Touch of class
If you like to cook, some forthcoming classes could help expand your repertoire.
At the YWCA on McDonnell Road, Central, a beginners' cake-decorating course (four sessions for $1,400) will take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays from tomorrow until September 17. There will also be a class on Japanese sukiyaki on September 17 ($175). For information, call 3476 1342.
If you're more interested in Cantonese cuisine, sign up for the class next Saturday taught by Ip Chi-cheung from Shang Palace at the Kowloon Shangri-La in Tsim Sha Tsui. Ip will demonstrate several dishes (including baked barbecued pork buns, steamed vegetarian dumplings and pan-fried beancurd skin roll with minced shrimp). Students will be taught to make steamed silver cod fish with hot-and-sour sauce and sauteed sliced lamb and spring onion in red beancurd sauce (below left). After the class, students will have lunch in Shang Palace. The class, with lunch, costs $688 plus 10 per cent. Students also have the option of visiting a wet market with the chef (additional charge $100) to learn how to pick the best ingredients. For reservations, call 2733 8762.
Over at The Peninsula hotel, Wan Kwok-chung (right) from the Verandah restaurant is teaching how to make snacks, finger foods and antipasti from September 22 to 25. Students will learn four dishes each day. The class on September 22 covers poultry and seasonal fruit (red-wine chicken wings with apricot stuffing; roast pigeon breast with goose liver and grape aspic). On September 23, they will learn about meats and mushrooms (sweetbread and chanterelle quiche with bacon; braised minced pork with basil and shiitake mushrooms). The third day covers seafood (pan-fried lobster medallions in basil butter with tomatoes; lightly smoked oysters in elderflower white wine caviar) and on September 25, the course concludes with preparing vegetables (warm potato terrine with truffles and garden greens, cheese souffle with fruit coulis and glazed figs). Each session costs $1,000, which includes lunch, and is limited to 15 students. For bookings, e-mail dining.pen@peninsula
.com or phone the food and beverage department on 2315 3142.
