It’s a good two years since I first interviewed Expat Kitchen boss ANNETTE LANG at the cooking school she operated from home … a very good two years. Her business has grown so well that she’s had to find bigger premises. And I’ve chosen the right day to visit: they’re cooking up an Italian storm!

Expat Kitchen is the first tenant at the newly refurbished 1930s heritage building at 9 Norris Road, one of the lanes that lead off to the right from Serangoon Road after you’ve passed Little India.

About 1,600 square metres in size, the bright, white space has oodles of character. Removing the low ceiling, Annette tells me, revealed the strip of original frosted green windowpanes that runs just below the original high ceiling; and behind the cooking dais is a foundation stone declaring: “This hall was erected in 1935 in memory of Koona Vayloo Pillay by his son V. Pakirisamy”.

I’ve timed my arrival just right. The theory part of the lesson is over and the main preparation has been done, so I can watch the show and – with a bit of luck – sample the results. Appropriately, Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons is playing in the background: perfect for soothing culinary jitters.

VM: What’s on the menu today?
AL: This is “Italian Meals with Ease”, a three-hour Intermediate-level lesson for helpers. We start the lesson with theory; take a look at the take-home notes that each student receives. Before the recipes, there’s an introduction to Italian cuisine, with some of its more popular starters, main courses and desserts. Then follows a listing of pasta sauces and their ingredients, the different varieties of pasta – all illustrated – and clear instructions on how to cook it.

Today’s menu is: bruschetta with tomato and basil; roasted pumpkin, mushroom and chicken risotto; pistachio-crusted lamb; aglio e olio (I like to call it “ugly pasta”); penne salmon with a tomato cream sauce; and mascarpone zabaglione with fresh blueberries and almond cookies.

VM: Do you still emphasise tasty meals that are also low-fat and low in salt?
AL: Yes, we do. A few years ago, I was diagnosed as having diabetes, so that aspect remains enormously important to me.

There are so many ways to substitute healthy alternatives for fat. It’s a bit more difficult with French cuisine – you know how much butter the French throw in! In our final Intermediate class, which is a fairly demanding lesson in French cuisine that includes chicken liver pâté, beef bourguignon and duck à l’orange, we do suggest ways of reducing the butter content without compromising too much on flavour and authenticity.

VM: I see you’ve got yourself some help since we last met.
AL: Yes, I have. Karen, who was at reception when you came in, looks after the admin. All bookings, invoicing and payments are done online; everything is electronic.

I currently have four trainers to help me with classes. Teaching the class right now is Rachel O’Shea. She’s a graduate from the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts, in Massachusetts. The other trainers, Nathalie Bahat, Marg  Lovse and Hagar Carr have a combined total of over 60 years’ experience in the kitchen, with influences from Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Southern USA.

But I love teaching – especially the helpers’ classes, which are the heartbeat of my business – so I still lead as many classes as I can manage.

VM: Do you have enough to keep you busy?
AL: My two young children would be enough to occupy me, even without Expat Kitchen. But having a team here frees me to market and develop the business. We have just sent out our first EDM (electronic direct mailer), and we’re cooking up all sorts of new ideas for classes.

We’ve already introduced a number of Focus Courses for Helpers – three hours of intensive cooking focused on themes such as Substantial Salads, Fat-free Feast, No-fuss Dinner, Fabulous Fish, Fussy Kids and Vegetarian, which are proving very popular.

Mr Kitchen is one of my husband’s ideas – it’s for all those men out there who can’t cook an egg. We’re planning a Beer & Barbecue class with some great marinades. Our Kids’ Classes for different age groups promise to be a lot of fun, too.  The possibilities are endless: we’ll even give classes at your home, if that’s what you prefer; or you can hire our kitchen for your private cooking event.


Testimonial
Unsolicited class-member Rosalio Dequina tells me proudly that her Swiss employer is hosting a dinner party for nine this coming Saturday, and that she herself will be cooking the meal she learnt how to cook here today.

“I love cooking,” says Rosalio. “My employer appreciates the Western food I cook for the family, but this is the first time I’ve cooked Italian food. I’m very excited about it and happy to have the opportunity to learn something new.”


www.expat-kitchen.com