What's been happening and What's for the future ?

Things have been busy at The Cooking Rooms and the rest of April and May are really looking good.
On 7th April, Keith gave a demonstration at the new York Chocolate Festival, the topic was 'Savoury dishes using chocolate' and he prepared 'Potato Snacks' potato crisps dipped in chocolate and sprinkled with fennel seeds, the audience snacked on these while Keith demonstrated  'Easter egg pasta' this was chocolate flavoured pasta served with egg and cream sauce, and garnished with bread sticks rolled with Parma ham and dipped in chocolate, and after this he prepared 'Salmon Feast' a juicy salmon steak coated with toasted nibbed almonds and grated chocolate, served on a bed of potato and parsnip puree and a leek and chive cream sauce.
The dishes were tasted by the audience and caused quite a stir seeing chocolate used this way but as Keith told them, ' chocolate is only sweet because we put sugar in it "

Indian Thali Workshop

A full house for this workshop which gave everyone the opportunity to learn about the Indian Thali and to prepare some delicious dishes and of course eat them.

Everyone prepared Aloo Ghobi( potato and cauliflower curry) Jeera Pilau rice( with cumin seeds) Cucumber raita, Tarka Dhaal( lentils) Spicey beef with Spinach, Puris( puffed bread) and a mango mousse.

Saturday 21st April is the day for Florian's Continental Patisserie class, which will be a tremendous session, we get great feedback from Florian's classes, I think they just like his Frenc accent !! only joking Florian.

Sunday 22nd is an Italian Masterclass with Keith the attendees will be making stuffed Focaccia, fresh egg pasta and Genovese pesto a delicious Tuscan Lamb Stew( Cutteriddi) with Polenta and marinaded chargrilled vegetables and to finish off a panna cotta with berries.

Our Cupcake class on 25th April is full but we will be putting another class on the schedule for the Autumn.

Simon's Sushi

There are couple of places left on The Sushi workshop on 28th with Simon Phillips, book online.

Seasonal Home Cooking 29th April

This is the second in our series of Seasonal Home Cooking, teaching good old fashioned skills and how to make some delicious spring dishes, these will be a Rabbit casserole with spring vegetables and a yummy rhubarb cheesecake - last place available on this one book online.

Macaroons Class 5th May

Sorry this is full and has been for quite a while, but don't worry we are repeating the class very soon, if you want to be the first to hear about it drop an email to Sue at info@thecookingrooms.com.

May 19th Thai Masterclass

Another of our really popular classes the last two places are available book on line www.thecookingrooms.com.

Learn how to make delicious Thai specialties, with our manager Keith who has just returned from another foodie break in Bangkok.

Indian Thali - 23rd May

Because of the popularity of our previous class ( see above) we are holding another Indian Thali class, don't miss out this time book now www.thecookingrooms.com

This is followed a week later with an Indian Vegetarian Class should be a spicy affair but we forget that a large majority of the Indian population are vegetarians and their repertoire of dishes is immense.

One of the Community classes we are looking forward to is our class for Hearing Impaired young people, these classes are being run in partnership with City of York Deaf and Hearing support Team, should be a great series of classes.

So lots of things happening and  I am about to put the new classes for the Autumn on the website so keep looking  and don't forget to join us on Facebook and you can also join us on Twitter @thecookingrooms, there is alo a short picture parade on You Tube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlleoQSMKF8.

Happy Cooking

Mad as a March Hare !!!

March is with us and started with sunshine and by the 4th we had SNOW

But we have had some great classes, and happy budding chefs, our seasonal home cooking class saw us all cooking comforting Pea and ham soup, Cottage pie with a root vegetable topping and toasted with Wenslydale cheese and finishing off with yummy orange baked pudding.
Our Indian Masterclass filled The Cooking Rooms with the smell of spices, garlic and ginger as we made Prawn Masala, Chicken Dopiaza, fresh Naan, Cardomom Pilau rice, Aloo Gobi and Cucumber Raita, lots to eat and take home.

March Madness

These classes in March have great offers: Must be booked over the phone and mention the Mad March offers 01904 500700
March 16th - 6:30-9pm Spanish Tapas with Juan Jose of 'Tapas to Go' this is a hands on class and you can get 20% off if two people book - bring a friend .

March 24th - Chocaholic , Chocolate workshop 10am - 2pm with our master confectioner Florian Poirot.
Florian has just won a gold medal at Hotelympia Culinary Competition for his sugar creation and also he was 'Best in Class'

Florian's class has a 20% discount if two people book together - Telephone bookings only quoting march madness.

March 25th - Seasonal Home Cooking Workshop with our Chef manager Keith Miller will be cooking Hot Cross buns ready for Easter and  Chicken and Leek Pie.

For this class we are offering a free place for a child ( 11-16yrs) if they come with an adult.

Telephone booking only quoting March madness parent and child offer.

The Change Foundation

The Cooking Rooms is part of The Change Foundation (charity no. 1139413www.thechangefoundation.co.uk) an organisation dedicated to the advancement of education and training for public benefit. As a cookery school our mission is to enhance quality in health and nutrition through experiential learning, courses and awareness events. We partner with focus and support groups involved in the sector and hold physical and spiritual well being central to our values. All profit from commercial activity is directed to the promotion of these charitable aims. 

In the past we have run cookery course for Young carers, Autistic Children and Independant Living classes, and we will be holding a series of cookery class in conjunction with the Deaf and Hearing Support Team in York during April and May.

The Cooking Rooms also works with another arm of The Change Foundation http://icango2.com/

delivering cookery classes.

Happy Cooking

SPRING IS IN THE AIR

As the snow melts and hopefully will not return, we will begin to see the Ramps/ Wild garlic beginning to emerge, this amazing tasty wild plant grows in profusion in wooded areas and can be used in s many ways, just chop the broad green leaves and add them to a salad or to a hearty soup at the last minute, when the beautiful delicate white flowers emerge these can be dipped in a light tempura batter and quickly deep fried.

Another plant that I love to pick in the spring is Hop shoots and here in Yorkshire were we have so many breweries you will see them growing in the hedgerows near to the breweries where the seeds have blown in the wind as the hops are delivered.

THE ITALIAN WAY

Talking of garlic !!.. York's local Masterchef Finalist Sara Danison Medio is planning some fabulous courses on Italian Food at The Cooking Rooms

I was born in Italy, a triplet, and grew up in a traditional Italian family, where both my parents were and remain real foodies.

I remember fondly the seasonal outings with my dad foraging for mushrooms, wild asparagus, dandelions and radicchio; and of course the days spent in the kitchen with my mother creating beautiful food.

The strong Venetian background on my father’s side made me very much aware of what the sea had to offer throughout the year. I remember competing with my siblings on who had the blackest teeth after a polenta and cuttle fish ink dish or who cook eat the most clams!

The afternoons spent at my grandfather’s house in Padova were very stimulating as he had had a very popular restaurant in the city centre. He would tell me all about catering, how hard it was to run a catering business and lots of tales of missed disasters in the kitchen.

I met my husband David – another foodie and my long time mentor - in Egypt in 1993 during a scuba diving holiday and spent a few months together trying all sorts of local ingredients like sweetbreads, calf’s brains and the most amazing fruit and vegetables.

The following year we moved to York where he completed his PhD. After a full immersion English course, a job in a pub and in a local primary school, my English became good enough to secure a job at York hospital where I became an intensive care deputy sister.

I now realise that food has always been a part of me and MasterChef has provided the platform from which to pursue my culinary dream one step further: making food at age 40 a way of life.

Sara's classes are on May 22nd, June 20th & August 22nd, places can be booked via the website www.thecookingrooms.com

While you are on the website look at all the other great classes we have got planned, there are topics to suit everybody, but if there is something that you would like introduced just let us know info@thecookingrooms.com.

Food Allergies and Intolerences 

In response to requests Sally Duffin our nutritionalist and Keith Miller our chef manager are in the process of putting together a series  of classes on Food Allergies and Intolerances.

These classes will be a combination of  information sessions with Question and Answer and practical cookery skills on suitable dishes. Let us know if you have an interest in these classes and we can inform you as soon as they become available.

So Happy Cooking

Half-term and More

The snow has arrived in Yorkshire, I am sure just briefly but looks great.

At The Cooking Rooms ( www.thecookingrooms.com) we are nice and toasty and looking forward to our next lot of classes, and we do have some places available.
the ' Puff Pastry creations' class with Instructor Florian Poirot will be making Vanilla Mille Feuillies and a modern Tart Tatin. This is on Saturday 11th February 10am - 2pm and there is are places available 20% discount if you book 2 places bookable by Telephone( Tel: 01904 500700), so bring a friend and enjoy baking and take home some delicious products for friends and family.

Half - term is here again - It doesn't seem like two minutes since school started after Christmas !! so we have two cookery sessions for Children on Thursday16th February, one in the morning for 8-11yr olds and one in the afternoon for 12-16yrs , Gilly Cooper is the instructor, she will be taking the children through winter warming soups, bread and delicious puds, there is also a 20% discount for two people on these classes bookable by telephone ( Tel: 01904 500700).

On Friday 17th February our Sushi expert Simon has a class on what else but Sushi, you will learn the skill of sushi rice and how to use a variety of ingredients in making a selection of sushi. This class is suitable for all ages and will suit parent and child , so if you book by telephone( 01904500700) there is a free child place for each adult booking.

The Cooking Rooms winter soup recipe, a great soup originated in the North of Italy which uses beans and rice as well as vegetables. 

Minestrone alla Milanese

1 tbsp olive oil

50g smoked bacon cut into small pieces( leave out if vegetarian)

( you could use pancetta)

1 medium onion chopped

2 clove of garlic finely chopped

Small bunch parsley chopped

1 small carrot  halved lengthwise and sliced

1 celery stick sliced

1 courgette diced

2 large ripe tomatoes diced

10 green beans diced

1 can cooked  borlotti beans drained

25g arborio rice

Garnish

Torn basil leaves and grated Parmesan cheese

Method

Fry the bacon in the oil gently

Add the onion, garlic , cook gently ( sweat)  without colouring.

Add carrot, celery and tomatoes

Cover with water and cook for 30 minutes

Add all the other ingredients and cook until rice is soft

Adjust the consistency and season to taste, pour into bowl, garnish with basil leaves and parmesan cheese.

A big chunk of Italian breads goes well with this.

Chinese New Year

Monday, 23 January 2012 is the beginning of Chinese New year and is the year of Dragon. Some people say 2012 is a Black Dragon or Water Dragon year. This is because the Stem-Branch Calendar is connected to the Five Element theory. Chinese calendars used the Stem branch system to count the days, months and years. There are 10 Stems and 12 Branches in this system. Stems are named by the Yin-Yang and Five Elements (Metal, Water, Wood, Fire and Earth).

 The Stem sequence order is

 

Yang Wood, Yin Wood, Yang Fire, Yin Fire, Yang Earth, Yin Earth, Yang Metal, Yin Metal, Yang Water and Yin Water. Branches use animal names.

The Branch sequence order is

 

 Rat, Cow, Tiger, Dragon, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Chicken, Dog and Pig.

 Stem and Branch are used together to form a cycle of 60 counting systems which begin with

 Wooden Rat and end with   Water Pig.

Year 2012 is Male Water Dragon   the 29th of the Stem-Branch in the system. Because Water is connected to Black in the Five Element System, Year 2012 is also called the Black Dragon year.

CONFUSED ??

So why not celebrate Chinese New Year with this delicious recipe:

SALT & PEPPER PORK -  serves 4

500g diced lean pork shoulder or pork fillet

2 teaspoons light soy sauce

2 teaspoons rice wine or dry sherry

large pich salt

1 teaspoon of tosated sesame oil

2 teaspoons cornflour

vegetable oil for frying

6 cloves of garlic finely chopped

2 teaspoons of crushed Sezchaun peppercorns

1 teaspoon of ground five spice powder

1/ teaspoon of chilli powder

Method

Mix together the pork, soy sauce, rice wine or sherry,salt, toasted sesame oil and cornflour.

Heat a wok with enough oil just to cover the pork when added.

When it is medium hot deep fry the pork until golden brown.
Remove the pork with a slotted spoon and put onto kitchen paper
Pour off the oil apart from 1 tablespoon 
Reheat and add the garlic, stir fry for 10secs, add the peppercorns and chili powder and stir fry for a further 10 seconds, return the pork to the wok and cook for a further  3 minutes.
Serve with rice or noodles. ENJOY

'Kung Hei Fat Choy'

New Classes Nudge

All our latest classes are on the web site 

www.thecookingrooms.com

and you can

 book online or by telephone.

There is still time to take advantage of our 20% discount

if you book 

two places on one of the classes, so why not

come with a friend and  

enjoy 20% discount.

Places still available on the first of our new bakery classes

on Fridayevening February 10th ' How to Cook - Pastry'

and also just a couple of places left for the Patisserie Workshop

on Puff Pastry Creations with Florian Poirot on

 Saturday 11th February.

We hope to see you soon - Happy Cooking.

NEW YEAR FOOD RESOLUTIONS

My food resolutions for 2012 have not been reached easily, but after much heartache and thought here they are, maybe you have some as well, why not share them with us.

1. Don't buy too much, thinking that you will use it up tomorrow, you don't because who want's to eat the same thing for two days.

2. Eat more fruit,........if Tarzan's chimp can live to be 90 there must be something good in fruit.

3. Stop complaining about the price of fish, there's only so much fish in the sea.

4. Stop buying the carrots at the farm-shop which come from the field next door, and are  twice as expensive as the supermarket ?? in fact why is everything twice as expensive in a Farm shop ?

5. Eat meat only twice a week.

6. Get the sour dough starter going again and make more sour dough bread at home.

7. Be more outspoken when I get served rubbish in a pub that they are passing off as 'Home Made Food'

8. Drink more beer when eating out, it really does complement robust flavoured food, instead of paying a ridiculous mark up for an average bottle of wine.

9. Ask for tap water before the waiter brings a bottle of  1,222 year old Molton Icelandic Glacier at £4.50 a bottle.

10. Cook a steamed Steak and Kidney pudding, seasoned with Worcestershire sauce, before the spring.


What's new at The Cooking Rooms for 2012

If you want to see our complete list of classes at The Cooking Rooms go to www.thecookingrooms.com but here are some of the highlights.

February half - term has classes for Junior and Young chefs and also a Sushi class with Simon Phillips suitable for all ages.

We have some great classes with Florian on Patisserie and Confectionery and also a ' Best of Baking Series of classes for those of you who are keen or budding bakers.
Our new ' How to Cook' series of classes are for aspiring cooks who want to learn the basics.

As usual we will be offering classes in ethnic cuisines, including, Thai, Indian South East Asian, Spanish and |Moroccan.
After some requests we have  bi-monthly demonstration sessions which will have lots of tastings and of course top quality information and tips as well.

Great New Cookery Classes and Gift Vouchers for 2012

We have listened to the wonderful people who have attended classes at The Cooking Rooms and we have put together an exciting programme of classes for 2012 ( well up to July at the moment).

They are all on the website www.thecookingrooms.com  - but, let me give you a taster of what's on offer.

Because of the current interest in home baking we have a series of classes 'Best of Baking' these classes are only £35.00 each but if you book onto all 4 you only pay £100.00 for them all.


If you fancy something a bit different than home baking then Florian Poirot our master confectioner has a series of classes ' Confectionery and Patisserie' 

Our classes on European and Ethnic cuisine are as popular as ever and Simon Phillips will be teaching the techniques behind making Sushi and Juan Jose has classes on Spanish tapas

This year we have included a group of Taster sessions which are Demonstrations by Keith Miller, these sessions will let you see techniques and cooking methods of different cuisines and also there will be lots of tasting during the demonstrations.

Gift Vouchers

Cooking Room gift vouchers are an ideal Christmas present for someone who enjoys cooking and they can be ordered on the web site or by emailing info@thecookingrooms.com or Tel: 01904500700.

Christmas Cooking Tips

A little thought goes a long way when preparing for Christmas Cooking, especially if you are having guests and are not used to cooking for such large numbers.

1. Have a cold starter which you can prepare in advance such as Baby Spinach, Cherry Tomato,Bacon and Roquefort Salad garnished with crispy croutons,with an olive oil, white wine vinegar and wholegrain mustard dressing.

2. If you are having roast turkey allow at least 30 minutes resting time after it is cooked, it will carve so much better.

3. Don't serve too many types of vegetables, a couple of really interesting vegetables dishes along with roast potatoes and the trimmings is plenty. Sprouts mix really well with nuts such as flaked almonds or chopped  hazelnuts.Part cook your potatoes in boiling water, drain  before roasting in hot oil or goosefat.

4. Christmas pudding is delicious but very rich so only a small amount needs to be served.

Remember most of all the cook should enjoy the meal as much as the guests.

From everybody at The Cooking Rooms have a wonderful enjoyable Christmas and a great New year, we hope to see you soon.

HAPPY COOKING