When I first hatched the crazy idea of hosting cooking classes out of my home kitchen, I had no inkling whether hands-on lessons would appeal to my students. Or who these potential “students” were likely to be. At the time, most cooking schools taught demonstration-style but I wanted to offer a much more interactive experience. But would people be prepared to get their hands dirty, fumble their way around an unfamiliar kitchen and cook among strangers?

I reckoned there was only one way to find out. So I begged friends and friends of friends, to let me teach them how to make nasi kerabu, ayam percik and kerabu pucuk paku - for free. All they had to do was answer my simple questionnaire: did they like the class format and would they part with hard earned money for it?

Even then, I was convinced that doing, as opposed to watching someone else doing, was the best way to learn. How else could you tell what texture to aim for, or how something smells when it’s done?

Six years later and I am still teaching eager students the best way to shred herbs for nasi kerabu (roll into a tight “cigar” and use a very, very sharp knife) and how to make perfectly, easy ayam percik (simmer chicken in gravy until it is cooked through and then brown under a hot grill). Since then, the class themes have widened to include everything from bread making to quick cook meals. And through the classes, I’ve met an amazing number of nice people - so maybe, it wasn’t such a crazy idea after all…