These days many budding entrepreneurs are proclaiming that they self taught in whatever skills/knowledge they have to impart to the audience and culinary skills is one of those. I've been scouting around for a cooking workshop for a while and finally decided to go Cookyn with Mervyn http://www.cookyn-with-mervyn.com/. The workshop is managed by a lovely couple, Mervyn (the chef cum host) and Amanda (the hostess) in an apartment conveniently located at Novena, it's the shophouses opposite Novena Church and is a stone's throw from the Novena MRT station so it's still easy to get there even if you don't drive.
Mervyn's workshop is very hands-on so be prepared to roll up your sleeves and get your hands dirty. Ours was a small group of 4 but we had just as much fun learning about the ingredients, kneading the dough, mashing the potatoes, etc. It's amazing how one simple dough made up on flour and eggs and be transformed into various types of pasta, all you need is a dash of passion, a good dose of patience and most importantly a strong pair of arms to get things going.
Chef preparing the ingredients
Putting my best hands forward for better makan to come 
The semi finished product of mine and Hubby's. The 'massaged' dough was set aside for 30 mins to rest. Mervyn says it's ok to leave it outside if the room is airconditioned, otherwise it's better off resting in the fridge given our humid climate. 
Ingredients for pasta sauce. The scallops from sashimi grade scallops from Green Grocer is worth trying. 
Picking out thyme leaves 
First encounter with electronic salt & pepper dispenser. Cool stuff! 
The potato peeler preparing for Gnocchi and.....
..... let the party begin
Having fun with the pasta machine
Simple Potato Gnocchi with Gorgonzola cheese finished with sprinkles of spring onion
Ravioli (feta cheese and sundried tomato pesto) with brown butter sauce. Learnt that while making ravioli it's important to seal all ends tightly to prevent air pockets from forming or it might disintegrate while boiling.
Angel hair pasta with Lup Cheong and Curry leaves. An innovative recipe that's simple to prepare and good to eat. It's a sure winner for cheena in-laws if you want to introduce them to anh moh chiak ; )
Quick and easy Seafood Marinara pasta complete with a drizzle truffle oil. Oooh lala... this is comfort food for me.
After sampling 4 pasta variations we downed a substantial serving each of the Strawberry and Rubhard Crumble. For those who are not familiar with Rhubarb it looks just like celery except it's maroon in colour and very important to note that only the stem is edible, the leaves are POISONOUS. The dessert wasn't to my liking as it was slightly sour - may taste better if more sugar was used - but as usual the crumble is always enjoyable.
It was a light-hearted session and not only did we end the day filled to the brim but alsoa good exchange of food ideas and shopping finds (for the ladies). Meanwhile, I'll continue to practice and perfect my pasta making skills and look out for more cookyn parties to attend.
