Cookery Club Interviews their resident chef Zena

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Cookery Club Interviews their resident chef Zena

Zena has been in catering for well over twenty years and is mad on every aspect of food. She lives with her family in Norwich after spending a long stint as a chef in London. She has now been a cookery tutor for the last six years. One of her passions is writing and Zena has been writing a recipe column for her local paper the Eastern Daily Paper since summer 08 as well as writing recipes for local and national magazines and of course is our resident chef.

Where did you study

After leaving school I went to Norwich City College, Hotel School in England for two years and later did a Patisserie course at Westminster London. I got a distinction in my sugar work but loved the baking side of it best although the teacher was a frightmare! Luckily I studied to be a calmer tutor than him for Adult Education.

What are your favourite dishes to cook?

A lot of people ask me this but it’s like choosing your favourite child, I love them all and I love cooking everything. If I get peace I love making elaborate desserts but I’m best at main courses, old fashioned English food like slow cooked belly of pork or braised oxtails but I also love Asian foods and enjoy making Sushi and Dim Sums.

Death row – what would be your meal of choice, barring in mind the budget is a mere $25.00?

Oh, Lobsters I love em, along with Fois Gras, which is far too expensive for death row. Sweetbreads are gorgeous but I also desire scallops and king prawns – lets face it all my favourite things are too much of a treat to be eaten frugally and none of them marry very well in to the ultimate dish. So, Ill stick with the death row favourite - homemade burger dripping with sauce with a side order of fry’s, chilli coleslaw accompanied with a jug of ice-cold homemade lemonade.

What are your hobbies

I love photography, I got in to it several years ago after going on a few courses and then treated my self to anOlympus 510 with the main aim to fill the recipe sections on Cookery club with lots of glossy pictures. I’m often seen at markets and food fares taking pictures of the vegetables!!! Other than that food is my only hobby and everything related to it.

Who would you invite to your perfect dinner party

I think Steven Fry is so witty and clever he’d be a definite and he wouldn’t have far to come, along with my mum (I’m guessing I can bring people back) who was always so sociable and entertaining, Oliver Reed who would be outrageous and then get too drunk to communicate but still be charming and flirtatious. Frankie Detorie because I think he’s cute and Bette Midler for the loudness and a good old singsong at the end and I could just enjoy the whole night cooking and listening – perfect. Maybe I’ll invite Julian Clarry to do the washing up!

Worst moment

Being three weeks pregnant on my honeymoon, morning sickness kicked in on the flight and then lingered, sucking all the life from me on the cruise from Thailand to Singapore and I counted every minute of every hour of every day until I was back in my bed at home – but she was worth it!

Best Moment

Apart from getting married and doing my own catering and having my two lovely children, I was pretty euphoric when I won the chocolate Sausage Competition and won an Aga along with a years supply of Green and Blacks chocolate, I was very popular all of a sudden!

Are there any foods you really hate?

Well as a child I was extremely fussy and my brother would sweep up my plate like a dustbin cart without my mum knowing, so I always got away with it but now the only thing I really hate is egg mayonnaise, it’s like over cooked rubber eggs in a gelatinous oil based puddle and it smells – but I could still eat it in small amounts, I just wouldn’t enjoy it. I’ve eaten sheep’s testicles (not to be scoffed at!) brain fritters (a bit too squiggly), squirrel kebabs, tandoori kangaroo, shark tempura and a brain salad – although that wasn’t very nice!

What would your Superpower be

I would understand and be able to speak every language in the world – I could go anywhere and be able to communicate with everyone. That way I would always get fed!

How would you like to be remembered?

Blimey, I’ve got a while to go yet, but I would like to be remembered for my recipes and the longevity of teaching people how to cook can spread on for generations.

I met one of my students working behind the till in a shop and she said to her customer – “that lady over there taught me how to make Christmas pudding now I make them every year for my family” and long may she do so, now that recipe is hers.

O.k. we had to mention it, last of all what is so good about Cookery Club?

I worked in London as a Chef for over 10 years and collected over 600 recipes from the different restaurants I worked in, all of which are on cookery club along with 6 years of recipes from my courses as well as tons of family recipes I make at home.

When we all sat down to plan Cookery Club all those years ago we thought of every bodies needs so we have cooking for one, a family section, a children’s section with original games and colouring in as well as a picture dictionary, a chocolate section with my infamous chocolate sausage recipe, a students section with store cupboard essentials, features on health and hygiene and more, more, much more – I guess what I’m saying is there’s tons to see, to do and to cook and if that isn’t enough there’s always a quiz.

Thank you Zena, may you carry on developing recipes for Cookery Club for many a year.