Hake with Edamame beans

Do you eat the right kind of food to manage your metabolism or are you a carb junkie?

Staying trim and fit is all to do with your diet and metabolism.  The content and rate at which you consume and burn calories will ultimately determine your wellbeing; not just physically but more importantly, mentally and emotionally.  The key to this is eating the right food to trigger hormones in the body that enable certain functions to be carried out.  If the body is not satisfied with the nutrition levels you are providing and it requires to perform, it will simply not send the right messages. 

Eat the right foods!

The brain communicates with the body every milli second of every minute 24/7.  If we don’t read those messages correctly  the body becomes lethargic and less dynamic over a period of time, eventually the body begins to malfunctions, and eventually grinds to a halt with a major illness.  However long before that process, the body repeatly send out warnings, weight gain is one of them, tireness and lethargy is another, poor digestion is a big tell tale sign. 

Learn to Cook Nutritional dense meals

Eating the right kinds of food at the right time is important.  Do you know what the ‘right kinds of foods’ are? “What does a good breakfast look like?”  Is it five a day or seven a day?  can those be any seven?  how much protein should Ieat and why is that important? Can I give up carbs ?  

Nutritional Cooking Classes

Our Nutritional Cookery Class is designed to help you understand what a good meal consists of.  We dispel myths around food and diets and explore all the healthy foods that are tasty and nutritious.    We look at various food groups that can actually stimulate the bodies natural defences and build vital vitamins and minerals that promote a healthy heart, and vital organ, that supports growth of skin, hair and nails to give the body vitality, vibrance and energy. 

If you would like to find out more than contact us here at by calling us on 01923 778880 or email Kumud@thecookingacademy.co.uk

Learn to cook Moroccan food

Falafel hummus platter with tabouleh in the background made at The Cooking Academy Cookery school in Hertfordshire in a Middle eastern cookery class

Middle Eastern and Moroccan is growing in popularity and is becoming highly visible through the number of new Middle Eastern eateries and restaurants.   If you enjoy Middle eastern food and would like to learn about the spices and herbs used to create the delicate flavours that make up this complex yet simplistic style of cooking join us on one of our Middle eastern cookery classes.

Moroccan cooking classes

In this class we learn to cook many of the dishes you will have tasted in Morroco and throughout the Middle East, You will learn to makesdishes such as Baklava – using a fantastic recipe that gives you all the flavours yet not nearly as many calories in sugar,  just right for the less sweet western palette.   Cook a wonderful Chicken and Apricot Tagine or cheese and spinach pastries.   If rice is a challenge for you then this class will demystify the great myths around cooking cooking rice, a wonderful pilaf!   

Full of Eastern promise

Be ready to cook and be ready for some great flavour explosions, this class really is full of Eastern promise.  To book this class please contact us on 01923 778880 or email kumud@thecookingacademy.co.uk

10 Different uses for Bicarbonate of Soda?

Bicarbonate of Soda is a wonder worker around the home. It cleans shimmers and shines all kinds of surfaces. Mildly abrasive, its gentle yet effective cleaning action works on everything from ovens and kitchen surfaces to baths, sinks, loos, floors and more. We have listed just a few of the many uses for bicarb below.

• To remove mildew on a shower curtain, first make a thick paste of Bicarbonate of Soda and water. Smear it on the curtain and leave overnight until dry. Then wash the curtain normally and the mould will disappear.

• After cleaning the oven, brush the inside with a light Bicarbonate of Soda and water paste. When you next clean the oven the dirt will come away easily.

• With stained mattresses, make a paste with Bicarbonate of Soda and water and spread it on the stain and leave to dry. Later, brush off the dry Bicarbonate of Soda, which should have absorbed all the stain.

• You can clean baths too! Apply Bicarbonate of Soda with a damp cloth to remove stains and polish chrome fittings.

• Car enthusiasts often use Bicarbonate of Soda to polish chrome fittings. It works better than some commercial products.

• Soak stained cups and pans Bicarbonate of Soda and water, and stains will disappear.

• Bicarbonate of Soda takes away smells in fridges and freezers. Just keep an open tub in the corner of your fridge to absorb odours.

• If you have rusty utensils, cut a potato, dip it in Bicarbonate of Soda and then rub away the rust.

• Dishcloths and face flannels left to soak in Bicarbonate of Soda and water are fresher than if washed in most commercial products.

• A pinch of Bicarbonate of Soda in a vase of water will keep flowers much fresher and prevent the water from becoming stagnant.

Corporate Cookery events – Teambuilding at The Cooking Academy

Corporate cookery team building

If you are looking for change from the usual team building events then The Cooking Academy is definately the place to come. We are a cookery school with an absolute passion for food, which of course you would expect; but our unique approach to food and eating makes our cookery classes inspiring, motivational and fun; the perfect combination for a team building event.

Cooking classes to build a team

Our team building cookery classes allow people people to learn, relax and enjoy each e=others company in a non competitive way, building a spirit de corp that enables colleagues to bong with a shared experience. Cooking and eating together is a traditional nurturing activity that brings out the best of humanity, leaving a lasting connection with each other. 

Some of our corporate clients include: Astra Pharmaceutical, Glaxo, McDonalds, Barclays, BMW Finance, Lloyds TSB, and many more. 

Learn to cook in the bargain

As well as the corporate objective – our cookery classes are a life skill and valuable lesson in the science of food. Each of our events also incorporate a spice trail about the origins of spices and their chemical composition, an analysis of how they work with our human biology and shy they create the flavour they do. Added to that the technical skill of learning a range of recipes to build up on when they return home and enable them to cook delicious, nutritious dishes time and time again.

Office party events

If you are simply looking for a group event that everyone can take part in, A cooking class for your team is a fantastic opportunity to include food and wine into the events with a learning element. Our classes are fun and challenging in a non competitive way, enables colleagues to laugh with each other and create shared experiences, allowing you to enjoy each others company, whilst eating, drinking and learning.

If you would like to find out more about our corporate cookery classes please contact Kumud Gandhi here at The Academy and see what kind of event we can put together for you.

Tel : 0845 0 68 58 48

email: kumud@thecookingacademy.co.uk

Our new London Location – Old Street – London 

Food is our passion, and over the last 7 years we’ve been overjoyed at bringing our unique teaching style to thousands across this country and beyond, helping them to improve their cooking skills and hone their hidden talents. In June 2013 we’re excited to be able to bring The Cooking Academy to even more people with our brand new second location in Central London.

Cooking Classes in London

Easily accessible from The City and The West End, our new kitchens are minutes from Old Street Tube Station in the heart of the Capital, and they provide another space for people to come and learn how to cook their favourite cuisine with The Cooking Academy’s unique approach.

We’ll be offering our popular Indian, Thai, and Vietnamese cooking classes, as well as Corporate Classes and teambuilding events for those of you who want a inner London location. Being 10 minutes from Liverpool Street and 15 minutes from Oxford Circus means we’ll be more accessible than ever before, and we look forward to welcoming both existing and new customers to our new location.  Of course, whilst this is all very exciting, you needn’t worry that classes at our Hertfordshire location will run less frequently as they’ll still be running regularly!   If you currently have a voucher for our Hertfordshire kitchens and would like to change it to one for our Central London location, we’ll be happy to do that for you at no extra cost.

If you’d like to book yourself a place on one of our Central London courses, simply visit our website and purchase a voucher for any of the relevant classes, and mention the fact that you’d like to visit us in London when booking your date!

We’re very excited about this new chapter for The Cooking Academy, and we look forward to welcoming you very soon!

Kumud and The Cooking Academy Team

A delightful additional to any dinner party menu

Yep, this real onion bhaji is a delightful dinner party gem,  It looks like onion, tastes like onion and there’s just enough seasoned gram flour to hold it together.  Surprise your guests with this outstanding starter.

Onion Bhajia’s

 Ingredients:    

2 large white or red onions

3 stalks of green salad onion for colour

Handful of fresh coriander

1 tsp chaat masala

1 tbsp dried fenugreek leaves

1 tbsp coursely ground coriander seeds

½ tsp salt

½ tsp hot chilli powder or fresh green chillies

100 ml cold soda water

100g gram flour

Oil to fry

Karahi to fry in

 Cooking Instructions:  

1. Slice the onions thinly and set aside.
2. Place the karahi of oil to heat.
3. Meanwhile, In a separate bowl add the gram flour, chaat masala, dried feneugreek  leaves, coursely ground coriander, salt, chillies (dry or fresh) fresh coriander. 
4. Mix well and then slowly add the soda water and whisk to ensure a smooth batter (although it will have plenty of texture with the various spices), you may not need all the soda water, keep it fairly thick to start with as it will thinly rapidly once you mix the onions.
5. Pour the mixture spoonful at a time into the sliced onions until the onions are thoroughly coated and can hold in a clump.  Don’t be tempted to add too much of the flour mixture, otherwise the bhaji’s will resemble those from a restaurant, just enough to bind the onions.
6. Test the oil to ensure the temperature is correct.
7.  Create bhaji’s the size of a golf ball into the oil and cook for about 90 seconds and remove with a slotted spoon.
8. Garnish with fresh coriander on the serving plate and a squeeze of lemon.

Cooks tips 1:  Don’t allow them to get to brown in the oil as they will continue to cook and brown after removing.

Cooks tips 2: Allow to rest for a few minutes before serving to make the texture a little more crunchy.

Cooks tips 3: Red chilli flakes are also very good

Cooks tips 4:  Serve with home made tamarind and dates chutney

Recipes by Kumud Gandhi

Simple Mussels in white wine at The Cooking Academy cookery school

Simple Mussels in White Wine   

 Mussels are nutritionally rich, simple to cook and inexpensive, they make a great starter or simple supper for any time of year.  Here’s a very quick and simple mussels recipe I think you’ll enjoy! 

Serves 4      prep time: 15 minutes total

 Ingredients

 1 small knob of butter to fry the shallots

4 bay leaves

4 shallots – finely chopped

2 garlic cloves – finely chopped

1 kg good mussels – scrubbed and de bearded

1 pint of fish stock

200 ml of good white wine

Salt & pepper to taste

1 handful fresh Flat leaf parsley or coriander to taste

 Cooking Instructions 

1. Using a deep pan, melt the butter and add bay leaves, sizzle for a few seconds before adding the shallots and garlic.  Sauté for 5 minutes on a low to medium heat, long enough to remove the acidity from the shallots and soften them. 
2. Now add the stock and white wine bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes to reduce down a little to intensify the flavour. 
3. Add salt and black pepper to taste
4. Add the mussels, stir well and place a tight lid over the pan.  Cook for 2-4 minutes or until the mussels have opened up.
5. Discard the ones that have not opened.  Garnish with coriander or parsley to taste
6. Serve with a chunk of fresh bread. 

  Cooks tip 1: Add a dash of cream or crème fraise if you would like to add a little creaminess to the sauce

 Recipe by Kumud Gandhi – copyrights to The Cooking Academy

A new culinary experience awaits

This Christmas I received a fantastic Polish cookery book as a gift from a dear colleague, it’s well illustrated and has some delicious looking recipes.   This is one regional cuisine I have no or little experience of despite having several polish friends and colleagues here at The Cooking Academy.  Thus far I have succeeded in converting them to the joys if Indian and Asian food, but I have not had the pleasure of Polish cuisine. 

 I am somewhat delighted to receive this gift as I can see a new learning experience awaits me.   So be ready for some polish recipes to come your way.

2013 - Im going to cook more!

Happy New Year to you all!

I hope you’ve had a great Chritsmas, however you celebrate this time of year.  For me it is a time for family holidays, lots of food, cooking, late nights and sharing food, wine and gifts most of all.   Between Christmas and New Year I take time to refelct on the year almost past and what I hope to do differently the next year.   

My New Years resolution is to cook more!  strange you might think for someone who does this for a living …..  2013 I am going to cook dishes outside of my comfort zone and expand my knowledge of gluten free cooking and food from other Eastern European regions. 

What ever your New years resolutions I hope you’ll be sharing them with us here at The Cooking Academy just as I intend to share my culinary journeys with you.

Kumud Gandhi