tedoré : Gurmania

They say that in troubled times people take comfort in small luxuries, so it’s little wonder that Sydney-based ice cream makers Pat Monnot and ‘Stick’ Seach have been run off their feet.

For the past three years, at their small operation in the suburb of Leichhardt, they’ve created handmade ice cream sandwiches (mainly for the wholesale market) that are almost single-handedly worth travelling to Sydney for.

The men met at a party and, having finished IT degrees, decided they wanted something else in life. 'We’re mates from way back,' explains Seach, 'and we just decided to have a good crack at making ice-cream.' Monnot has a background in the art but Seach confesses he just loves food.

There are eight main flavours in the line – the original (and best, for our mind) is Vanilla Lace, vanilla ice cream between two crunchy oat and almond biscuits – although when specific fruit is in season, for example, they’ll come up with a limited release.

Text by Pei-Ru Keh

In these hectic times where takeaways, ready meals and eating out have become default for urbanites, cooking is something of an indulgence. Add to this a dearth of inspiring cookery schools (most have staid repertoires and unrealistic schedules) and the ability to whip up a culinary feast is fast becoming a lost art.

Enter L'atelier des Chefs, an innovative, international franchise of cookery schools that has us eager to ditch the ready meal and roll up our sleeves. Promising a relaxed environment for culinary learning (think glowing kitchens fitted with Miele stovetops and Krups appliances,) L’atelier des Chefs offers patrons a chance to learn some modern cooking, without a lengthy lecture.

The school’s varied class schedule takes into account both seasonal and culinary trends; few schools can offer guidance on how to prepare a three course Norwegian meal, how to make four kinds of delectable macarrons, or to create a simple lunchtime meal in the same venue. For convenience, the energetic classes are available from a half hour ‘cook and go’ session to a more extensive two-hour masterclass (despite its name, no prior experience is necessary.)

Established in Paris by the Bergault brothers (Nicolas and François,) L’atelier des Chefs boasts 11 different branches – with London and Dubai being the most recent, and the only two locations outside of its Gallic home turf. Classes are taught by professional chefs, and can be booked using a foolproof online booking system.

If, like us, you thrive on instant gratification, then the best part of the class is taking home the fruits of your labor upon departure. What's more, while other schools might load participants up with recipes in folders or on loose paper, L’atelier des Chefs will send all the directions via email to your inbox - a neat tactic ensuring there’s no getting away from them.