From The Straits Times    |

These cooking classes held in Singapore cooking schools (and kitchens) for your domestic helper will have her whipping up anything from Thai green curry to sambal prawns in no time.

Azlinda Said joins the maids in three classes.

Cooking classes for domestic help

Three cooking classes for domestic helpers in Singapore. Images: Getty Images 


GREAT FIND: GRANDMOTHER’S RECIPES
81 Gardenia Road, Tel: 6459 7549, www.grandmothersrecipes.com.sg.

RECIPES Mostly Peranakan fare, plus easy Chinese recipes such as fishball soup. The owner-instructor, Rosaline, will also take requests to teach specific dishes. I learnt to cook chicken rice, sambal prawns, chye sim with oyster sauce, and ondeh ondeh (boiled glutinous balls stuffed with palm sugar and coated with dessicated coconut).

COST $380 for five classes.

THE SETUP Rosaline teaches out of her semi-detached house. Her big, air-conditioned kitchen opens out to the backyard and the back door is left open when the cooking starts, so you get some fresh air. The lessons are part demonstration, part
hands-on: Rosaline gets students to practice or help her in the key steps; there’s no individual cooking involved. Lessons take place around a large, long kitchen countertop.

CLASS SIZE Minimum three students; maximum 10. Rosaline welcomes employers to observe the classes, at half price, so they can learn with their helpers as well.

THE INSTRUCTOR Rosaline was clear and patient. For Filipino helpers who got lost in translation, she had her own domestic helper step in to translate in Tagalog. She also showed us what each ingredient looked like and where to buy it. I like how she made sure we understood her explanations before moving on. The pace was moderately slow.

VERDICT
8. Relaxed and pleasant atmosphere, full of laughter and chit chat. Chock-full of tips. Cool air-con is a bonus.

 

EDITOR’S RAVE: EXPAT KITCHEN
#02-01, 9 Norris Road, Tel: 6299 4221, www.expat-kitchen.com.

RECIPES Mostly low-fat European dishes, with the occasional Asian dish. I learnt to cook Moroccan chicken, Thai green curry with fish, Shepherd’s pie, lamb minestrone soup, and banana nut rolls.

COST $375 for four sessions or $130 for a one-day specialised class focusing on say, chicken or baking.

THE SETUP Held at a culinary school, the air-conditioned space has a high ceiling and is the biggest of the lot. Students are divided into groups of four; each group shares a workstation to prep their assigned dish. Cooking takes place up front, at the stoves.

CLASS SIZE Minimum three students; maximum 12. The class size was large and I felt overwhelmed by the activity around me. But the instructor managed the class well: she checked on everyone’s progress and ensured that we were on track.

THE INSTRUCTOR The Australian instructor, Collette, was strict – she’d shush us if we were too noisy. But she was clear and to the point. After demonstrating, she left us to work on our own, stepping in where needed. She constantly engaged us by asking us what we had to do next. She was also big on hygiene – reminding us to wash our hands before touching the food.

VERDICT
8.5. Fast-paced, well-guided and very professional.

 

TINA’S COOKS
1 Canterbury Road, Alexandra Park, Tel: 6272 2789.

RECIPES Healthy, organic-based Western dishes. My session covered healthy snacks for the family, such as blueberry muffins, flapjacks, hummus, lemon drizzle cake, and honey nuts and popcorn.

COST $300 for four lessons (beginner’s course) or $85 per class.

THE SETUP The class takes place in the tidy, airy kitchen of a colonial bungalow, the home of owner-instructor Tina. The kitchen is not air-conditioned, but it has large windows and a door that opens out to the backyard. There was plenty of ventilation, although it did get hot when the cooking started. Lessons are conducted around a long and wide aluminium table in the centre of the kitchen.

CLASS SIZE Minimum four; maximum six, to allow Tina to focus on each student. With just six of us, there was enough space to move around.

THE INSTRUCTOR Tina was funny, friendly, chatty and patient. She spoke with a crisp British accent but no one had difficulty understanding her. She was hands-on and was quick to jump in if someone was lost. Tina gave us lots of cooking tips, along with ingredient substitutions and told us where to buy what. She was encouraging too, constantly reminding us to add our own twist to the recipes.

VERDICT 8. Cosy and warm environment, it was as if I was cooking with friends and family; simple recipes that helpers will have no trouble recreating at home.

*All classes are three hours each, and your helper can bring home the leftovers, so you can try what she cooked.

This article was originally published in Simply Her June 2012.

All pricing information was correct at the time of the magazine’s publication. We advise readers to check with the course managers for the latest availability and pricing information.