As well as running Mullumbimby’s Art Piece Gallery, Verandah Magazine’s food writer, Nadine Abensur, of The Cranks Bible fame, loves to pass on her cooking skills. Her next class is on Sunday November 13.
“I was brought up with an exceptionally broad food culture that took in the cooking of Morocco and the eastern mediterranean, France, Spain, Italy and more,” says Nadine. “When I became a vegetarian, it wasn’t a great leap to turn my hand to the kitchen. (I’m now a born again meat eater but that’s another story). After having taught all over the UK and Europe, Sydney and Melbourne, I’ve been teaching in the shire for about 14 years, usually from home. I teach all sorts of classes – Asian, Italian, French, Christmas gift classes, preserves, gluten and grain free and Contemporary Middle Eastern – you will never see a falafel or a bowl of houmous in my house, that’s for sure.”
Nadine keeps the classes small. “I only take around eight to ten people,” she says. “I like my food to have high impact, so that it looks stunning without being too complicated. I enjoy flavours that are subtle, elusive yet multi-dimensional and intriguing. Rose buds and flower waters add romance and delicacy to otherwise punchy, more earthy notes. Apart from learning all sorts of new tricks and unusual, refined flavours, I find that people love to work as a team and to make new connections. I’m always touched by the warmth and humour of a group – it can get quite raucous in there. After the class we all sit down at a long table and have a well deserved feast – I work people quite hard! But you go away with a tool box that will help you add magic to your kitchen, as well as a booklet of impressive recipes that will become family favourites.”
