Cooking Classes Around the World (Day 282)
We took cooking classes in each of the 12 countries we visited. Combining family fun, learning about local culture, and a (sneaky) way to encourage kids to try new food -- they were a highlight of the trip!
We loved them so much, we often did more than one, so we probably did 30 over the year. It was one of the benefits of traveling at the speed of a 5-year-old: we had so much time to do whatever seemed like fun that day.
We found cooking class opportunities all over. One was in a rickety building down a dark alley in old Chiang Mai. Another was at a roadside stand in Bagan, where they did not have a stove, so we cooked over a charcoal grill. Other times, we found someone who could come to our AirBNB, or we convinced a hotel to let us cook in their kitchen.
By the end of the trip, we had amassed enough new recipes for a cookbook, and we have some new family favorites too!
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We started the trip in Greece, and we loved the food there. We had so much fun with out first cooking class in Athens with Gigi. Our favorites were loukoumades (Greek fried donuts) and saganaki cheese!
In Rwanda, we made a traditional stew and the most delicious focaccia I have ever had. Who would have guessed? We also made cookies outdoors.
One of our early cooking lessons involved a young chef (clearly not a parent) handing Hazel a huge, razor sharp knife -- and telling her to cut a plantain with it! Thankfully, all fingers remained intact.
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In Kenya, we cooked in a charcoal oven -- quite a challenge with baking, as it is not clear what the temperature is. Still, the food turned out beautifully!
In Madagascar, we learned all about Malagasy cooking including Bonbon Coco (coconut candy) and stuffed Pakopako (bread pocket filled with lentils).
In South Africa, the kids loved our Braai. It is sort of like a BBQ meets Thanksgiving - cooking a TON of food over a grill !
One cool thing was baking fresh bread on a stick on the grill.
But the best part was the South African version of S’mores! It was like a toasted sandwich of Nutella, marshmallows and M+M’s !
In the United Arab Emirates, we made Umm Ali (Arab bread pudding) and a Middle Eastern stew.
In Australia, we loved homemade lamb and filo parcels.
But Hazel did not love the Vegemite!
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Cooking in Myanmar was a special treat. We shopped for all the ingredients in the local market. This was a great example of our educational goal of taking the kids to grocery stores in each country. This was such a different “grocery store” experience!
We cooked in an open-air kitchen. Most of the cooking was done over a fire -- including tempura! We also prepared delicious dishes with fermented tea leaves. At one point, Hazel used a tank of propane and a wok to make ‘Burmese Chocolate,’ which was a delicious peanut candy.
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Thailand! We had been looking forward to the food there more than anywhere else on the trip, and it did not disappoint. Thailand took the record for country with the most cooking classes. I think we did 6!
Our most unusual cooking class in Thailand was a lesson in the art of vegetable carving. You can see our handiwork below. I excitedly bought the special knife to carve vegetables, but, now that we are home, I have not managed to pull it out of its box and use it. There still could be tomato florets in my future!
But the main event was learning so many amazing Thai dishes. We learned how to make lots of Thai curries: green, yellow, red, massaman, and even jungle curry! We made Pad Thai, Larb Gai (chicken salad) and much more.
Hugh really enjoyed working with Butterfly Pea Flowers. You can use the blossoms of this wildflower to make a delicious tea that has a beautiful blue color. And you can also use the tea to turn rice blue. Here is a mango sticky rice (desert) we made with blue rice!
The kids loved it so much, we planted some Butterfly Pea Flower seeds in our garden this summer. They didn’t grow in our climate, but we did find some dried Butterfly Pea Flower tea on Amazon…
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Our theme of outdoor cooking continued in Laos. We spent time at an open-air cooking school in the jungle. Once again, we prepared everything over charcoal fires.
We learned that in Laos, a “pinch” of salt is actually three pinches. We were also told that after someone is married, Lao culture encourages you to get fat. Being fat is viewed as a sign of wealth, and we were told that it is a great compliment to greet someone by saying, “You look so fat!”
We made lemongrass baskets stuffed with chicken, cooked with kaffir limes, and learned a lot about sticky rice !
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Finally, in New Zealand, after the country emerged from lockdown, we had a chef come and give us some lessons. We made spectacular bread and homemade chocolate
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Cooking our way around the World was really memorable. It also made us all better chefs, especially Hazel, who started cooking regularly this summer. She has an innate ability (which her mother does not have) to taste a recipe and know what is missing. It was a wonderful addition to all our adventures and a tradition we will continue as whenever we travel.
As for our picky eaters, they tried all the new food. Some were winners… and some not so much!
