Culinary concupiscence
When she donned an apron to attend her first cooking class,
Rehab Saad hadn't suspected that a principal chore of her life could be turned into pure creative pleasure
It seemed miraculous. You mix sugar into cream cheese, you add eggs and a pinch of vanilla. Then you pour the paste into a crust made out of digestive biscuits and butter -- by now you already have that ready -- and place the resulting concoction in the oven for 45 minutes. After letting it cool down, all you have to do is place it in the fridge overnight, and the next morning, lo and behold, you have a cheese cake before you.
Cheese cake: I swooned repeatedly as I decorated my art work with slices of kiwi and mango, mouthing the two words the while. Nor was I disappointed on finally tasting it -- it was far, far better than the vast majority of what Cairo's top-notch restaurants had to offer, believe it or not. Lighter and less fatty as well as tastier -- pure delight.
It was almost an epiphany, for the cheese cake was pretty much my first foray into the world of desserts, something I had consistently shied away from, daunted not only by how difficult I imagined they would be but by the false belief that, while there are meals that can be made to perfection at home (traditional Egyptian dishes, for example), others (quiches, elaborate cakes, pizzas) are really the forte of professional cooks and, if they are to be appreciated at all, should be sought out in expensive restaurants.
It is thanks to Dina Sarhan's cooking school -- the first such establishment in Egypt, at which I attended a bakery and dessert-making course two months ago -- that such misconceptions have been decisively allayed. Founded by Sarhan in 2001, the school is intended for those who seek to improve their culinary epistemology as a way of improving their lives. No joke, either: I am re- born. Nor did I have any doubts about the quality of the knowledge that would be imparted to me as I embarked on my re- education, because the school I was joining is part of a much larger institution -- Dina Sarhan Culinary Solutions Inc, no less -- which offers cuisine consulting and training for the tertiary sector as well.
I did not join out of ignorance of the kitchen, a place I've grown accustomed to through years of marriage and motherhood (let us not get into that). I just wanted to improve my performance sufficiently to persuade my children that home-made food could actually be as exciting as junk food; it is both healthier and less expensive, no?
Most of my classmates, in fact, turned out to be similarly driven. They were familiar enough with cooking as a chore, what they wanted to learn was how to turn it into an art and a pleasure. Samira Mansour, for example, a housewife, planned to undertake a comparative study, balancing what she already knew against tips and techniques to be acquired; she also wanted to find out what constitutes a healthy diet. Caroline Sobhi, on the other hand, was intent on specialising in certain -- difficult -- recipes. Her point is that, while books, television programmes and family consultations do provide information, they tell you little about how to make "the things you eat in restaurants -- special things".
Recipes alone are not enough -- this is probably Sarhan's most important message -- for it is technique and skill that make all the difference: measurements, hygiene, utensils... My own most valuable lesson concerns precisely this: using the right things, the right measurement cup, the right spatula, the right oven temperature, a pan or skillet of the right shape and size. Dealing with sweets, especially, one has to be extremely precise. It is like chemistry: make a slight wrong move and you could cause an explosion; if you over- or under-bake by half a degree, you ruin the taste completely. Butter and eggs have to be kept at room temperature; cocoa powder must be of the best quality, unsweetened; yeast should be dissolved in tepid water (never too hot or too cold) before being added to flour.
All such information is imparted in the deluxe cooking quarters of the Sarhan school in Heliopolis. Courses are given in four-class units, each lasting three and a half hours, with the number of students never exceeding 10; but the package comes with a somewhat hefty price. It should be taken into account that cooking itself is but a link in a long chain of invaluable techniques: how to use the minimum number of utensils, how to optimise time management, how to keep it clean. "You don't have to spend the whole day in the kitchen." Thus the guru. "It is perfectly possible to produce a three-course menu in half an hour" -- with minimal hassle, too, one might safely add.
Course topics range from Mediterranean cuisine to Chinese and South East Asian cooking, from seafood and pasta to brunch menus, chocolates, low-fat cooking, children's meals... Nor is it a woman-dominated environment. "The passion for food is unrelated to gender," Sarhan reassures. "I've had male students in their 20s and 30s, I once had a 70-year-old man. I also have couples who join a course together. Men usually ask different questions, though," she comments. "While women tend to concentrate on the minor details, men are by and large more practical -- they don't bother with small things. This gives rise to wonderful discussions in which everyone benefits to the utmost."
Surprisingly, the guru herself is not originally a chef, not even a graduate of the Faculty of Home Economics -- where a formal education in cooking is normally acquired in Egypt -- but comes to the art of eating from the engineering industry.
A graduate of the American University in Cairo, her career path shifted following her marriage -- she accompanied her husband to Sydney, Australia. "As a newly wed I wanted to cook my own food, and in Sydney I used to buy cookery books and watch cooking programmes. I tried my hand in a number of areas," she recalls, "and soon realised that this was a very attractive activity." Within a year Sarhan was resolved to change her life, and she started studying catering and business at the prestigious TAFE Institute, an affiliate of Cordon Bleu in France, for two years. This she followed up with extensive training at both the back and front of the house -- cook-speak for the home kitchen and the service industry, respectively.
On returning to Egypt in 1997 she felt she could fill a major gap in available educational facilities, and she started her business on a small scale at home. "I wanted to test the idea first," she says, "so I held courses at home with a maximum of three students and sessions ranging from two to two and half hours." Her interest in providing professionals with courses arose out of her feeling that there was a similar lack in that field too: that is how she became a consultant, helping companies with menu planning, quality control and marketing. And that is how Dina Sarhan Culinary Solutions Inc was born.
The school is so successful its activities have tipped over into a variety of media and so you can benefit from Sarhan's expertise through Asrar Al- Tabkh -- Maa Dina (The Secrets of Cooking, with Dina), a Channel Two programme launched during last Ramadan; a website and magazine are also in the pipeline. "I want to reach out to everyone," Sarhan insists. "I want everyone to realise how fun cooking can be and to love their own kitchens."
Well, Guru, you have reached out to me: I shall never forget the sight of that chocolate pistachio biscotti you presented to my class in a gleaming white dish that brought out the beauty of its deep brown. It appealed not only to the palate but to the eye -- and the soul.
The guru's tips for a healthier diet:
- Grill, steam, stir-fry or roast.
- Choose non-stick pans, steamers and griddles.
- Eat less meat, cream, cheese, processed foods and baked goods. Instead stock up on fish, yoghurt, fresh fruits and vegetables.
- Maintain a balanced, adventurous diet: introduce a new fruit or vegetable into your diet weekly.
- Keep a food diary: it helps you keep track of what you eat and eliminate unhealthy habits.
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