COOKING CLASS REVIEW - PICKLES & SPICES
Georgetown | Penang | Malaysia
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WEBSITE: www.pickles-and-spices.com WHERE: Georgetown, Penang PRICE PER PERSON: $50 USD CUISINE: Traditional Malay, Nyonya, Penang Street Food and South Indian Cuisines |
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LOCATION:
Pickles and Spices cooking classes are run in a large kitchen with excellent facilities above the Campbell Street Market in Georgetown, Penang. Being right near the market is perfect as all morning classes begin with a tour of the market for an introduction to the different ingredients and to sample some of the local foods.
Once upstairs, the kitchen is a large open space with plenty of bench room, and a shared cooking station. High quality knives and utensils are provided for all students.
The large dining area is a wonderful homey setting for groups to enjoy the delicious meals prepared by your own hard work and chat with one another after the class.
Pickles and Spices cooking classes are run in a large kitchen with excellent facilities above the Campbell Street Market in Georgetown, Penang. Being right near the market is perfect as all morning classes begin with a tour of the market for an introduction to the different ingredients and to sample some of the local foods.
Once upstairs, the kitchen is a large open space with plenty of bench room, and a shared cooking station. High quality knives and utensils are provided for all students.
The large dining area is a wonderful homey setting for groups to enjoy the delicious meals prepared by your own hard work and chat with one another after the class.
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ABOUT NAZLINA:
Nazlina is a talented and lovely Malaysian woman who has been running Pickles and Spices “Spice Station” for over 6 years. In her own words, Nazlina is “not a trained chef”, but she is an incredible cook who has learnt her skills from some of the best sources available – her mother, her culture and her time spent living abroad! Since starting Pickles and Spices Nazlina has taught her fantastic skills to TV presenters, journalists, food critics and even a Michelin Starred Chef! Her bubbly personality, perfect English and wealth of knowledge make her a wonderful teacher in the kitchen and a delightful person to chat to after class! |
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ABOUT THE CLASS:
Our morning started at 7am with a complimentary breakfast at a local restaurant where Nazlina explained a bit about the local cuisine in Malaysia and in particular in Penang. We enjoyed a delicious Roti Canai and coffee to fuel us up before strolling through the markets learning all about the local produce, traditional cooking methods and a bit of the history of the area.
We sampled some pickled fruits, which are very common in Malaysia as well as one of the most incredible taste sensations, a peanut pancake. There are a wide variety of fruits, vegetables and pre-made curry pastes all available in this fantastic local market. We even watched spring roll papers being made and fresh coconut husks being pressed to squeeze out the coconut milk!
Our morning started at 7am with a complimentary breakfast at a local restaurant where Nazlina explained a bit about the local cuisine in Malaysia and in particular in Penang. We enjoyed a delicious Roti Canai and coffee to fuel us up before strolling through the markets learning all about the local produce, traditional cooking methods and a bit of the history of the area.
We sampled some pickled fruits, which are very common in Malaysia as well as one of the most incredible taste sensations, a peanut pancake. There are a wide variety of fruits, vegetables and pre-made curry pastes all available in this fantastic local market. We even watched spring roll papers being made and fresh coconut husks being pressed to squeeze out the coconut milk!
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After an hour scouring the markets for everything weird and wonderful, we headed back to the kitchen to start the real work.
While the classes are organized with a set menu as displayed on the Pickles and Spices website, Nazlina is open to suggestions or changes based on the groups preferences. During the class I participated in, we cooked the following: - Roti Canai mixed, kneaded, flipped and fried from scratch - Chicken korma - Lentil Dahl - Pickled Onions - Matharba |
Photo: Delicious Matharba - a spiced chicken pattie pan-fried then wrapped in Roti Canai!
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We spent three hours kneading dough, pounding spices and frying coconut to create some of the most wonderful aromas I have ever contributed to! Each time we lifted the lid on a saucepan, an incredible smell escaped tempting us to speed up our cooking so we could move onto the eating!
All tasks were split up amongst the group, however each person took turns in kneading and flipping roti canai as this is a very specific skill that, as I learned, definitely comes with LOTS of practice! All classes have a maximum group size of 12 people which maintains a good learning environment and allows all students to participate in the preparation and cooking.
After 3 hours of cooking, our delicious food was finally dished up, garnished and ready to be devoured.
There was easily enough food for twice as many people but we all enjoyed the foods of our labour and oohed and ahhed our way through as much delicious food as we could possibly stomach.
All tasks were split up amongst the group, however each person took turns in kneading and flipping roti canai as this is a very specific skill that, as I learned, definitely comes with LOTS of practice! All classes have a maximum group size of 12 people which maintains a good learning environment and allows all students to participate in the preparation and cooking.
After 3 hours of cooking, our delicious food was finally dished up, garnished and ready to be devoured.
There was easily enough food for twice as many people but we all enjoyed the foods of our labour and oohed and ahhed our way through as much delicious food as we could possibly stomach.
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OVERALL:
Nazlina’s cooking classes are professionally run with high quality food and unique yet traditional recipes. The food was delicious with all the typically delicious spices and flavours of Malaysia. Nazlina is an excellent cook and was able to explain all the small details such as how a spice should smell while roasting or how long to pound spices in the mortar and pestle. Her knowledge and understanding of the cuisine gave you confidence that you would be able to recreate the meals from Nazlina’s cookbook at home in the future. The class was great value, good fun and run by a passionate and knowledgeable cook. I highly recommend Pickles and Spices cooking class by Nazlina! |
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