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LAOS - Celebrity TV Chef Boosts Lao Students’ Cooking Skills
Luxembourg’s celebrity TV chef and cookbook author Anne Faber conducted a hands-on workshop for Lao ‘Food Production’ students at Vientiane’s Pakpasak Technical College on 20 February to teach them the underlying skills of Western-style food preparation.
The class culminated in a lunch served by the college’s ‘Food and Beverage Service’ students at the Lanith Cafe for some 20 distinguished guests, including Mr. Sam Schreiner, Chargé d'Affaires of the Embassy of the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg in Lao PDR.
Ms. Faber teamed up with Pakpasak Technical College teachers to guide 20 students in creating a traditional Luxembourgish home-style meal from scratch, while adopting local ingredients found in the markets of Vientiane.
I wanted them to better understand the background of the dishes and to learn the skills needed to prepare full Western meals
Ms. Faber
© Bart Verweij
To accomplish this, the star of “Anne’s Kitchen” TV show divided the class into groups and assigned them to complete different tasks in workstations. They then worked together for the main dish, Kniddelen, an iconic Luxembourg mainstay.
“I just showed the students what to do, the process and timing, and they did it,” Ms. Faber explained, adding, “They helped each other, learned very quickly and were very focused. There was no air of competition, and they were extremely proud of their achievements.”
© Bart Verweij
Ms. Daosoukoula Vilay, a food production teacher at the college, said, “It was an honour for me and my students to have an opportunity to work with Chef Anne in preparing Luxembourgish dishes for our guests.”
Student Ms. Phonemany Keokhampheng, noted:
We saw the difference between the art of Lao and Western cooking. That made us want to improve ourselves and explore other cuisines further. We loved all the food that we made, especially the Luxembourgish dumplings that are so tasty, fragrant, and mouth-watering.
© Bart Verweij
To further enhance their skills, Ms. Faber showed the students how to adapt local ingredients and cooking equipment to create a Western meal. “I also built on what they have already learned at the college about the details of serving Western guests…how to select the appropriate plates and stemware for the specific dishes, and how to prepare the dishes in the correct order to deliver a fresh meal at the right temperature.”
Mr. Schreiner, who toured the kitchen and classrooms before partaking in the lunch, commended the efforts of Ms. Faber, the teachers and the students, while noting the progress being made by the Skills for Tourism Project (LAO/029) in enhancing tourism and hospitality vocational education and skills development in Lao PDR.
The project is moving forward and continually building students’ skills. Students are receiving good training and education. Therefore, they will be able to find jobs and start a career in hospitality.
Mr. Schreiner
Mr. Schreiner stressed that the project also helps the Lao tourism economy by improving service standards, a key element in moving the industry forward.
The Skills for Tourism Project (LAO/029) is co-financed by the Governments of Lao PDR, the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg and Switzerland. It is implemented by the Ministry of Education and Sports of Lao PDR and LuxDev, the Luxembourg Development Cooperation Agency.
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