A Cookery school on you door step

You may be surprised to learn there’s a cookery school in Rickmansworth.  The Cooking Academy is a cookery school that focusses on the healthy and nutritional value of food, accross a wide range of cuisine.  The school offers a bespoke kitchen designed to put you at ease and is situation in beautifully set grounds, providing a relaxing yet learning enviroment – the best of both worlds.  The Cooking Academy offers cookery classes for beginners, for adults and children, teaching is done in small groups so that you get more of of the cookery class and much more one to one attention with the chefs.  It has a very practical and fundamental ethos, all cookery classes are hands on, you do all the cooking so there is more chance of you being able to recreate the dishes at home in your own kitchen.  

Cookery classes in Hertfordshire

Whilst the school is in Rickmansworth – customers come from all over Europe to attend classes here.  This is largely down the the expertise of the chefs in teaching a range of cuisines from around the world as well as beginners classes on how to cook good old English dishes.   The Cookery focusses on life skills, kitchen skills, how to cook easily and without fuss.  With small groups, and nutritional health as its core principles the classes teach not just the mechanics of how to cook, but why to cook with certain ingredients an how to get the best flavours and tastes out of simple spice blends.

Authentic & classic world cusines – Right here in Rickmansworth

Here’s a list and link to the various classes on offer :

 Cookery classes for Beginners   -  http://www.thecookingacademy.co.uk/BritishEuropeanClasses.php

  Indian Cookery classes  – http://www.thecookingacademy.co.uk/IndianCookeryClasses.php

Sushi Master classes -    http://www.thecookingacademy.co.uk/SushiClasses.php

Thai cookery classes -    http://www.thecookingacademy.co.uk/ThaiClasses.php

Middle Eastern Cookery classes –   http://www.thecookingacademy.co.uk/Middle-Eastern-Cookery-Classes.php

Nutritional cookery classes -  http://www.thecookingacademy.co.uk/Nutritional-Cookery-Classes.php

Fish cookery classes -  http://www.thecookingacademy.co.uk/FishClass.php

Learn to bake Bread  – http://www.thecookingacademy.co.uk/Bread-Course.php

Learn to make yummy desserts – http://www.thecookingacademy.co.uk/Dessert-Class.php

For further information please contact Sonia at The Cooking Academy tel: 01923 778880

Cookery classes for beginners at The cooking Academy in Hertfordshire

As Autumn sets in now is the time to start the soup recipes and there is no better place to start than with this delicious Cauliflower and Cheese soup.  It is a favourite of mine and made regularly in my home, served with some delicious crusty bread.   It keeps in the frudge for up to 4 days so make a little extra for later in the week.  Alternative, get into the habit of freezing soups in portion sizes, it become quite cost effective too.

Cauliflower & Cheese Soup  

 Serves 4

 Ingredients

 1 Cauliflower – Florets separated and cut down if very large pieces

4 or 5 charlotte potatoes – peeled and cut in half

1 litre of vegetable stock

4 sticks of celery – finely diced into ½ cm cubes

5 bay leaves

25g unsalted butter

1 tsp salt or to taste

5 black peppercorns fresh or dried, add in whole

50 g cheddar cheese or Manchego cheese is delightful

Splash double cream or crème fraise 

Cooking Instructions: 

1. In a large stock pan, melt the butter then add the bay leaves, celery, and black peppercorns garlic.  Stir well and cook with the lid on for 15 minutes  on a low heat, you want to soften the vegetables without colouring.   Now add the cauliflower and potatoes, Stir in, replace the lid and continue to cook on a low heat for a further 15 minutes, stirring gently from time to time.   
2. Now add the stock and bring to the boil. Once boiling, turn down the heat to a gentle simmer, return the lid and cook for 15 minutes. 
3. Remove from the heat and liquidise the soup very gently; or if you prefer a little more texture then use a potato masher to mash the solid vegetables.   
4. Return to the heat; now add the cheese and cream and check the seasoning after the cheese has disintegrated (cheese can be salty and will therefore add its own seasoning).  Sprinkle a little cheese on top and grill for a few minutes to develop a little crust … garnish with a few strands of rocket if desired or trying to show off your culinary skills to your family and friends …..

 Serve with some fresh crusty bread  - Enjoy

 Cooks tip 1: Use broccoli instead of cauliflower if desired

Cooks tip 2: Manchego Cheese or stilton cheese is delightful

Cookts tip 3: Everytime you add another ingredients to the pan increase the heat to bring the contents back up to temperature, However remember to return the heat back to the correct cooking temperature once you’ve got the temperature back up.   Most dishes cook better ‘low and slow’.

Health tips 1: Cauliflower is from the same family as broccoli.  It is rich in folate, vitamin C, vitamin E and beta-carotene. 

 Folate helps in making and stimulating blood; Folate is also essential for growth of body tissues and can prevent severe diseases like cancer and heart disease.   Vitamin C, acts as anti-oxidant; Vitamin E and beta-carotene, makes our immune system strong.

Cookery classes for Children & Teenagers at The cooking Academy Cookery school in Hertfordshire

Can your teenager cook for themselves ?

Are your ‘not so little’ loved ones going off to University this year?  If so are they ready to cook for themselves or will they be eating beans on toast for the next 3 years ? 

Perhaps the most important activity they will do during this holiday is to learn to cook in readiness for their independence and first flight away from home. 

Cookery classes for children

Learning to cook is one of the most important life skill one can ever learn.  It is preparation for life itself.  At the very least it ensures healthy survival from KFC.  A cook amongst a bunch of student will go down as an honoured fellow in deed, as they become rare breeds. 

Cookery classes for Teenagers

Our Teenagers cookery class is designed to get young people cooking before they start their new journey of life.  It is the perfect way to ensre your children can cook a healthy, cost effect meal that provides all of the nutritional value they need to support a healthy and active brain. 

Cookery classes for children are often seen as an expensive activity; I say think again.  It is a false economy to scrimp on £200 when you will invest in your childrens’ healthy 100 over by teaching them to cook.  The act of cooking in itself is a social skill as well as a life skill.  Teach your children to cook and they will live healthily for a life time.  And who knows – they might even cook for you?    

To find our more information about our cookery classes for Children and Teenagers please contact Cara@thecookingacademy.co.uk

 Cookery classes for Kids

Cookery classes for Kids at The Cooking Academy

Half term week is always reserved for school, in one way or another.  The first half of the week was for teachers who wish to attend the cookery school for personal cookery classes and can’t take time off during school term .  The latter half of the week has been devoted to teaching teenagers to cook for survival - basic kitchen skill and simple nutrious food to give them independence: what a  pleasure.  It s great to see so many children that are so enthusiastic about food and cooking.  I’m eternally grateful to the parent who share our ethos about cookery and see this ‘purchase’ as an investment in their childrens eating habits and future well being.  Teach them cook and they’ll eat well for a life time. 

Typically we teach them to cook a fish pie, a pasta sauce base from scratch, a white sauce, homemade burgers, a quick chicken dish and some veggie dishes – all on a  budget to get them through university and independent living.   They learn knife skill and simple techniques to be safe in the kitchen as well as short cuts to make food prep easy and save time.

 To find out more about our classes contact us on 01923 77 8880, or email cara@thecookingacademy.co.uk

I’m been teaching five fifteen years olds to Cook!  It been non stop all the way, but the enthusiam and interest and results have been worth all the work.  They are actually potential chef’s or food experts in some way or another… what at the age of ffifteen you say!    For the age, their palettes are pretty amazing, but actually in their case it is sheer interest.  It gives them a buzz and a tremendous sense of  purpose to be in control of something and want to achieve perfection.  Its mind blowing. 

Whats also amazing is just the extraordinary experiences of food and cooking they all have a t such a young age.  Two of ther student today have come from fairly previledged backgrounds so cooking is a great hobby and a passion.  For the others I think its been survival, sanity and self worth, which I admire with every inch of me!

I’ve had a  great day! enjoyed every minute of it and with each class – I learn something else about life and people! 

OK well now its back to the spice blends……..

 By Kumud Gandhi – Founder of Cooking Academy, writer & Broadcaster

Kids learning to cook

Well the class has finished and the kitchen is restored, however we had some utterly gifted teenagers in today.  Five kids and five perfect roux sauces, made from scratch with not a whisk in sight.  I have seen should good roux sauces from accomplished chef, perfectly silken and smooth. 

They learn’t to make a roux sauce to add to a fish pie.  This is one of the first things they learn, they are then shown how to turn this into a bechamel sauce or a cheese sauce for macaroni or cauliflower cheese.  They were so pleased with their sauce mix and pie filling that they practically licked the pan clean.  

They had a fantastic day, all really motivated to continue their culinary endeavours.  They took loads of food home to share with their families over the next few days.  Most of all they all have a tremendous sense of achievement. 

I think the parents want to come and learn as now! 

For further information about our cookery classes please call The Cooking Academy on 01923 720 697.

The

Cookery classes for Teenagers

This week we have had a lot of teenagers through the academy where we have been focussing on cookeryclasses for teenagers, getting young people to start cooking from an early age and giving them the confidence in the kitchen to get started.  You’ll be surprised, that’s all it takes, and like their fearless attraction for computers young people take to cooking like a duck to water. 

You’ll wonder why they don’t learn at home, but it’s quite simple, mum and dad telling them sounds like a chore.  At fourteen its hard enough to hold a conversation let alone get in some bonding time, which is what cooking can be once you get over the intial hurdle.  Kids do feel like its another instructions when it comes from a parent. 

Of course the other key factor is that cooking is a chore for a lot of parents, its a question of getting it done as quickly, painlessly, and effortlessly as possible.  Extending the agony by having a child making mistakes and making the kitchen a mess is beyond the pale!!!!  Sorry if I sound cynical -I see it in a lot of homes when I’m asked to help the family to learn to cook, or when I talk to kids about their experience cooking at home.   It’s the reason why they don’t bother. 

Finally, we assume that parents can cook and don’t rely on ready meals, take outs and restaurants themselves. It is no longer a skill that is learned at home by passive observation.  It is this single facor that has led to cookery needing to be taught outside the home, especially if we are to break the cycle and get home cooking back on the menu and a way of life.  

I really admire the teenagers that come to our cookery classes to learn to cook.   It takes courage to ask, it takes positive attitude to take the time out and it takes self awareness to realise its necessary.  These kids are mature and its worth every penny of the money their parents spend to send them, Its an investment in their future health, better than private health insurance, and cheaper!   

For more information on our cookery classes for Teeenagers or for adults, Indian cookery classes, Thai cookeryclasses please contact cara@thecookingacademy.co.uk or telephone 01923 720 697