Master Cooking Class With Celebrity Chef Anna Olson
When I was in secondary school, I had a choice to attend home ed (learn to cook) or take technical studies (learn to use tools). I chose the latter. Food and I have a very practical relationship. We co-exist. Period.
But after my afternoon with Master chef Anna Olson, something shifted. To explain that, let me first share my experience in a Master cooking class.
When I accepted the invitation to meet Anna Olson, I had no idea that I would also meet local celebrity and Food Hero winner Sarah Benjamin, a familiar face on Asian Food Channel (AFC), OR that I will be attending a Three-Course Masterclass Demo (2-3 hours). With Anna Olson!!
I thought SHE would cook and I would eat!
Duh me!
Anna is well-known for her baking dishes. Today, she launches her Asian tour to promote her new television series Inspired with Anna Olson where she takes her inspirations from the dishes she tasted during her previous travels to Asian countries like Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Vietnam. This time, she puts her Anna-Inspired twist on classic Asian dishes like Singapore’s carrot cake and Malaysia’s Nasi-lemak.
In the Masterclass, Anna first demonstrate each dish and then had us try cooking them. She was as warm and fun in person as she is on TV. When she dropped a small glass bowl into the mixer, she was unfazed by the minor mishap and instead deflected it with a great sense of humour. She was funny, kind and encouraging to her students. The instructions to her preparation were easy to understand and follow.
Here is the menu to Anna Olson’s inspired starter, main and dessert. If you are keen to try out these dishes, click on the pictures and links for the recipes and instructions…
Starter: “Inspired” Beef Carpaccio with Pho Flavours (Vietnam)
For those of you who are vegetarians, here is Anna’s vegetarian interpretation — Beet & Grapefruit Salad.
Main: Shrimp & Coconut Risotto With Pickled Jalapeno (Malaysia).
Dessert: Steamed Carrot Cake With Sweet Potato Ice Cream (Singapore & Philippines)
What a FUN, FUN day!!
I have never been one to pay much attention to cooking or have any inclination to spend time in the kitchen, but I had a BALL OF A TIME with Anna Olson that afternoon!
Anna reinforced my belief that a good teacher makes the world of a difference in enhancing the learning and motivation of her student. I felt empowered that I COULD actually produce such gourmet meals and walked away with a sense of inspired motivation to cook better dishes for my family.
Thank you Asian Food Channel (AFC) for your kind invitation.

Catch Anna Olson in Action!
Tune-in to Anna’s new show, Inspired with Anna Olson which premieres on Friday, 29 July @ 9pm on Asian Food Channel (Starhub Ch435).

All photos without Universal Scribbles watermark are provided courtesy of Asian Food Channel.
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Related Posts:
- Master Cooking Class With Anna Olson
- Shrimp & Coconut Risotto With Pickled Jalapeno
- Beef Carpaccio with Pho Flavours
- Steamed Carrot Cake with Sweet Potato Ice Cream
Till our next post, love yourself, love one another.