I hear that cookery classes are hard to come by in Oxfordshire? If so then log onto our website and book your fill of cookery classes with us, Here at The Cooking Academy in Rickmansworth & Amersham.  We have had a number of customers from the Oxfordshire area, pleased that they found us having scoured their own immediate neighbourhood for authentic cookery classes for Thai cookery or Indian cookery and Middle Eastern cookery classes.  

I am pleased to say our cookery school is visited by many clients from all over the country and across from Europe. 

Here’s one review from a client who attended recently:

My wife had been looking for a cookery clas in Oxfordshire for over three years, every birthday and christmas she’d scour the county for appropriate cookery classes, till finally she found The Cooking Academy.  Albeit in Hertfordshire, the travel time was actully only 50 minutes, which apparently was a shorter time than clients that had travelled in from London and other surrounding areas.  The class was excellent, providing all the cookery tuition I had hoped for and much more by way of hints and tips of kitchen management .  To be honest it was much more than I had expected and excellent value for money.  Needless to say I have already booked for the advanced class in the Indian series.   Jeff Hall – Abingdon

 If you would like to book a cookery class please contact us on 01923 77 8880 or contact Alison Earle

Learn to cook fish at The Cooking Academy

With 10 great reasons to eat fish – are you getting your ‘fish-in’

A fantastic fish cookery class

 With so many great reasons to eat fish, its a wonder we don’t all cook it more often.  But perhaps it isn’t as simple as we think. Many people shy away from fish because they don’t know how to prepare fish , let alone cook it.   If this is your perception, than I’ve got great news or you.  Learning to cook fish is not as difficult as you might think!

 On our Fish cookery class a few simple steps will show you how to look out for good fish, how to clean it; followed by some easy recipes to create some great tasty fish dishes.  The simplicity of the recipes could fool you, but wait till you taste, you’re in for treat.

 Fish cookery classes

 Our fish cooking classes are available at The Cooking Academy here in Rickmansworth and in our new  Amersham location in Buckinghamshire.

 Learn to cook fish

 You will learn to buy good fish

• How to clean and prepare fish
• Learn  to make great fish stock
• Learn several fish recipes for everyday eating and for fine dining.
• Take home what you cook and impress your family and friends

 10 great reasons to eat fish

Fish is an excellent low fat food packed with essential fatty acids that are great for the brain.

Fish is a great protein, and one that is easily digested, better than chicken or red meat meat.

Fish is very high in other vitamins and minerals as well as protein, like iodine, magnesium, phosphorous , vitamin A & D

Fish is brilliant for pregnant women, very high in many key minerals for the unborn baby, providing lots of key nutrients a baby needs to develop a strong healthy brain, good eye function,tuna, mackerel and sardines are great for lactating women.

Eating fish is also known to reduce your chances of stoke and heart attacks.  The omega 3 fatty acid helps to strengthen the cellular membranes against attack.

Fish, like aspirin keeps the blood platelets from clumping, thus preventing clots.

Fish such as salmon, mackerel,herring, sardines, albacore tuna is excellent for reducing joint inflammation, as they are high in omega 3 oils.

Fish is very good at lowering blood cholesterol levels.

Eating at least 2 portions of fish per week is very good for the management of diabetics as it controls blood sugar levels.

Eating fish which is high in omega 3 could help to prevent altzheimers diseases.

Find out more about our fish cookery classes or to book a class contact us at The Cooking Academy on 01923 778880

 Written by Kumud Gandhi Founder of The Cooking Academy, writer, and broadcaster.

Learn to cook real Indian food

A Quest for real Indian food

Real Indian food is a treat.  Ask anyone who has travelled to India to tell you about their experience of real Indian food in India and you’ll get a resounding thumbs up.  It’s like nothing you’ve tasted here in the UK in a restaurant or take away. 

The closest you’ll get to real Indian food is to learn to cook real Indian food yourself.  Join us on one of our Indian cookery classes and be astounded by the awakening of your senses, by the essence and flavours of wholesome Indian cookery.  

Our Indian cookery classes range from beginners with a spice trail, the one day Indian cookery class and the Advance Indian cookery class.  We also have Vegetarian Indian cookery classes as well as two day comprehensive cookery classes.  Whatever the level and budget we have a class to suit your needs, and most of all your palette.

You will learn how to blend real spices create your own masala blends and drum up tasty smahing food within 20 minutes (even beats Jamie’s 30 minutes cook off. ) Learn to cook Indian food is truely put into a new light as you very quickly become comfortable with you star anise, cumin, and garam masala.  Very soon you’ll be making your own…. 

Join us on the Advanced Indian cookery class here at The Cooking Academy – The home of Asian cuisine. 

for further information contact alison@thecookingacademy.co.uk

Pure Spices from the Cooking Academy Spice shop

Organics Pure Spices at The Cooking Academy

At The Cooking Academy we source & produce herbs and spices that are 100% natural, pure and organic spices – our ethos is to offer the highest quality herbs and spices that are totally fresh!.  Our spices are completely traceable, sourced from some of the best spice growing regions around the world; where they are hygienically cleaned, processed and packed ready for use. 

 Our spice are rich in aroma and flavoursome because they are so fresh and whole.  We use herbs and spices not just as a means of adding flavour to food but harnessing all of the goodness of its medicinal and chemical values that have been used effectively over thousands of years by ancient civilizations including our own. The ‘Spice of life’ is meant in a truly literal sense. 

Using pure and unadulterated good spices make a huge difference to you cooking and will change the flavour of your meal.   

 The Pure Spice Shop at The Cooking Academy

Our spices are available as ‘pure spices’ and include products such as roasted cumin, coriander, paprika and many more, or as blended spices that have been ground and perfectly blended by us here at the Academy in several flavours to be paired with a range of meats, poultry, fish and vegetables.  Infact the spices blends are so versatile they can be used as dry rubs, marinades or fully portioned spice mixes for any dish, a curry or kofta’s; their just ready for you enjoy! The size of the spice packets are designed to keep them as fresh as possible in resealable bags. 

Buy pure spice directly on line

If your looking for the purest of spices, organic and unadulterated then visit The Cooking Academy Spice shop http://www.thecookingacademy.co.uk/Spice-Shop.php

Our pure freshly ground and whole spices are available to buy on line directly from us at our web site or on our cookery classes to enable you to cook the dishes you have learned in your cookery class. 

Contact Alison@thecookingacademy.co.uk or telephone us on 0845 0 68 58 48

Vegetarian cookery classes - Here at The Cooking Academy

Vegetarian Cookery classes - learn to eat well on a vegetarian diet

Being vegetarian is a life choice.  Whilst some would consider the choice to have it limitations, I believe that being vegetarian liberates your choices significantly.  How so you might say?.  Well as a carnivore I think one places meats and poultry at the centre of their meal plan and then use a limited number of vegetables in their repetoire.   On the other hand, a vegetarian will enevitable use the the wide scope of vegetables at the centre of their meal thus have such a variety to choose from at their disposble, and will re invent even their favourite vegetables in so many different styles of cooking.   When you add pulses and lentils to the mix as well as soya bean curd ….the choice is really quite endless. 

Indian vegetarian cooking is particularly good good in bring variety and taste to ingredients.  I’ve often said that Indian vegetarian cookery is the  saving grace…. it’s much easier to be vegetarian when you’re able to cook Indian food as there is an even greater variety of vegetables native to the Indian and African sub continent .  Of course is the key here is to learn to cook indian vegetarian food .

If you are not already familiar then book onto a vegetarian cookery class - learn to cook Indian vegetarian food and it could change your diet in a very positive way, being vegetarian will become easy.  

It becomes amazingly easy to use different styles of cooking from a new country interchanged with different spices , you could cook the same ingredient 20 different ways and make the dish taste completely new each time.   

Vegetarian cookery classes in Hertfordshire & London

To find out more about our vegetarian cookery classes please contact Alison Earle at The cooking Academy on alison@thecookingacademy.co.uk or telephone her on 01923 778880

Cookery classes with Family and Friends at The Cooking Academy

Cookery Classes for family and friends

 I can’t think of a better way to spend my weekend leisure time doing something I enjoy with my family and friends. Throw good food and wine into the mix and that’s even better.  Finally add in the fact that you don’t have to do any preparation for a big get together or clean up afterwards, just walk away, heady from laughter, wine and over indulgence! Where do I sign  I hear you say.  The answer is book a closed cookery class with your family/friends here at The cooking Academy in Rickmansworth.  

 Today we have the Hennessy family doing just that, all attending a fish cookery class together. Actually the class has been tailored especially for them, so we’ve taken elements of both our Nutritional cookery class and Fish cookery class and created a cookery class for healthy eating.  The Hennessey’s’ are all in a bid to eat well, live well, and spend the day together in someone else’s space.  I can definitely see the advantages of that.    

 This is a very popular trend and one we are increasingly selling, with combinations of family and friends, just a group of friends or work colleagues enjoying a favourite past time.  It usually starts with one person expressing an interest, followed others wishing to join them and before too long they’ve created their own group to enable a closed cookery class.  The minimum requirement is 5 people for a one day class and 7 for a half day event. The style of cuisine is entirely of your choosing and dates can be agreed to suit you.

 If you would like more information of how to facilitate a group class or about our range of cookery classes in Rickmansworth & Amersham please contact Ronnie@thecookingacademy.co.uk or call us on 01923 778880.

Sushi made at the Sushi Master class - The Cooking Academy

Learn to make Sushi 

Today we’re running a sushi master class – 2.5 hours of intricate rolling and slicing of fresh fish. 

If you enjoy fine Sushi but can’t always get to the best Sushi restaurants and supermarket sushi doesn’t cut it then look no further.  Learn to make your own sushi.  Japanese cuisine is amongst the healthiest in the world and sushi makes a perfect meal, snack or lunch pack.  Sushi can be stored for up to 3 days dependent on the filling.  If you’re not partial to raw fish then cooked fish options and Vegetarian options are available.  

Our Sushi & Sashimi classes are designed to teach you the essential techniques to rolling your own sushi.  The step by step ‘hands on’ instructions and guidance from our chef is the key to perfecting this art and enjoying the really freshly made sushi and sashimi as often as you would like.   To find out more about any of our cookery classes call us on 01923 77 8880. 

For Sushi classes in Hertfordshire call us on 01923 778880 or email alison@thecookingacademy.co.uk

 Today we’re running the Middle Eastern Cookery class.  Delightful flavours of the Middle East andPersian cookery, using recipes as old as the hills of ancientPersia. 

The recipes in this cookery class have been passed down from generation to generation and we are delighted to share these with our delegates today.   We’ve been cooking dishes such as chicken with dates & local honey, juicy tender lamb meatballs with an original and traditional Cous Cous recipe.  All of these dishes are cooked ready to be taken home to share with family or friends as a self made take away. 

This is a ‘hands on’ class so all the delegates have had their sleeves rolled up and cooking pretty much all day to prepare this feast. 

If you want to know more about our Middle Eastern cookery class or book onto one of our classes please call us on 01923 778880 or email Alison@thecookingacademy.co.uk

Bombay potatoes - menu on the Indian cookery class at the Cooking Academy

Original Indian cookery classes – London & Hertfordshire

The temperatures outside are pretty close to those at the foothills of the Himalayas this morning, the cuisine is also going to pretty close. 

Today we’re running our Indian cookery class where delegates will learn the art of creating highly authentic spice blends and masala’s.  This 1 day Indian cookery classes focuses on developing an understanding of the essence and flavours of herbs & spices used in Indian cookery.  Delegates will touch , feel, smell, taste the spices as individual component ingredients to gradually begin to build a spice blend.  In doing so,discover the flavours and the variable tastes of the spices to their palette. 

To find out more about our Indian cookery classes please contact The cooking Academy on 01923 77 8880.

Tasty food - cookery classes for healthy eating

How to eat more and weigh less  Nutritional cookery classes at The Cooking Academy

There is a fine art to achieving the complexity of eating well and actually more, yet losing weight.  Here at The Academy we achieve this by examining the chemical composition of ingredients and cooking with foods that maximise the taste buds, fine tune the nutritional value and satisfy the stomach and soul.  

In this Nutritional cookery class we teach you to cook with ingredients that are healthy, have high nutritional value and taste exceptionally good.  If food doesnt taste great – it won’t become part of your cooking habit, before long you’ll soon fall back into your old ways of eating;  you’ve probably seen and heard this before.  Therefore it is important that food isn’t punitive or dull.  Contrary to common belief healthy food doesn’t have to be boring.  Our own food scientist and chefs in the cookery school will teach you how to get the best out of the food you buy, prepare and cook it.  Together we will share our nutritional knowledge of ingredients and recipes to pair up great food ideas to create a perfect marriage of excellent ingredients and delicious tastes, inspiring you to eat healthy, tasty and appealing food, encouraging you to stick with a cooking programme very easily at home.   This nutritional cookery class is designed for people who want to eat well, stay well and enjoy fabulous food.  If you care about your diet and well being, want to lose weigh,  yet enjoy eating real food then book onto this course now!   

Next class availability : Thursday 19th April 2012

Location: Rickmansworth/Hertfordshire  - The Cooking Academy