Quay Po Cooks: Karamvi Godrei

Showing posts with label Karamvi Godrei. Show all posts

Monday, April 30, 2012

I got mail

Ever since my son, Nick left college, I haven't had the occasion to visit a campus. Last month I received an email from Samantha Mah of Taylor’s University, Lakeside Campus, inviting me to attend a pastry class at the college. I accepted the invitation because I knew that Taylor's University has an extensiive culinary course for aspiring chefs. I had no idea where Taylor’s Lakeside Campus was so I sent a text to my son’s girlfriend asking for directions as she is a graduate from there. With her help I found the place with no problem and arrived at 9.15am. The class started at 9.30am. I was greeted by Samantha’s colleague, Sharon and she led me to the classroom. I met Chef Karamvi Godrei who conducted the class. Before the class started, Sharon briefed me that I am not allowed to share the recipes that I would learn that day. I was very disappointed, aren't you? OOPS! So what am I going to share with you today? Well, just some photos I guess.

everything you need to make a strawberry shortcake

Strawberry shortcake that I made. There should be three layers but mine only two layers

because I overfold the batter.

everything you need to make a black forest cake

The Black forest cake that I made

everything you need to make a creme caramel

The creme caramel I made

The tired "me" and my two cakes LOL!

The overall experience attending the class conducted by Chef Karamvi Godrei was pleasant and his style of teaching is clear and simple to follow.

The classroom

Chef Karamvi Godrei and Quay Po

Here are the tips he stressed about making genoise sponge:

1)) Whisk eggs and sugar till "ribbon stage" before adding flour.

2) Sift flour over batter.

3) Do not overfold or overmix the batter
4) Do not apply too thick frosting
5) When using gelatin, always "bloom it" (let it soak in water for 15 mins) first.

For those who are interested in taking a baking course at Taylor's, you may email Samantha at PhuiSan.Mah@taylors.edu.my or click on the photo below to contact them through their facebook account. Weekend courses and single courses are avaiable for anyone wanting to brush up their skills and knowledge and learn from professionals.

A LITTLE ABOUT THIS QUAY PO

Before I was married to my "Quay Lo" (Guaylo) husband, I did not know how to bake or cook. Subsequently I learned some baking and cooking Western cuisine from him, and providing his food for him launched an interest in cooking in general. Many of my Chinese friends and family told me that "Quay" is the wrong spelling for devil in Cantonese. The right spelling should be "Kwai" or "Guay". Well, somehow I like the spelling "Quay" better although I have to agree that it does not sound very Cantonese. Try asking a Westerner to pronounce "Kwai" and you will probably hear "Quay" haha. Whether is "Quay" or "Kwai" or "Guay, just know the devil woman is me when you see Quay Po Cooks. My hubby said if people pronounce "Quay" as "Key" is even better because I am the key to his heart. LOL!

Only now, have I started to learn the traditional Cantonese cuisine of my Mum. She cooks fabulously and all her specialties are divine. These two interests, my husband's Western food, and my mother's traditional food, prompted me to document them so they will not be lost.

Here, I wish to share my cooking and baking experience with my readers. I also hope to inspire those who do not know how to cook or bake to do so because, trust me, if I can, you can too.

Something I'd like to mention is that I find that many people are rather unwilling to share their recipes. However, for me, I think differently. I think good recipes should be shared thus allowing as many people to enjoy it as possible. Unless those recipes are for doing business, I don't see why we want to keep them all to ourselves. So if you are generous in sharing your recipes, you are welcome to share on my blog. Send the recipes to me and better still with pictures of the final products and I will be very happy to post them them with credits to you of course.

Our cuisine is a deeply embedded part of our culture. When two cultures come together under the same roof the results in the kitchen can sometimes be comedic, sometimes confrontational, but more often it is a journey full of surprises and discovery. There is joy in our food. If we think upon this, it is intuitively obvious. This blog is a journey of joy and sharing, reflecting what the French like to call "joie de vivre" (joy of living). No one could be more different from one another then my husband and my mother. Yet one thing they share in common is knowing intuitively that food, cooking, and sharing can be avenues of joy in life itself. So herein, help yourself, to a little joy and , if you like it, share it with your own family and friends. Joy is something that should be shared.