Canadian chef Anna Olson is inspired by Asian food

Celebrity pastry chef Anna Olson explores Asian ingredients and cooking techniques in her latest series. Photos: AFC

It is 11.30am on a sunny Tuesday morning and I am hovering over a hot stove, staring intently at the bubbling contents inside – a medley of rice, coconut milk and shrimp. I have never cooked a risotto before and have been paired with three other girls who – as luck would have it – have also never cooked the dish before. We are using a combination of common sense and our wits to forge ahead, but anxiety is still omnipresent in the kitchen.

Then, like a ray of sunshine, Canadian celebrity chef Anna Olson walks by, a wide, disarming smile adorning her face. “Ooh, that looks lovely. You guys are doing a fantastic job,” she says.