Tired of the daily trudge to Pret? Disillusioned with last night’s congealed curry? Injecting novelty into the midday munch al desko is an endless challenge. Discovering a Thai cooking class that allows you to cook, eat and run back to the office all in the space of an hour seemed too good to be true. Would it transform my lacklustre leftovers or have me reaching for the Rennies? I slipped away from my desk on Thursday to find out.
With disturbing memories of home economics class disasters flashing before me, I walk into the L’atelier des Chefs Thai cooking class with some trepidation. Met by a leaving party of fourteen co-workers from Mintel, we exchange nervous smiles before the class begins bang on 1.00pm.
Office Breaks
Following a brief run-down of the day’s tasks by our charismatic teacher, Dahlia, our Pad Thai preparations begin. Feeling horribly self-conscious, we each struggle to perform even the most basic of tasks. Finally overcoming our initial awkwardness, a whirlwind of chopping, grinding and grating gets underway. Encouraged to use brute force during my garlic crushing, I discover the perfect office stress reliever. As the exotic scent of grated lime and chopped coriander fills the air, I’m transported far from the grey skies of East London to the bustling street markets of Thailand.
Ingredients finally assembled, we grab our bowls and head over to the stoves. With the tedious task of noodle preparation and chicken chopping taken care of, we’re left with the fun bit of mixing it all together. A sudden splash of shrimp sauce adds a pungent aroma to the proceedings as wafts of steam rise up from the woks. In between the splashing, stirring and sampling, Dahlia feeds us fascinating tips such as where to buy superior noodles at a fraction of the normal cost and why you should never add garlic before the chicken. With the clock ticking, we race to add the chopped nuts and spring onions before the concoction is ladled into bowls and placed on the table at 1.40pm sharp.
Tasting the sweet thrill of success, there’s a real sense of team spirit around the table. Delving into my bowl, the salty tang of the noodles combined with the spicy zing of the chicken tantalises my taste buds. It’s so much perkier than the bland supermarket sauces that normally slop around my plate in the manner of an oil slick.
As an added bonus, the meal includes a dessert thrown in for free. By 2.00pm, I’m ready to race back to the office and manage to slide back behind my desk in King’s Cross by 2.15pm. Glancing around at the trance-like figures munching on posh cheese and pickle, I know exactly what I’m going to suggest for our next team away day.
The Thai cooking lesson was provided free of charge by L’atelier des Chefs.
My worst experience was making toad in the hole at school. A stodgy mess that even the dog refused to eat – the ultimate insult!
imagine your first time cooking Xmas dinner all the guests are waiting with aniticpation, you’ve purchased a turkey tray not quite big enough which then gives way and the turkey goes whizzing across the floor and into the living room where all the guests are sitting including the dog which promptly starts eating it, arrrghhh I ‘m cringing at the thought!
i wanted to try to make a stroganoff, but I used port, that happened to be slightly off, and my (ex) husband was violently ill. ah well