Wednesday, March 30, 2005

Top Chef Gives Cooking Classes


Posing with our certificates Posted by Hello
Graduates of the cooking classes with Quattro Restaurant Manager John Saliba and its illustrious chef, Shahram de Contades. (AN photo)


Top Chef Gives Cooking Classes
Lubna Hussain, Arab News



JEDDAH, 24 March 2005 — A sumptuous gala dinner early this week marked the climax of the six-week “Cooking Classes” held at the Four Seasons Hotel. Attended by 16 of the 18 participants, the evening at the London Banqueting Room was a fitting end to the culinary session.

Renowned for their quality of service and attention to detail, the management and staff of the Four Seasons Hotel provided a truly unforgettable evening for all those involved in the form of a professional graduation ceremony that served to commemorate this wonderful achievement. Roses, certificates and rapturous applause greeted all the amateur chefs in an event that was hailed as a resounding success by all present.

Organized by pioneers Kaye Howe and Dawn Shuttleworth in conjunction with the manager of Quattro Restaurant, John Saliba, and its illustrious chef, Shahram de Contades, the six sessions managed to attract a cosmopolitan crowd of aspiring Anton Mosimanns with most corners of the globe being represented.

Indeed there were people from as far afield as Singapore, Germany, the United States, the Philippines, Australia and New Zealand as well as Middle Eastern nationals. This fabulous diversity was amply reflected in the sheer range of international dishes covered during the course.

Saturday mornings took on a different dimension at Quattro Restaurant. Preparations for such a program had been extensive and involved the procurement of the finest and freshest ingredients, as well as the establishment of several cooking stations within the eatery itself. Each lady was provided with her own Four Seasons apron, a binder with all the detailed recipes covered, and a unique CD incorporating all the recipes that included a section on frequently asked questions.

The attendees were regaled with easy to follow demonstrations by Chef de Contades and were guided through a step-by-step preparation of the menu of the day. This covered an extensive array of sauces, dips, entrees, main courses and desserts, supplemented by expert tips that previously only the top connoisseurs were privy to.

In order to introduce a more dynamic element into the classes, the students were given the opportunity to work in the pastry kitchen and were even taken up to the grill to prepare a barbecue. The whole concept incorporated flexibility, entertainment and enjoyment and perhaps the most memorable aspect was the camaraderie that had developed amongst the group itself.

Doris Barber, an American who has an interest in recipes, but not in cooking said: “I just thought it was a lot of fun. The chefs were delightful to work with and it was enjoyable and enlightening. I also discovered through some of the ladies new places to shop.”

Such sentiments were echoed throughout the gathering. Zaina Al Turk commented, “It is so important to apply what you have learnt. The demonstration meant that we had interaction with the chefs who came round to each station tasting our efforts and this afforded us the opportunity to correct any mistakes.”

“It was so excellent, educational and well-organized. I had so much fun that if there is another course like this in the future then I would definitely return,” enthused Yasmeen Sullman from the States.

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For the record I have only tried making the oven dried tomatoes. *LOL* But I so did enjoy the graduation dinner and I met lots of wonderful ladies through the class.

9 comments:

Roving Soul said...

now you are defintely the most happening host with your Top Chef culinary skills! :-)

elisataufik said...

a question totally unrelated to cooking:
You wear them abayas over your normal clothes, right? Are there restrictions on what we can wear underneath? I wanted to buy some jeans but hesitated coz I wasnt sure if i'd be able to wear it much nanti..

Anonymous said...

Weyyy SF, why the photo so small one? I ni dah lama tak tengok you lah, hehe. Were you in the photo? I think so but not sure...so can you email me the photo, pretty please (if you were indeed in the pic!) Thanks muchly!

Sunfloraa said...

Nurelsa, hahaha don't know about most happening but my Malay food cooking skills is still about the same ;)

Elisa, there is no real restriction in what you wear under your abaya. Its just that sometimes if you choose the flip over top abaya, when you walk or when the wind blows, what you wear underneath shows (the latest abaya style are those with buttons in the front from top to bottom). Normally as long as you wear long pants (tutup aurat) no problems (except some small minded people). [One lady in my compound wore 3/4 pants, when the wind blew the abaya flipped open, and unfortunately for her some muttawas saw that and she got in a bit of trouble for that].

Bottomline is, its OK to wear jeans here.

However you may find that its better to buy clothes here because basically shopping is the main preoccupation, albeit a little annoying as there are no changing rooms, and during the sales in july/aug, the prices are really excellent. And you may prefer to use your luggage allowance for other luxuries (eg foodstuff or books) rather than clothes. (Just my opinion anyways.)

Hope I answered your question.

CK, LOL the picture is taken off Arab News and thats the file size I downloaded off them. I didn't take any pictures myself that night. Sorry. Whether or not I am in the picture well you'd have to use a magnifying glass won't you :)

elisataufik said...

the one in bottom row, fourth from the right looks like you.
Well, at least her smile looks like yours :)

Thanx for the tips! We'll definitely visit. Or, you can come visit us in Al-khobar whenever you go to Bahrain.

Anonymous said...

Hi CT..Congrats!!

So, when we go there, does that mean you will cook for us!! *wide grin*

How are you btw? How have you been and how was your trip? Take care!!

Leen AshBurn said...

I see you! (I borrowed Hero Malaya's super power magnaoptometric thingmajig to view the pic of course hehe)

Anonymous said...

Yeah, Elisa. The first thing I noticed was SF's smile :) Leen, can I borrow the thingamajig? Yasmin's too low-tech la, can't really see! Hmmmph!!

Kak Teh said...

Sf, sorry lama tak menjenguk. Now you must let us be the judge of yr newly acquired culinary skills!