Katherine Froggat-Ong’s Coriander Lime Kitchen cooking classes are teaching Taupō residents to create Asian cuisine fusion dishes.
Breaking a habit is always difficult, but a new weekly cooking class could help Taupō residents form a new one.
Katherine Froggatt-Ong is running classes to show how tasty Singaporean-style meals can be.
Asian cuisines can be very cheap to make, as well as very healthy, she said.
“It is cheaper to buy vege’s than it is to buy a 300-gram slab of beef, with just two or three florets of broccoli and a few asparagus.
“If I do a stir-fry, it’s 300g of meat and 500g of vege’s, with noodles. And that can feed several people.”
Froggat-Ong grew up in Singapore, where different ethnicities developed their food cultures over hundreds of years.
Each of the Coriander Lime Kitchen classes will focus on a different cuisine: Singaporean-Chinese, Singaporean-Malaysian, Indian and Peranakan [Chinese-Malaysian ethnic group].
The Singaporean variety of national cuisines often had more intense flavours, she said.
“At my latest class, I taught Singapore Laksa.
“I did the Singapore version, which we like quite rich.”
However, spice and ginger adjustments will be offered to suit the Kiwi palate.
“My kids are my guinea pigs most of the time,” she said.
All ingredients used can be purchased from supermarkets or Asian specialty food stores in Taupō.
“I tend not to use overly expensive ingredients because I’m focused on making it accessible for people.”
Kids cooking classes will be offered during term breaks. Parents should attend children aged 4-7 years at the classes, at no extra cost. Children 8-14 years can attend without parental support.
“I think it can inspire the next generation to enjoy a new flavour.
“I really want to show them how easy it is to make fried rice or sushi,” she said.
“After our class last week, one of the parents sent me a text to say their kids had cooked dinner for them after the class.
“They said, ‘don’t worry, we’re in charge’. They did the dishes too.”
source: https://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/food-wine/97908029/singaporean-cooking-class-will-show-kiwis-a-range-of-asian-cuisines