Cooking for a better quality of life

 The effect of food on our well being is absolutely paramount.   Even minor changes in our eating habit can lead to major changes in our health for the better or worse.   What you eat can not only affect you on a day to day basis but can having a major effect on the quality of your life in the future and indeed the length of your live.  When you put it like that, it sounds quite harsh!  

So if it is as easy as eating well, we should all be on the right path instantly, almost like a tick in the box……   However I don’t think it’s as easy as that.  The trick is to know what to eat, and how to decipher what fad to follow.  There is a myriad of confusing and conflicting information about what we should and shouldn’t eat, what’s good for us, five a day , seven a day, eat eggs, don’t eat eggs….   to name but a few.  

An investment for your quality of life   

Vitamins, minerals and fibre are essential to our growth and most importantly to future health as well; Meat, fish, eggs, fizzy drinks and squash does not contain any fibre. Only food made out of plant base contains fibre; however wheat does not count since most wheat has been refined and the fibre in this process has been lost.  Stools are a very important indication of our health.  Stagnant stools are toxic and can cause risk to the body and can increase the chances of bowel cancer.  Do we pay enough attention to these things? Do we realise the impact of poor bowel motions?

Our One day Nutritional Cookery class is designed to give you some impartial information and fact about food.  What our body needs and how much of it we should be eating.  In this nutritional cooking class we will give you some key information about meal plans, a menu of high energy breakfasts to maximize your daily output both physical and mental.  

Cooking Wonder foods with great flavour

This class will teach you to cook with great flavours to enjoy some powerful wonder foods on a daily basis; how to incorporate simple foods into your diet that will deliver great health benefits and feel good factor.    We will unearth some simple everyday health points and get you to question yourself about your body to improve the way you look after yourself.  This is your investment in yourself and if you care for other people then you are actually a very important person to look after, since your well being determines other peoples well being as well. 

To book our 1 day nutritional cooking courses please call Sonia on 01923 778880 now and book onto one of our classes today.

Beginners cooking classes 

We all have to begin somewhere, having the desire to learn is a great place to start.  To be able to cook is a very important life skill, very much underated in the modern world.  But here’s the thing – we all have to eat, in fact we eat several time a day and knowing what to eat to the greatest knowledge of all. 

The Cooking Academy is the home of learning to cook; we teach people to cook,  providing a range of cookery classes for beginners, cooking classes for children as well as cookery classes for adults.   We embrace the desire to cook and teach you how to enjoy food at its best. Whether you’re an accomplished cook and want to learn different skills or learn the basics right the way through … our cookery school in Hertfordshire is ideally placed broaden your confidence in the kitchen.  

Our beginners cooking classes will begin will some basic knife skills to get you working efficiently in the kitchen.  Then we will begin to show you some simple techniques to make light of sauces and the bases for many dishes.  We will show you how to cook everyday simple dishes that will help you to eat healthily yet tasty delicious food for you and your family.   Its not just survival food ….. it will inspire you to go on and make a wide range of dishes to keep your taste buds coming back for more. 

Take a look at the class information on our website http://www.thecookingacademy.co.uk/cookery-classes-for-beginners.php

If you would like to book a place please contact us on 01923 778880 or email cara@thecookingacademy.co.uk.

Why to use spices in cooking

Why do we use spices

Today we have our ever popular Indian cookery class – which remains the most popular in our range.   We’re seeing more and more delegates who have been referred to us by family and friends who have attended other classes.  Thank you to those who have spread the word.    People often say they Indian food is complex because it uses so many different spices, in our spice trail we de mystify this complexity and explain in simple english the theory and practicality of spices.

We start this class by taking a journey of spices and we criss cross the globe to talk about the origination of spices and why they are used with certain ingredients, we’ll talk about the medicinal values and the all important how to use to good effect – The method behind the madness.

If you would like to know more about spices contact us here at the Academy and join in this very engaging and hands on cookery class – youi’ll learn much more than you ever imagined. 

Call Sonia on 01923 778880 to book your class

Great food, Nutritious - learn to cook it - on the nutrional cookery class

The smart food for weight loss – The really effective diet

Diets are not really about punishment or food deprivation.  diet actually means  ‘a great way of eating’.  If that doesn’t sound like your diet then you need to come to our Nutritional cooking classes where you really can learn to eat more and weigh less .   Losing weight means you need to increase your metabolic rate.  You won’t achieve that by reducing your intake of food.  Infact you will have the reverse effect on your body – resulting in slowing down your metabolic rate and therefore not losing weight at all – worse still potentially gaining it when you start to eat normally.  

Our nutritional cookery classes examines the effects of eating  on the body and looks at ways to increase the metabolism and eat the things that are efficient for the body to digest and speed up your metabolic rate.  We’ll teach you to eat food that is good for you, your taste buds and your waist line! 

Call us on 01923 778880 to book your class or email Cara for more information. cara@thecookingacademy.co.uk

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

This is my amongst one of my favourite Indian cookery classes – I get to share the spice trail with avid cooks and budding new chefs who want to learn to cook.  Cooking is such a sensory experience and learning to use all your sense to cook is the key to enjoying food.  If you can do that you’ll want to learn to cook more and widen your culinary journey.  

If you’re looking to learn new kitchen skill, hints and tops about storing food and preserving spices then this

cookery class is the one for you.    

For further information or to book your Indian/Asian cookery classes call us on 0845 0 68 58 48 or email us on cara@thecookingacademy.co.uk

Cookery classes in London

Cookery classes in Hertfordshire

Learn to cook Indian, Learn to cook Asian, Indian cooking classes

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

Figs are in season and highly recommended by me! and I’m sure many before me! Figs are said to be ‘The food of the gods’, but if not for the gods then certainly those that need to be strong and run marathons and compete both in mind and body. Actually it is said that man could live if figs alone – they are so nutritionally rich, I would disagree(you know how I feel about balance).

Native to the Middle East, figs were one of the first fruits ever to be cultivated. These days they are more popular in their dry form as they tend to be very delicate and deteriorate very quickly. Pick figs that are deep in colour and don’t wash them until you’re about to use them

Figs are high in natural and simple sugars – great for fibre, more than any other common fruit. I like figs because they contain lots of important unobvious minerals such as potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, copper and manganese; unobvious but crucial to bone development, muscle strength and a strong body. Dried figs contain an impressive 250mg of calcium per 100g, compared to whole milk with only 118mg, particularly impressive if you are lactose intolerant as this gives an important souce of calcium you may otherwise lack.

The Health Benefits
Most importantly they promote a healthy bowel function due to the high levels of fibre and you know my thoughts on fibre – regularity is the key to good health. Figs are amongst the most highly alkaline foods, making them useful in balancing the pH of the body. They are a good source of potassium, important in helping to regulate blood pressure. Their high pectin levels, which is a soluble fibre, make them good for lowering blood cholestrol.

My recommendation is eat plenty of figs whilst their in season – its a short season at that! but eat dried figs when they are not; they have some great health benefits – I’ve listed some of the the serious benefactors from a fig diet but actually thier good for Insomnia, skin, stress and memory, and it s the natural sugar and high water content that does it, believe it or not.
Wrap the figs in prosciutto and roast for 15 minutes, put them in a salad with goats cheese, add them to porridge, eat them as a snack for a quick brain boost! Take your pick!

Our Indian cookery classes are designed for people who want to learn how to make everyday Indian food in a quick and easy way. Our recipes are simple but authentic and reflect the Indian food eaten by Indian families. A typical will cover a comprehensive spice trail, make a number of spice blends and cook a fish dish, a chicken dish and paneer followed by a number of vegetables dishes and starters such as pakoras and somosas. The class is action packed and entirely hands on with you doing all the cooking. Class sizes are small with only 5 people per class. For more information on how to attend one of our Indian cookery clases or for booking advice please call us on 0845 567 00 22 Or email us at: cara@thecookingacademy.co.uk or find us at www.the cookingacademy.co.uk

This One day Indian cookery class is a treat for anyone who enjoys real Indian food. Learn to cook favourites such as Salmon Bites, Chilli chicken Tikka, Masala Paneer, Pakora’s and raitu.

for booking information contact Cara Brummitt on 0845 567 00 22.