Of Home And Hearth

Tell us about yourself—what do you do?
I recently started up a home cooking studio. My aim is to teach people how to cook nutritious and tasty food, and to empower domestic helpers and educate them in meal planning. A lot of employers are young families who don’t know much about meal planning themselves, but expect their helpers to cook delicious meals for them.

Tell us something interesting about you:
I have over 200 pairs of earrings! (laughs) Besides that, I was born in Singapore, but I grew up in Canada. I do miss Canada a lot since my whole family is there.

What’s a dish that best describes your personality?
My husband is Peruvian, so one of my favourite dishes is ceviche, which is basically a Peruvian raw fish salad with lemon and lime juice and other ingredients. It might not be widely-known in Singapore, but anyone who tastes it will love it because it has a lot of Asian influences, from the raw fish to the ginger. I think that it describes me because it’s a mix of cultures, very unassuming, and surprisingly delicious.

If you had a million dollars, what would you do?
I’d move to South America, open up my own bed and breakfast, and host people and cook for them in a cosy and small place. It’d be colourful and eclectic, with knick-knacks from places all over the world that I’ve travelled to.

Tell us about the most interesting place you’ve travelled to—what did you enjoy there, and what made it memorable?
For me it’s Cuba—I loved the untouched nature, its beautiful and kind people, cheap rum and cigars, and old vintage cars. I got to swim with dolphins and meet the most grateful and amazing people there, and it was memorable because it was still very much a Communist society with ration windows distributing bread, sugar and other staples. It was like nothing I’ve ever seen.