Pint-sized chefs cook up a storm

Briony Kidd ,  The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Sun, 05/18/2008 10:48 AM  |  Lifestyle

(JP/Briony Kidd)

A group of Jakarta children experienced their first taste of gourmet cooking last Sunday at Hotel Mulia, Senayan.

The hotel runs an annual Mother's Day event "Cooking for Mom", in which, for a fee, the participants get a chance to prepare treats for mom's special day.

The budding young chefs received a few basic lessons in cake decoration and presentation.

The children were taught by the Mulia's pastry chef, Chef Tam Yu Hing, who instructed them in the art of knowing when too much is enough. "Think about what you would like on your cake," he said, "You don't necessarily put all your chocolate on the cake!"

Other advice: "No, don't eat it! I know it looks yummy, but don't eat it now!". A difficult task, but those present heroically resisted temptation. Well, mostly.

Resplendent with brightly colored sugar flowers and baubles, the cakes were boxed up for the children to take home and share with their families.

(JP/Briony Kidd)

Next up, plate decorating. Exotic garnishes such as pistachio nuts, sour cherry and biscotti were just some of the choices on offer. (Don't feel bad if your child's idea of what to put on a cake is marshmallows and jellybeans, every child develops at a different rate!)

Some of the junior gourmands, perhaps not fully grasping the finer points of esthetics, seemed more interested in taking on and off their food-handling gloves or rearranging their neighbor's chef's hat.

Yet, they all did surprisingly well with the rather delicate operation.

A couple of 5-year-olds could be observed soberly discussing the placement of two strawberries, as Chef Tam Yu Hing instructed their classmates on making patterns with berry coulis.

"Put some dots there! Big, small and small, small and very small!". Complicated stuff indeed, and the children's efforts were impressive.

The finished plates were refrigerated to reappear later at Il Mare, the hotel's Italian restaurant, for those parents with bookings for a Mother's Day dinner.

The final activity offered more immediate gratification: making a milkshake each, chocolate or strawberry. And then drinking it!

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