Lesley’s Panaterie is getting ready to debut in Evandale and anyone who struggles to boil and egg or turn on an oven, rejoice.
With the aim of getting anyone started with basic cooking skills, Lesley Sopher is going to volunteer her time to hold regular cooking classes at the Evandale Memorial Hall.
While applying for grants to help with the cost of buying cooktops, pots and pans and other cooking paraphernalia, she is already building up steam and hopes to get started in October if there’s enough interest.
“I’ll be teaching how to cook a hot breakfast, food handling and storage skills, safety practises, knife handling, menu preparation and how to shop and store basic pantry items so there’s no excuse not to prepare a nutritious meal,” she said.
Local Scout master Peter Dodd will also be getting involved as an expert when it comes to making a quick and easy curry or getting creative on a barbecue.
Lesley said she was inspired while working as a chef on the tall ship Lady Nelson, after an elderly gentleman told a crew member he was recently widowed and didn’t know how to cook.
The crew member approached Lesley who let him spend time in the galley and taught him some basic cooking skills which was greatly appreciated.
Best known as a teacher of craft on Mondays at the hall, Lesley has long been a passionate cook, having started out providing meals as a nanny on farms in New Zealand, then owning a restaurant, running the Youngtown City Mission café and catering at weddings – complemented by her husband Michael who was a chef in the Army.
The lessons will be for three hours, once a week for seven weeks with participants working in pairs.
A small fee will be charged to cover ingredients, although Leslie is hoping the majority will be donated.
Any good, clean hotplates, pots and pans or utensils are welcome and can be dropped off at the Evandale Information Centre.
For more information or to book in (places are limited) call Lesley on 0407 341 215.