Learn The Intricacies Of Bread Making With Master Moshe In Alibaug

Why go to a restaurant when you can make the likes of hummus and pita in the comfort of your own home? And you definitely don’t have to worry about getting it wrong because as luck would have it, this can easily be done with the helping hand of the exemplary Chef Moshe Shek himself! Recently, Chef Moshe took to Facebook after a two-year hiatus, to announce that he would be setting up a culinary studio and organize workshops to teach anyone and everyone who is interested.

The school, named ‘A World Away’, has been set up in Awas Village, Alibaug, after one and half years of hard work. The vegetables used in the cooking classes are organic and are grown near the school itself, as said on this Facebook post. The menu content varies from class to class, and sometimes repeated owing to popular demand. So far, classes on Middle-Eastern Mezze Platter and a dessert-making session have been conducted.

The people who enrol are to arrive at the Gateway of India at 9 a.m., from where they are taken by speedboat to Alibaug and then, by road, to Awas Village. The travel time to the Chef’s farm is 25 minutes. On arrival, morning coffee is served with cakes. Lunch will be served as well, with beverages such as tea and coffee available all day. On wrapping up, you will be taken back to the Gateway of India by 5.30 p.m.

The boat services at the Gateway come to a halt at the end of May, and therefore, so will the classes. The classes will resume again mid-August at the same time as the boat services do. But make sure you don’t miss out on the upcoming classes!

For those who dont already know, Moshe Shek, specialising in Mediterranean food and has over three decades of experience as a restaurateur. His first business venture in India, a catering service - Caterbility, was set up in 1992. After returning from a visit to Israel in 1999, Moshe set up “Athena”, a combination restaurant and lounge financed by Chateau Indage - a concept unheard of before in India. The first Moshe’s cafe was opened in 2004 on Cuffe Parade, Mumbai. This marked the emergence of a chain of restaurants and cafes that everyone has come to love. Moshe’s mediterranean food is a treat to the taste buds, served across 14 outlets in Mumbai alone.

The first workshop was held on 22nd April, 2017, and all the participants learnt to make the exotic middle eastern platter. The next workshop was a sweet delight, where all the chefs worked on baking the perfect braided pear pie and the cranberry pie, followed by a workshop on the bread-making basics. On popular demand, the middle-eastern mezze platter workshop is being held again on 13th May, 2017.

Upcoming Classes

13th May, 2017 - A Middle-Eastern Mezze Platter

Part of this menu will be a demonstration to incite different ideas of various combinations. In this class, participants will learn making three types of hummus - beetroot and crisp chickpea, rocket and feta and finally, spicy olive and zaatar. Making the quinoa-falafels, the chef’s version of the traditional chickpea falafel, will also be taught, accompanied by the mixed-nut muhamrrah. Roasted cauliflower and pomegranate salad will fill in for the salad, and preparing labneh with beetroot, rocket and sweet roasted onion also will be taught. Grilled halloumi / vegetable skewers with charmoula and the delicious charcoal roasted baba ghanouj with mint and tahini is also part of the course. Finally, pita and baklava will be made with group effort.

The workshop, priced at an all-inclusive price of Rs. 6500, allows a maximum of 10 participants and each of them is allotted an individual table. Applying for the same is quite a simple process - simply WhatsApp the chef on +919820288507!

To keep yourself updated on upcoming classes, visit Chef Moshe Shek’s Facebook Page