Celebrating Mothers with a Tunisian Cooking Class
In time for Mother’s Day on 8 May 2016, Club Yummy Mommy invites mothers and mothers-to-be to join its social group that gives them access to a year full of exciting and fun social events. The club provides supportive community for mothers either through a direct conversation or simply by observing how other mothers nurture their children.
One particular activity that may interest mothers is the Tunisian cooking class by an actual Tunisian lady, Arwa Mehrez. Mothers can expect to pick up new kitchen skills and recipes during the intimate class set in the chef’s private home so that mothers can witness the expert in the heat of the action. Besides learning about the taste of Tunisia, Arwa also helps mothers understand her homeland with a clear perspective.
During the recent introductory class to Club Yummy Mommy members, she taught the participants how to prepare several signature Tunisian dishes such as tuna tajine (baked casserole), slata mishwiyya (grilled salad), fish soup and of course, the crowd’s favourite snack called brik, which is a crispy fried malsouqa pastry with savoury filling made from egg, olive oil, parsley and tuna.
However, compared to the other North African cuisines, Tunisian food tastes significantly spicier. Its integral ingredients include harissa (red chilli paste), cumin, olive oil, and plenty of seafood thanks to its long coastline and numerous fishing ports. Interestingly, there used to be a belief that a husband can judge his wife’s affection by the amount of hot pepper she uses when preparing his food. If the food tasted bland, then the man might believe that his wife no longer loves him.
But the real secret behind these delectable Tunisian dishes lies in the seasoning ingredients – a lot of herbs and spices with little less salt and sugar – which makes them ideal for people who have diabetes, want to lose weight or just want to start eating healthier. And the food was indeed flavourful.
“The preparation for Tunisian food is simple, yet it doesn’t necessarily mean it is plain. Each dish is vibrant, hearty and packed with intense flavours,” said Arwa.
Located in the northernmost country in Africa, Tunisia borders with Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. The culture, including food, got closely tied to Southwestern Asia and Europe than Sub-Saharan Africa due to its relations to seafaring civilisations like the Phoenicians, Romans, Vandals, Arabs, Spaniards, Turks and the French.
The participation fee for the Tunisian cooking class is RM75 per person. To learn more about the activities organised by the Club Yummy Mommy, please contact Ms. Shantee Muzaffar at +6 017 855 0208 or shantisetyaningrum@gmail.com or visit Facebook: Club Yummy Mommy.
About The Author
Officially a Deputy Editor with over 10 years in travel media. Unofficially? A professional suitcase overpacker with a knack for turning chance encounters and itineraries into vivid, story-driven features. When not fine-tuning articles, she's likely front row at a concert, taste-testing something spicy, or deep in a conversation that veered wonderfully off-topic.
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