Studio Masak caters to building chefs

Studio Masak caters to building chefs

By Izabel Deuff

JAKARTA (JP): Love comes from the stomach, so locals say. You
may take the one you love to eat out at a posh restaurant to show
your love, but that's not what the adage really means. Serve the
dishes that you make yourself and in return you will get love.

This philosophy to get one's attention and affection through
good food is not taught at the Hilton's Cooking Class. What is
clear is that the program is aimed at teaching people how to cook
different kinds of food, including Indonesian dishes, that is
served in five-star hotels.

The Jakarta Hilton International has organized cooking courses
for about one year, but it was only eight months ago that the
hotel set up its Studio Masak (Cooking Studio), according to
Alexandra Sutopo, the Hilton's food and beverage activities
coordinator.

The cooking studio is a small restaurant housing a kitchen and
two TV sets with video cameras focusing on the preparation.

On Aug. 11, in conjunction with Independence Day on Aug. 17,
Rudolf Suharto, sous-chef at the Jakarta Hilton International,
opted for traditional Indonesian dishes.

Helped by two assistants, he started the lesson with karedok,
a spicy vegetable-based salad. The sound of the pestle grinding
chilies and peanuts in the saucer-like stone mortar could be
heard. Crushing the spices gently but strongly, the chef, who has
worked in the Hilton kitchens for more than 10 years, displayed
his skill.

After karedok came the main course, rendang ayam a la Padang
(Padang spicy chicken in coconut milk) and bika Ambon, a cake
flavored with lime leaves, lemon grass and turmeric.

Studio Masak was filled with the sweet fragrance of coconut
milk, cooked shallots and garlic used for this main course.

"(In one lesson), there are only three dishes otherwise the
students will forget the recipes," explained Alexandra.

In some lessons, depending on the meal, the public is asked to
participate and to elaborate on a dish. But Nieke P. Handayani,
the public relations officer said: "Usually, people prefer to
watch and take notes."

Alexandra added that the cooking lesson was meant to be more
than a demonstration. "People can cook on their own and the cook
gives them some advice."

Cooking lessons are also offered in other Hilton hotels. She
said that in Bali, the Hilton once organized a cooking class that
lasted for a week. "Everybody had to cook, go shopping to find
the ingredients. But in Jakarta it would be difficult (to do
so)."

Jakarta Hilton offers cooking classes on the second and fourth
Tuesday of each month. Participants range from five to 30 people.
Half of them are usually foreigners. Most are middle aged
housewives or grandmothers. Only a few men have attended. Indeed,
courses begin at 10 a.m. at the Executive Club and this schedule
makes it difficult for working people to attend.

On that day, six women took the class.

One of them, Kristine Dermaut, a Belgium housewife, said she
really enjoyed the cooking class. She had taken the class before
and planned to join the next session.

"I will try cooking the dishes I like but the main difficulty
is sometimes to find all the ingredients required in the recipe
and to be able to buy them in small quantity," she said.

The class was invited to have lunch at the end of the lesson
and to taste the dishes cooked in the class.

The cake called bika ambon was appreciated, but the chicken
dish from Padang was praised more.

If you want to taste this nice dish, here is the recipe:

Rendang Ayam a la Padang:

Ingredients:

Ginger - 20 grams

Turmeric - 10 grams

Garlic - 10 grams

Shallots - 70 grams

Lime leaves - 2 pieces

Galingale - 15 grams

Cardamom - 5 grams

Dried tamarind - 5 grams

Cooking oil - 40 ml

Grind spices into a smooth paste and fry in oil.

Lemon Grass - 1 piece

Turmeric leaves - 1/2 piece

Coconut milk - 400 ml

Grounded red chilies - to taste

Add turmeric leaf and lemon grass to this mixture. Add mixture
to coconut milk. Boil for 5 to 10 minutes until quantity is
reduced. Add grounded red chilies to taste.

Whole Chicken - 1

Cut chicken into small pieces and add to coconut mixture. Cook
on low heat. Remove meat when cooked and put aside. Continue
cooking coconut mixture until it becomes brown and thick. Add
chicken and stir well.

The Hilton sets rates for each class depending on the dishes
to be cooked.

The next class on Aug. 25 is on Japanese cooking and costs Rp
85,000. A special petits fours cooking class about French pastry
is scheduled for Sept. 8 and costs Rp 65,000.