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.

The Cooking Academy - cookery school

Last minute Christmas Gifts

If you still have that elusive gift to buy for someone with a passion for food why not buy them cookery gift vouchers for a cookery class at The Cooking Academy.  This is ideal gift who someone who loves to cook and wants a little inspiration in the kitchen.  It also pays dividends back to you in the form of fabulous homecooked recipes that makes your mouth water. 

Don’t worry about delivery – you can print off your voucher instantly so that you still have something to give on the 25th December. 

Our cookery voucher start from £50 and we offer a wide range of cookery classes for the novice – right up to courses for chef’s. 

Visit our website on http://www.thecookingacademy.co.uk/AboutUs.phpor call us on 01923 778880 for further information. 

Authentic Indian cookery classes

 If you want to learn to cook Authentic Indian food then this is it!  Its a hands on cookery class for people who love to cook real Indian food.  The class provides a comprehensive spice trail – teaching you all about the spices used in Asian food not just Indian.   Then you learn to make spice blends.  It’s an experience in which all your senses are awaken, and all your taste buds are used to identify flavours.  The class will demistify the myth that Asian cookery is complicated or time consuming. 

If you want to learn to cook Indian food book now on 0845 068 58 48 or email cara@thecookingacademy.co.uk.

If you would like to learn to cook curries our 1 day Curry cookery class will be a real baptism of fire, The day is jam packed from cooking from the off.

This ever increasing popular cusine is brought to you by The cooking Academy. Learn to make great Thai food and learn all about the Herbs and spices in Thai cuisine. In this class you will make the Original Thai Red curry paste – as made in Thailand in its most authentic recipe. Having mastered the paste you will go on to making Thai fish cakes, the original Thai Chicken curry and jasmin rice.
The recipes created in this class are authentic Thai food as eaten by Thai people and learning to cook Thai food couldn’t be easier.
For more information or for booking advice please call us on 0845 567 00 22 Or visit our web site http://www.thecookingacademy.co.uk

This masterclass is especially designed to give you an indepth insite into the wonderful spices of the world.  In the class we examine the herbs and spices that can be used to provide a simple change yet powerful boost of flavour to any dish, whether its Italian, Thai, English or freench.  with so many herbs and spices to choose from – what should you use to flavour fish, what’s the best herb for season beef, if any, and how else should you use oregano or mustard and more to point why should you use these ingredients in food.  Discover your palette, learn to make infusions and and learn to cook simple food yet make it taste amazing.   

A spice Trail at The Cooking Academy

Got a great day ahead with lots of authentic Thai cooking. Whats on the menu? The real deal red curry paste to kick things off , followed by Fish cakes that do wanting more!, Cococonut & Prawn soup, POrk spring rolls, Jasmin Rice and the orginal redThai curry. A georgous day for it! I looking forwarda to meeting the class very shortly.