Brilliant new cookbook A Helping Hand features family friendly recipes translated into Tagalog for Filipino helpers: it’s all about giving them confidence in the kitchen and making cooking a joy.
Now this is a cookbook we’re already in love with: Helping Hand: Delicious Recipes in English and Tagalog is about to give Filipino domestic helpers in Singapore a big boost of confidence in the kitchen. Many of us have wonderful helpers who come into our lives and our homes to assist us in juggling the housework, the kids, careers and day-to-day life as a busy mum here in Singapore. We know how lucky we are to have our right-hand women supporting us – especially when we just don’t have time to regularly cook for the family (hands up over here!). Building up your helper’s cooking or baking skills with a course is a win-win, but what about when you want to add new recipes to the repertoire? We did a little happy dance here at HoneyKids when we saw Frog Michael’s inspired new recipe book, A Helping Hand – it’s packed with over 80 delish, family-friendly recipes written in English and Tagalog so that Filipino helpers can really get their mojo going in the kitchen.
FYI: English is an official language of The Philippines (along with the local language, Tagalog) and spoken by Filipinos of all backgrounds. But throw cooking terminologies such as ‘blind bake’, ‘blanch’ and ‘braise’ at anyone and there are bound to be some lost in translation moments. What we love about this book is that it’s about helping women feel in their element when tackling foreign dishes, thanks to tricky terms and methods explained in their mother tongue. The bonus? It’ll also bring creativity and confidence to their cooking.
A Helping Hand spans modern family food and essential Western dishes, plus Singaporean faves: think full English brekkies to mee goreng, or chilli con carne and tiramisu. Everything from breakfast to light lunches, simple suppers, starters and dips, dinner parties, sweet treats, kid-friendly fare and sauces is covered.
We had a chat with author Frog Michaels about the inspiration behind this book, the lovely things she wants to achieve with it (part of the proceeds will support the charity HOME), and just how did she get her nickname?
What was you’re ‘a-ha’ moment for creating this book?
I speak French to a pretty proficient level and, a few years ago, was trying to cook from Cuisine Du Monde when on holiday in France. There was a copy lying around in the house we had rented. It was extremely difficult to follow and I found myself getting stuck with all the cooking terminology. It came to me in a sudden flash how difficult it must be for helpers sometimes, with cooking phrases like ‘beat’, ‘blind bake’, ‘bind’ and ‘blanch’, which are neither helpful nor descriptive (let’s face it, even for native English speakers).
How has this book changed your relationship with your own helper?
Whilst all the text was written by professional translators and editors, Gina-Lyn and I masterminded the first round of recipe testing together… for all 86 recipes (they were later re-tested by third parties). I think it’s fair to say we work pretty darn well together! We’ve always had a good relationship but this book has probably made us closer. The testing process was, in a funny way, a bit of a role-reversal: she got to tell me what she thought was helpful and also what she didn’t like. Those sorts of experiences either strengthen a relationship or cause its breakdown. In our case, thankfully, it was the former.
Are there any recipe testing disasters you’d care to share?
Actually, I do have a good one. Each and every recipe in this book has been double-tested (in some cases triple-tested) by a raft of my friends’ helpers. There were a few rules: unlike the finished book, only the Tagalog text would be given and there would be no accompanying photos. This was to ensure that the instructions were absolutely accurate and that the various steps were all well described. It was an utterly invaluable process and one that took time. I remember that in the first draft of the lasagne recipe, I had forgotten to say that when layering the pasta/meat/bechamel sauce, the aim is to make it fit the dish. My trusty tester ended up with two very neatly stacked vertical towers! The draft was duly amended and we tested it again until it was fail-safe.
We love that the grand dame of Singapore cooking, Violet Oon, is singing your book’s praises – what feedback have you received from Filipino women and the families this was designed for?
Yes, I was thrilled with Violet Oon’s endorsement. The Philippine Ambassador to Singapore Antonio A. Morales has also been very kind and is a huge fan of the book: he sees it as having real potential to help build confidence in the kitchen amongst the women who come over here (or go to Hong Kong, Dubai, Brunei or Malaysia) to work as helpers. He also thinks that when they retire or return home, a true understanding of predominantly Western dishes will arm some helpers with a real business opportunity, such as opening a café in the Philippines serving Western food, for instance.
I love hearing back from the families too – I have had lots of pictures sent in by readers of their recipe successes, which I am thrilled by and love seeing posted on Facebook. Keep them coming! It is always hugely gratifying that people are pleased (remember to tag us at #helpinghandsuccess!).
We know this book means much more than having favourite meals prepared for you – what do you hope this book can do for the Filipino helper community and the families they work with?
A lot of people living here are fortunate enough to be looked after by hardworking helpers who can generally turn their hand to anything, be it childcare, cooking or cleaning. What I have written in the Tagalog introduction (which sits opposite the English one and which is aimed at helpers) is that I hope this book becomes their friend, saves them some time and helps to turn cooking into a creative and enjoyable process – not something tinged with confusion and potential misunderstanding. Food cooked with care and confidence tastes so much better too!
I also hope that A Helping Hand will help to promote household harmony and will be enjoyed by families from all walks of life, whether busy working mums, expats, Singaporean families who are very familiar with Western classics as well as perhaps families who know a little bit less about Western dishes. I do, of course, have some local food in there too – there’s a cheat recipe for Kueh Pie Tee and Mama’s Mee Goreng, which comes from my husband’s Nyonya grandmother’s own handwritten cookbook (dated 1942!).
Lastly, I make a donation from each and every sale to ‘HOME’ – a wonderful Singapore charity dedicated to upholding the rights of migrant workers here.
What are your personal favourites in the book?
Aachi’s Chicken Curry (page 150) is my absolute fave. I also love the stylish, but very easy, Triple Layer Victoria Sponge (page 222) and a dinner party staple is the Seared Duck Breast with Ginger & Honey (page134).
And, we just have to ask, how did you get the nickname Frog?
The Brits do so love a nickname! When I was younger, my eyes were the same size as they are now but my face was smaller… I looked like a frog! I love it and much prefer being called Frog than my real name (Rowena). I write for a number of magazines and newspapers and have always used my nickname when doing so. It felt logical – if a bit unusual – to continue to do so when writing a book.
About Frog Michaels:
Frog Michaels is an author, columnist and writer; it’s quite likely you’ve had a belly laugh while reading her blog Changmoh, which chronicles her life as a British girl in Singapore who loves local life so much she’s convinced she’s now part Chinese.
Pick up your copy of Helping Hand at Kinokuniya (all stores), Books Actually, The Butcher (all outlets), Da Paolo Gastronomia at Cluny, Flower Girl and Tango Mango. $42.70 including GST. For more information, visit www.helpinghandseries.com