Making the menu multi-cultural
THE students clapped, cheered and whistled when Aliona McKinnon from Ukraine, Bright (Yu Long Bao) from LiaoNing Province, China, and Agnes Stawosz from Krakow, Poland, finished their command performance at the cookery school.
We always have a very cosmopolitan group, and the January course was no exception.
Seven nationalities were represented so there was a lively interchange of culture and ideas.
Some students are total beginners when they come to the school, others already cook well and are particularly knowledgeable about their own cuisine but unfamiliar with ours.
When one is away from home for a period of time, one craves comforting and familiar food.
Our foreign students seek out ingredients from their homeland and cook us lots of delicious dishes, and the other students are curious to learn their secrets.
So I asked them to demonstrate some of their specialities to the other students and teachers.
Aliona was born in Uzbekistan and later moved to the Ukraine so she has memories of both cuisines.
She demonstrated a variety of family dishes from both countries and a delicious carrot salad, which her Korean aunt taught her to make when she was a child.
Bright comes from China, and is also passionate about food. He delighted his fellow students with his friendly banter as he cooked.
Agnes, who comes from Poland, is also a natural cook and teacher and her food was utterly delicious.
It's such a joy to see the students demonstrate so confidently.
"By your pupils you'll be taught" - and I greatly enjoyed it too.
