The Cooking Academy

A nation of carbohydrates lovers - do we eat too many carbs ?

Too many carbohydrates not enough fats?

 The answer is a resounding YES! We do consume far too many calories from carbohydrates.  They are quick and easy to consume and manufacturers produce carbohydrate based snacks and foods by the millions of tones.  That is precisely what is making is over-weight.

 Not enough oil creates fat in the body

 However we also don’t consume enough healthy fats or oils as we might prefer to call them. What oils we do consume by and large come from damaged oils, (a result of processing or overcooking in the saucepan). 

Essentially more than half of the oil we consume daily, out of 100g let’s say more than 50% is damaged oils; this is the norm for most of us.  In order to get a handle on our health we need to reverse this process and make good oil the major source of our energy.  

To do this we need to take more of our carbohydrate energy from vegetables.  This is important since good oils gives us increased and stable energy unlike carbohydrates which leads to blood sugar highs and lows, which can lead to mood changes and most importantly fat production in the body.   When we consume good oil – this turns on the fat burning mechanism, whereas carbohydrates turn on the fat production mechanism.

 The best fats to consume

 The best oils to consume are omega 3 & 6 in almost equal ratios.  These should be consumed in a neat form as possible, without processing, packaging, exposed to light or oxygen.  These oils have to be consumed as the body needs it and cannot make it, itself, thus we have to get it from the food we eat.  Omega 3 and 6 are essential to every gland and organ in the body, in fact it is the only mineral that is an absolute must for every human and animal. 

 If we consumed sufficient level of omega 3 & 6 it might also prevent us from consuming some of the other bad fats we eat, as consuming oils will keep us full for longer.  That sounds like a good trade off to me. 

 The notion of eating loads of almonds, Brazil nuts, sunflower seeds, avocado’s, fish… seems like a pretty good diet to me. 

 For more information on the benefits of Omega 3 & 6.  and which ingredients are rich in these nutrients contact Kumud@thecookingacademy.co.uk 

 To learn more about the right kind of diets to protect the body look at our nutritional cookery class 10th July 2012 at The cooking Academy – Cookery school

 TheCookingAcademyisLondon’s leading CookerySchool, innovative in it s approach putting healthy ingredients at the heart of everything they teach. 

Comprehensive Indian cookery class - The Cooking Academy cookery school

A passion for Indian Cookery?  Then join our 2 day Intensive Indian cookery class 

Spices, flavours, chillies, aromas, masala, blending, balancing flavours, cooking and enjoying good food .  Sound familiar?   This is our comprehensive Indian cookery class, especially designed for Indian food lovers who want to learn the very essence of Indian cuisine.

 A two Day Comprehensive Indian cookery classes

This is a special class, incorporating the core principles of Indian food. Learn how to achieve balance in flavour and cook very authentic Indian food as eaten by real Indian people in their homes and all overIndia. 

 Authentic Indian cooking classes

Learn to cook dishes such as masala fish, makhan raja jhinga (king prawn).  Learn to cook Aubergine medley, (Aubergine without the bitter water), Aloo parotha’s, traditional lamb Keema, Urid dhal bhajia’s, chutney’s and dressings to accompany the dishes cooked.

 Book an Indian cookery classes

 If this sounds like the kind of cooking you would like to learn, contact Sonia Basra at The Cooking Academy. Tel 01923 778880.  Or email  ronnie@thecookingacademy.co.uk

Super health Granola - at The Nutrional cookery class - The Cooking Academy

Great cooking for great health

Knowing what to eat and what to cook isn’t always easy and the two certainly don’t go hand in hand.  You may know what is considered healthy ingredients but you don’t always know how to cook it.   Fennel is a classic example; it looks healthy but how do you incorporate it into your diet?  Cinnamon is often paired with numberous ingredients but why?.  How can you eat plenty and stay healthy and trim?  If these are all questions you would like answered  then join us in our 1 day Nutritional cookery class.  

Nutritional cooking classes

This cookery class for healthy eating  is not about salads or how to eat less.  On the contrary!  its about eating well and including many ingredients that people usually consider to be unhealthy or fattening.  This class will set the record straight, dispel any myths about what’s bad food and what’s a NO NO !!.

Learn to make your own supercharged ‘can’t keep your hands off’ granola.  Learn to mak e Non dairy smoothies and milkshakes.  Learn how to power up your breakfast and eat to be fit.    To book your place call The Academy on 01923 77 8880 or email ronnie@thecookingacademy.co.uk

The Cooking Academy is London’s leading Cookery School, innovative in it s approach by putting healthy ingredients at the heart of everything they teach.  Kumud Gandhi is the Founder of The Cooking Academy

 Dessert cookery classes

 Yum yum, a dessert and puddings cookery class of total indulgence!   6 hours of delightful puddings and desserts to be learned by enthusiastic dessert lovers.

 This dessert cookery class helps you to interpret technical processes and takes you beyond the book, helping you to better understand the rules of ‘Pastry cookery’ as we call it, which is much more scientific; and less open to interpretation.  Instead desserts cookery requires precision to the absolute .  In dessert cooking it is important to measure ingredients and cook at the required temperature;  Instructions to takes ingredients to a particular level of binding, peaking and whisking are necessary to enable ingredient to hold their texture and rise or cook correctly.

 The good news is, you don’t have to be an experienced cook to enjoy this class. You simply need a desire to learn and an appetite and joy of desserts. We will cover lots of technical steps frequently used in creating desserts, from folding and beating, creating sugar syrups and meringues, tofantastic pastry, cooked to perfection.

 Dessert cookery classes in Rickmansworth

 You’ll make a number of desserts such as chocolate fondants, pan a cotta, pastries, tuilles, Lemon tarte, marshmallow.   And remember all our classes are hands on, so you’ll be doing all the cooking.

 To book – contact Sonia Basra on 01923 778880 or email sonia@thecookingacademy.co.uk

Middle Eastern cookery classes

As interest in Moroccan and Middle Eastern food has increased so to has the demand in Middle Eastern cookery classes.  As a cuisine as Asia this definately fall part of The Cooking Academy remit and so today we are running the ever popular Middle Eastern cookery class.   This is a class for everyone using , irrespective of their heat tolerance.  In this cookery class we cook lots of dishes using traditional spices, full of that eastern promise of exotic yet mild in heat.   The cuisine is highly flavoursome yet. It’s not at all hot, thus ideally suited to the mild heat lover.

The dishes cooked in the cookery class are highly authentic and original to the Middle East, Persia, Morocco.

Middle Eastern cookery classes in Hertfordshire.

This class is run at our location in Rickmansworth, with only 5 people per class it is an ideal way to learn to cook authentic Middle Eastern food with an expert chef.  As is usual at The Cooking Academy – This Middle Eastern Cookery class is entirely hands on – so you do all the cooking.

Vouchers for cookery classes

If you are unsure of dates and which cookery class, why not buy a cookery class gift voucher so that the recipient can select their own class to suit them. Open cookery gift vouchers are an ideal way of buying the gift without committing to a diary date.

To find out more or to book a cookery class please contact Sonia Basra on 01923 77880.

The Cooking Academy