EAT || Adam Liaw’s Asian Cookery School
Photos by La Tessa Photography, Lettering cards by The Articulate
Recently we were fortunate enough to be schooled
by the Masterchef Adam Liaw himself as he fine-tuned our perceptions and skills
on Asian cooking. Thanks to our incredible hosts at Williams-Sonoma, Bondi
Junction, Adam took us through the foundations and simplicity of Asian home
cooking which forms the backbone of his recent book release “Adam Liaw’s Asian
Cookery School”.
In a room filled with cherry blossoms by the
talented Holly Hipwell of The Flowerdrum, Adam stepped up to the plate and re-educated
us on Asian flavours, seasoning and techniques. After a demonstration from Adam
and a brief lesson in learning the secrets behind retaining and balancing
flavours, we all got our hands messy
and cooked up three recipes from his book:
spinach in a sesame dressing, steamed ginger chicken and the infamous rice
paper roll, which were shared and very
much enjoyed during a long lunch.
For Adam Liaw, food is more than just about
produce, it’s a combination of culture, experience, flavours and texture. The recipes within his book are personal; they
each carry a story or memory and have unique tips and tricks included which
have been passed down from generations of cooking with friends and family. The
ingredients lists aren’t lengthy (tick) and they generally take less than 20
minutes cooking time (big tick!). Most
importantly though, they’re designed to be a shared meal made up of multiple
dishes with balancing flavours anchored with a big pot of rice.
Sure,
there are a multitude of Asian restaurants and takeaway shops sprawled
throughout the city, but true, simple and authentic, home - style Asian food is
what Adam wants us all to be able to celebrate, create, enjoy and share all
within the comfort of our own home- just as Adam would.
His cookbook walks you through everything
from types of produce and preparation, flavours, textures, the tools of the
trade and even how to design your meals. The book is bursting with flavoursome
recipes that will seriously wow your audience! “Adam Liaw’s Cookery School” is
the ultimate guidebook to Asian food and I highly recommend getting your hands
on a copy and give it a try for yourself- you too can cook like a Masterchef!