The Definitive Guide to Living in the Capital , Cairo , Egypt

We were
already pretty excited when this new self-styled literary restaurant opened its
doors on the bank of the Nile last month in Zamalek. Upon finding out that Left
Bank also hosts a variety of events, we decided to join in one of the
activities. Since our singing voices aren’t up to scratch, we decided to pass
on the open mic night. We considered going to the floral design and the still
life course but our lack of painting qualities kept us back. We did get very
excited by the weekly cooking class, however; anything  related to food excites us at Cairo 360.

We
should mention that cooking has never been our strongest point. Having
good taste is one thing but mixing up ingredients and preparing a decent meal
is another. So we were a little worried that we would fail miserably in Chef
Benoit Laboureux’s class. The cooking classes take place every Tuesday morning between 10AM
and 12PM. Yes we know; it’s very early. However, you are going to make yourself
nice breakfast by the end of it all. The group at the time of our visit consisted
of a few rather enthusiastic women under the guidance of Chef Benoit and his
assistant.

The
class takes place at the community table which is already prepared before you
arrive. When we had our class, tuna salmon rolls and ice cappuccino were on the
menu. Don’t expect to learn how to make a four course meal during this class;
Chef Benoit picks simple yet impressive starters and desserts. Besides teaching
how to make the dishes, he also teaches how to present the bites for your
guests and impress them. Chef Benoit takes you through every step of
the process and also tells you where to obtain certain vital ingredients, some
of which are available in normal supermarkets while a few are more niche but
can be found at some well-known specialty shops. The tuna salmon
rolls were pretty easy to prepare and the best part of the whole
process is of course devouring what you just prepared. We loved our tuna salmon
roll and were filled with pride at the fact that we were able to create such a fresh
and delicious delicacy.  It was very
simple to make and should be easy to do at home yourself.

The next
step was the ice cappuccino, which proved a bit more difficult. We picked up some
handy tips along the way though. For instance; always pour a cup of espresso
through your handmade chocolate sauce. It gives your sauce just that extra depth
in taste. Also, you can freeze coffee in for a night and then scrape it on top
of your dessert or coffee. And last but not least, we finally learned how to roll
a pretty-looking ice scoop worthy of any top dessert.

As
mentioned, the cooking class takes place every Tuesday morning from 10AM to
12PM and is free of charge. You have to register beforehand at info@leftbankonline.com . Chef Benoit
is a very cool chef who will guide you through each step of the cooking class.
We heard that in some classes he also teaches how to make his delicious
chocolate truffles. When you go to a class don’t be surprised to find a member
of the Cairo 360 team working frantically to keep up with the rest.