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.