Saturday 17 September 2011

Cooking up a storm

For a variety of reasons I experienced a Christmas present and a birthday present this week. Even though it was neither my birthday nor, for that matter, Christmas.
By coincidence both presents were similar.
The Christmas present a postponement of a cooking course that the only non-S Clark gave me. An Indian Cooking experience which had transmogrified into "Tasty Asian".
It was great to spend a full and fun evening with daughter number one
The birthday present a Moroccan Cooking course with the great pleasure of my fine son-in-law. Much hilarity and staring at poor unfortunate on the side of the road who was sculling a can...which we assumed was alcoholic beverage, but was actually Fanta!
He was indignant about our attention, and quite rightly so. But it was an hilarious event. Great bonding
Just thought you may be interested to know how cooking courses work, and what benefit they are.
The photo alongside is a great trad recipe from Morocco. Bestella. A pigeon pie...which we had demonstrated  as a chicken pie..and which the pic alongside is actually in fully Vegan form! (see here for why that might be so!)
Now the hilarious part of this is that Chef du Maison of Adelaide's Marrakech Restaurant, Mohamad Bartaouch demonstrated four beautiful recipes with wit and charm.
And I have made said Bestella twice since we had the class a couple of days ago.
Mohamad finished his pie with the traditional sweet sugar recipe, criss crossed with cinnamon . I said to the lovely D...you can see his expertise. A perfect criss cross applied by hand.
My version is above. D noted that my criss-cross pattern was in the best tradition of abstract expressionist Jackson Pollock. Rude b#$%er. But perceptive!
But!!! I think that a good sign of a successful cooking class is that you cook the courses. And I have

I am writing this as I have just returned from Sticky Rice's Tasty Asian cooking course. Stuffed Prawns, Moreton Bay Bugs, Massaman Curry, Lemon Chicken.
All seem eminently possible. Though I don't think vegan!!
Both were complemented with fine SA wines. We are so fortunate.
I will blog more about wine a little later.
Someone said at tonight's course and dinner (the best part of a cooking course...you celebrate your learning by eating the product in the companionship of others)
"So many people at work love eating food! And cooking food, a great way to get together."

A great way indeed

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