Cooking a new string to Selwyn’s bow at 86

Cairns resident Selwyn, 86, is learning new skills in the kitchen with a little help from his Bolton Clarke at home support team.

The former service station and transport plant operator has enjoyed adding a new string to his bow and is proud of his expanded menu of home-cooked meals after he and the team developed a program to support his nutrition and diet as part of his Level 2 Home Care Package.

“I can now boil water, make a stew and simple things like that,” he said.

Selwyn ordered pre-prepared meals after his wife passed away 10 years ago, but says he wanted to build on his culinary capabilities.

He can now make dishes including a stir-fry after his home care team arranged a series of cooking lessons.

“It was a new skill for an old fellow like me to learn and I thoroughly enjoyed it,” Selwyn said.

“The first two sessions showed me how to cook a stir fry and the third was monitoring me doing it myself.

“It’s interesting to follow a recipe and watch the skill of a demonstrator using the equipment.

“I am much slower but given enough time I might pick up some good technique.”

The Edge Hill resident said he was given pictures of chefs at work to inspire him and when it came to applying the hands-on training he proved to be a cut above the rest.

“The preparation was interesting using the frying pan then I put the meat in, stirred it around in the pan then added vegetables and oil,” he said.