Sherlon Russell, DHQ Nickeisha, Marvin

the Beast and deejay Iwaata.

Celebrities competed for cash, which they would donate

to a charity of their choice. The cash prizes are $25,000 (first place), second

place $15,000, and $10,000 (third place).

Participants prepared meals using products from

sponsors, including Lasco, Cals Manufacturing, Juliana and Caribbean Dreams

Select Teas.

Known for songs like Life and Bartender, G Whizz

teamed up with his wife, Devene, to whip up a tasty treat, which saw him taking

first place.

“The experience was something different and unique. It

was my first time cooking in public, and I did not know what to expect. But

once I started, everything flowed,” said G Whizz.

His meal comprised the ‘ghetto meal’ dumpling butter

(as a side dish), Lasco mackerel and a vegetable stew with fried dumplings,

Lasco oats porridge with ripe banana and strawberry as decoration on the top.

He also blended a smoothie using papaya, lemon juice, pineapple juice and ripe

banana.

“My wife was definitely a big help. If it wasn’t for

her, I might not have won,” he said laughingly.

G-Whizz also won the sectional prize for Best Kept

Kitchen Area, and he received a gift basket of Scotch Brite products from

sponsor Cari-Med Limited.

Finishing in second place for the morning session was dancing couple DHQ Nickeisha and Marvin the Beast. Assisted by their producer, Power Icon, they prepared a meal consisting of boiled Irish potatoes, carrot, banana and a salad with lettuce and cucumber. They also prepared curried shrimp with Lasco coconut powder, Lasco corned beef with butter beans, jack mackerel (run down style) and saltfish with broad beans.

“We had a lot of fun. Believe me, it was amazing,”

said Nickeisha.

Third place went to deejay Iwaata and his assistant,

Sharon Donaldson. They won the sectional prize for Best Sauce and received a

gift basket courtesy of Cals.

The afternoon session kicked off at 2 p.m., and

participants had about 45 minutes to prepare their meals.

Lonely Girl singer Bascom X added chef to his resume for the occasion and copped the first place title.

Assisted by Curtis Marshall, Bascom’s meal comprised a

jackfruit seed pizza, French fried mackerel, and cooked-down snapper fish with

baked beans and a cold beverage using the Caribbean Dreams Select Pineapple

Coconut tea.

Second place winner was Iana Tickle Garcia. She was

assisted by her brother, Kevaughn Prout, in preparing a meal, which comprised

an iced tea using the Caribbean Dreams Select Pineapple Coconut tea and a hot

beverage using the Apricot Passion Fruit. She also did jerked mango chutney

chicken thighs with vegetable rice, and a side dish with corned beef canopies.

“I absolutely love the idea of a cook-off for charity.

It was fun, exciting and definitely creative. The vibe from the crowd pushed

all the participants to do our best,” said Tickle Garcia, who also won the

sectional prize for Best Kept Kitchen Area.

Sherlon Russell finished in third place, and he also

walked away with the prize for Best Sauce.

“It was a great experience. First, I would like to

thank Suncity Radio for including my sister and me in this. Even though we did

not get to prepare what we initially planned because we did not get some of the

items, but we did our best and had fun doing so,” said Russell.

His sister, Cheriee, assisted him with preparing a meal, which comprised Irie polenta with jerk-corned beef balls served with honey-lime sauce and papaya blueberry cooler.