Gonubie foodie shares her love of cooking

Younger generation taught the art of preparing tasty meals

Gonubie resident Roxy du Plooy has always found the kitchen to be her happy place.

Endeavouring to share that happiness, the self-confessed foodie has started offering cooking classes to youngsters.

“The kitchen has always been a happy place for me so I’m just trying to share that joy and teach a couple skills while we’re at it,” Du Plooy said.

Kicking of with a “trial” class in May, Du Plooy established The Kitchen Cook SA a few months later and now offers cooking classes for children aged 10 to 18 on Friday afternoons and Saturdays out of her Gonubie home’s kitchen.

“Early in May I had rounded up a couple of youngsters, along with my two daughters to trial the idea of doing cooking classes in my kitchen, and to see if the space would allow it.

“It was more fun than I imagined it could be. A couple months later, some planning and learning and putting my dream down on paper, I held my first official class mid-August,” Du Plooy said.

She said the idea was inspired after chatting to her daughters’ teacher about extramural activities.

“Our girls are in a tutor centre and their teacher and I were thinking of ways to get our children involved in meeting other children, learning something, doing more than being stuck behind a screen on weekends, and I thought about how much I enjoy being in the kitchen, why not share that love of food with our children?”

Though teaching youngsters to make a meal or dish is the main goal of Du Plooy’s classes, she adds an element of practicality or skill to each of her lessons.

“Every two weeks or so I plan out a forecast calendar of what’s coming up, and initially it started with an intro lesson, covering basics like knife skills and kitchen and food hygiene. I try to teach something of value in most lessons.

“A recent lesson focused on taste and how individually things taste, but combining them, how the flavour changes, for example,” Du Plooy said.

“I also generally try to carry the same class over two weeks, so if all slots are filled in one weekend, there is a second weekend where the same class is available.

“I try to have four slots per class, depending on the level of what’s being taught.”

From lunch box meal prep, pie, cake to ramen and dumplings, ravioli and more, Du Plooy classes range in flavours and difficulty.

“I have to think about the age I’m teaching, and be practical in what I’m teaching.

“I have easier, simpler meals, and then some more challenging and adventurous ones.

“It can be a bit daunting catering to the younger generation, but I to try keep it fun.

“If I have a student who has particular food preferences, I give them an option, but encourage them to at least try something they may not usually eat.”

Du Plooy said she also shaped her classes to focus on nutrition and healthier alternatives.

“We live in a world of instant gratification, everything is convenient, or comes in a box with a whole range of preservatives and goodness knows what else. I want to encourage ‘out of the box’ living.

“Small, simple, everyday changes that have long-lasting benefits,” she said.

An average day under Du Plooy’s tutelage includes food, of course, but it also includes connection.

“We start off the class going through our meal forecast.

“This is sent to the parents before the class so they have an idea what we are covering.

“Depending on what we are learning, I’ll either show them how to, or I’ll talk them through it and they need to do it.

“We take turns in doing tasks and where there is down time, while something cooks for example, I put out a finger board, a 1,000 piece puzzle, cards, anything to encourage them to have some fun together,” Du Plooy said.

She said the classes often included making a take-home condiment such as pickled onions or roasted onion and garlic hummus, as well as a sample of the main meal her young trainees made to take home for their parents.

“There is usually a sample to take home for the parents to taste as well, but there are no guarantees it’s the parents who eat it,” Du Plooy said.

“During the class, once our meal is cooked, we eat around the table together, and so far, everyone has enjoyed what they have made.

“I’m so proud of the end result, because they do the work, I taste here and there, but mostly, it’s all them, and it’s amazing.

“They are tasked to make the meal at home with their family, and the hope is to encourage family cooking.

“Putting aside a Friday evening to cook with your child, letting them guide you through what they experienced in their lesson.

“I hope the same happiness I feel with them carries back into their own kitchen.”

Ilse Lategan, mom of Marelise, 17, said her daughter had become much more confident in the kitchen since attending Du Plooy’s class.

“Roxy taught my daughter Marelise how to be less anxious in the kitchen and the joy of cooking and sharing what they have cooked. The recipes are fun and functional.

“My daughter really enjoys the classes because the atmosphere is fun and attentiongrabbing.

“Roxy really goes out of her way to make the classes fun and inclusive for everyone,” Lategan said.

Du Plooy said seeing empty plates at the end of class was a huge reward.

“I had a student who was adamant they were not going to eat the egg-fried rice and pork bangers we were making because there were carrots and celery in the food.

“In the lesson I showed how to finely chop your veggies, and with the delicious flavour base of broth in the food, the vegetables soak up that meaty flavour, and when he tasted it, he finished the entire bowl.

“I could share one of these rewarding encounters from each class.

“Friends are made, the reward of seeing my students taste — and enjoy — their food is such a blessing.”