Hey there, Cracking Good Food fans... just wanted to update you quickly on some upcoming events you might be interested in! In between training up loads of fab new Cracking Cooks, we're also working hard to bring you some great new cooking sessions this spring.
On Saturday 19 March (11am–2pm; Chorlton High School) we'll be baking unusual cupcakes with new CGF chef Deanna, who works at Chorlton's North Star Deli.
On Saturday 26 March (1pm–4pm; Chorlton Ees - meet opp Bowling Green pub), we're off on another of our Wild Food Forages with herbalist and wild food expert Jesper Launder.
On Saturday 2 April (11am–2pm; Chorlton High School), Rob is back with his Sustainable Fish dishes, showing you how to fillet a fish as well as cook it!
On Saturday 16 April, we'll be celebrating Cracking Good Food's first birthday at Chorlton's Big Green Festival, where it all began! Come along for a fun cooking experience and some birthday cake! See the festival website for details of the day: http://greenchorlton.org.uk/
On Saturday 7 May (11am–2pm; Chorlton High School), Kim from Islington Mill Cafe will be cooking up some tasty tarts and quiches using seasonal spring veg. Expect asparagus...
On Saturday 14 May (11am–2pm; Chorlton High School), Rob is baking bread again - see our Facebook page for photos from the last two sessions here.
To book places on any of the sessions...
* visit our website at http://crackinggoodfood.org/
* email fiona@crackinggoodfood.org
* telephone 0845 652 2572
* pop in to Hickson & Black’s deli on Barlow Moor Road in Chorlton
Showing posts with label Rob. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rob. Show all posts
3 March 2011
19 February 2011
NEW CLASSES ANNOUNCED!
Tuesday 1 March – Risotto
Vegetarian; £20; 6–9pm; Chorlton High School, Nell Lane, M21 7SL
Learn the traditional Italian techniques of risotto-making with vegetarian chef Kim from Islington Mill. You'll master a two-grain squash version plus wild mushroom and tarragon.
Saturday 5 March – Pizza SORRY, THIS CLASS HAS BEEN CANCELLED!
Vegetarian; £20; 11am–2pm; Chorlton High School, Nell Lane, M21 7SL
Bake your own delicious handmade pizzas and calzones using seasonal ingredients. With Richard from Chorlton's own cooperative grocery Unicorn.
Saturday 12 March – Fish & Veggy Curry SORRY, THIS CLASS HAS BEEN CANCELLED!
Fish/vegetarian; £20; 11am–2pm; Chorlton High School, Nell Lane, M21 7SL
Back due to popular demand: Kath from Unicorn will be cooking up fish and vegetable curries and even homemade naan bread to serve with them.
Saturday 19 March – Cupcakes
Vegetarian; £20; 11am–2pm; Chorlton High School, Nell Lane, M21 7SL
Newcomer Deanna from North Star Deli and Electrik's Guestrant will be baking a range of unusual cupcakes (courgette and carrot, anyone?) and showing how to decorate them.
Saturday 26 March – Wild Food Foraging
Vegetarian; £20; 1pm–4pm; Chorlton Ees (meet opp Bowling Green pub).
Another chance to forage and cook up early edible shoots, leaves and springtime mushrooms. With herbalist and wild food expert Jesper Launder.
Saturday 2 April – Sustainable Fish
Fish; £25; 11am–2pm; Chorlton High School, Nell Lane, M21 7SL
Back due to popular demand: Rob will show you how to fillet a fish, cook a seasonal flat fish Veronique and make goujons with garlic yoghurt dip.
To book places on any of these classes...
- visit our website at http://crackinggoodfood.org/
- email fiona@crackinggoodfood.org
- telephone 0845 652 2572
- pop in to Hickson & Black’s deli on Barlow Moor Road in Chorlton
17 February 2011
GUEST BLOG: Baking hot
By guest blogger CAROLYN DICKSON
The lovely Rob was showing us all how to make bread on the second of the advanced breadmaking sessions Cracking Good Food ran at Chorlton High School, this one on the evening of Tuesday 1 February. It was a busy session as we were making Brioche and Rugbrød (Danish Rye Bread), and also learning about the fundamentals of how to make Sour Bread.
Rob had prepared the yeast in advanced for Sour Bread as it can take up to three to seven days for the yeast to ferment. We also learned how yeast actually makes bread rise: active yeast will foam and bubble as it ferments the sugar into ethanol and carbon dioxide. Some recipes refer to this as proofing the yeast as it "proves" (tests) the viability of the yeast before the other ingredients are added. When using a Sour Dough starter, flour and water are added instead of sugar; this is referred to as proofing the sponge.
For the Brioche, we activated the yeast by adding it to warm water with sugar, and for the Rye, we dissolved molasses and butter in some warm water and again stirred in the yeast until there was a good ‘head’ of active yeast on the surface.
Once the dough is kneaded until it is smooth, it is left to rise, sometimes until it has doubled in size. Some bread dough are knocked back after one rising and left to rise again. A longer rising time gives a better flavour, but the yeast can fail to raise the bread in the final stages if it is left for too long initially. The dough is then shaped into loaves, left to rise until it is the correct size, then baked.
Great results were produced as you can see by the photo above, and I can still smell the bread: very moreish indeed. We of course sampled the bread we baked afterwards with cup of tea and we were all chuffed at ourselves for producing three amazing breads in only three hours...
More photographs from the two Advanced Breadmaking sessions we ran can be seen on our Facebook page - just click here to view the album.
The lovely Rob was showing us all how to make bread on the second of the advanced breadmaking sessions Cracking Good Food ran at Chorlton High School, this one on the evening of Tuesday 1 February. It was a busy session as we were making Brioche and Rugbrød (Danish Rye Bread), and also learning about the fundamentals of how to make Sour Bread.
Rob had prepared the yeast in advanced for Sour Bread as it can take up to three to seven days for the yeast to ferment. We also learned how yeast actually makes bread rise: active yeast will foam and bubble as it ferments the sugar into ethanol and carbon dioxide. Some recipes refer to this as proofing the yeast as it "proves" (tests) the viability of the yeast before the other ingredients are added. When using a Sour Dough starter, flour and water are added instead of sugar; this is referred to as proofing the sponge.
For the Brioche, we activated the yeast by adding it to warm water with sugar, and for the Rye, we dissolved molasses and butter in some warm water and again stirred in the yeast until there was a good ‘head’ of active yeast on the surface.
Once the dough is kneaded until it is smooth, it is left to rise, sometimes until it has doubled in size. Some bread dough are knocked back after one rising and left to rise again. A longer rising time gives a better flavour, but the yeast can fail to raise the bread in the final stages if it is left for too long initially. The dough is then shaped into loaves, left to rise until it is the correct size, then baked.
Great results were produced as you can see by the photo above, and I can still smell the bread: very moreish indeed. We of course sampled the bread we baked afterwards with cup of tea and we were all chuffed at ourselves for producing three amazing breads in only three hours...
More photographs from the two Advanced Breadmaking sessions we ran can be seen on our Facebook page - just click here to view the album.
8 February 2011
Fancy fast food
In the third of our four trips to Dial Park Primary School in Stockport, Cracking Cook Rob showed us how to make Fancy Fast Food! We did mackerel fish cakes with hand-bashed, homemade breadcrumbs, and also nut burgers. Plenty of the kids and even the grown-ups were calling them ‘yuk burgers’ at first, but that all changed to ‘yum burgers’ when they tasted them and they went down really, really well. These were served with a garlic and yoghurt dip that was very popular plus two salads: one made with grated carrot and another using mixed leaves, both tossed in a garlic and mustard French dressing.
It was another really good event, with full-on participation from the schoolchildren and their parents and plenty of good food eaten! Everyone seemed very impressed and we're sorry next week's session will be the last at the school! There are loads more photos from the session on Monday 7 February over on the Cracking Good Food Facebook page.
6 February 2011
Top of the class!
Cracking Good Food are really pleased to be running a series of workshops at Dial Park Primary School in Stockport, with the help of funding from The Cooperative Membership. Four sessions will take place in total, and we're halfway through!
On Monday 24 January, Juliet showed the kids and their parents how to cook Healthy Pot Noodles. Everyone got cracking with the chopping of vegetables to stir-fry - mushrooms, leeks, carrots, onions - and it was a great chance to try out some new flavours and see how simple it is to prepare tasty, vitamin-packed food from scratch.
On Monday 31 January, Kim inspired the class with her Homemade Hotpot, cooking a wholesome warming winter stew using beans and root vegetables including beetroot, butternut squash, parsnip, carrot, potato, leek and onion. This was served with rosemary-flavoured dumplings, mustard mash and caramelised onions, and everyone agreed the end result was yummy as well as easy on the wallet.
Tomorrow, Rob will be making Fancy Fast Food from fishcakes to veggie burgers, then next week Avril will be cooking up a Curry without the Takeaway. We're really looking forward to both these classes, and hope the kids and their parents also find them helpful and rewarding.
For more photos from the school classes, please visit our Facebook page by clicking here. And don't forget to keep checking back to see photos from the upcoming classes!
On Monday 24 January, Juliet showed the kids and their parents how to cook Healthy Pot Noodles. Everyone got cracking with the chopping of vegetables to stir-fry - mushrooms, leeks, carrots, onions - and it was a great chance to try out some new flavours and see how simple it is to prepare tasty, vitamin-packed food from scratch.
On Monday 31 January, Kim inspired the class with her Homemade Hotpot, cooking a wholesome warming winter stew using beans and root vegetables including beetroot, butternut squash, parsnip, carrot, potato, leek and onion. This was served with rosemary-flavoured dumplings, mustard mash and caramelised onions, and everyone agreed the end result was yummy as well as easy on the wallet.
Tomorrow, Rob will be making Fancy Fast Food from fishcakes to veggie burgers, then next week Avril will be cooking up a Curry without the Takeaway. We're really looking forward to both these classes, and hope the kids and their parents also find them helpful and rewarding.
For more photos from the school classes, please visit our Facebook page by clicking here. And don't forget to keep checking back to see photos from the upcoming classes!
17 January 2011
GUEST BLOG: Loafing around
Guest blog by SARAH-CLARE CONLON
My husband Mark has recently been experimenting with making pizza dough from scratch, so I convinced him to rise to his next challenge and join me on the breadmaking for beginners class at the weekend. I've tried to bake my own bread in the past and ended up with a brick, so I thought I could use some handy tips and learn from the experts - namely Rob, whose Aberdeen Buttery Rowies I've sampled in the past so I knew he was up to the job!
First things first, all 12 classmates donned pinnies and put a mixing bowl each into the preheated ovens to warm. Next we got our dried yeast into some hand-hot water to work its magic while we looked at the various flours available. We could choose between organic strong white and wholemeal courtesy of Doves Farm and various artisan offerings, including Granarius and even a biodynamic number, from The Watermill near Penrith. All are stocked in Chorlton's own cooperative supermarket Unicorn Grocery and some you can also get at Hickson & Black's deli.
We weighed out our choices of flour and poured the fizzing and expanding yeast mixture into a well in the centre, then, after scraping everything into a ball of dough, tipped it onto a floured surface and got kneading, which was a lot easier than I'd expected. After a few minutes working the dough so that it became smooth and elastic, we pulled it apart and dropped half in a loaf tin greased with margarine, and put this aside to rise.
With the remainder, we were free to do what we liked. I made barmcakes, Mark did finger rolls, I spotted some batches and bloomers, and a couple of adventurous people created some lovely looking plaits (see above). Once everything had been left to rise, they were baked in a hot oven for just under half an hour (less for the smaller baps). Mark's was the first tin loaf out (see below) and he even received a round of applause, it was so perfect!
While the loaves and rolls rested on wire racks to cool, we got busy making naan breads to eat there and then. For these, we used white flour and yeast, with sugar and salt added for flavour, but the magic ingredient was yoghurt, which we heated up to the same temperature as the yeast mix before mixing everything together and transferring to a floured surface to knead. The naans were then rolled out into their familiar shape (garlic paste - made from garlic finely chopped with salt - could be added at this stage, if preferred) and cooked in a frying pan on the hob. Really tasty with houmous and guacamole, and equally delicious later that evening with a fish curry we rustled up for the occasion of having fresh homemade naans in the house!
My husband Mark has recently been experimenting with making pizza dough from scratch, so I convinced him to rise to his next challenge and join me on the breadmaking for beginners class at the weekend. I've tried to bake my own bread in the past and ended up with a brick, so I thought I could use some handy tips and learn from the experts - namely Rob, whose Aberdeen Buttery Rowies I've sampled in the past so I knew he was up to the job!
First things first, all 12 classmates donned pinnies and put a mixing bowl each into the preheated ovens to warm. Next we got our dried yeast into some hand-hot water to work its magic while we looked at the various flours available. We could choose between organic strong white and wholemeal courtesy of Doves Farm and various artisan offerings, including Granarius and even a biodynamic number, from The Watermill near Penrith. All are stocked in Chorlton's own cooperative supermarket Unicorn Grocery and some you can also get at Hickson & Black's deli.
We weighed out our choices of flour and poured the fizzing and expanding yeast mixture into a well in the centre, then, after scraping everything into a ball of dough, tipped it onto a floured surface and got kneading, which was a lot easier than I'd expected. After a few minutes working the dough so that it became smooth and elastic, we pulled it apart and dropped half in a loaf tin greased with margarine, and put this aside to rise.
With the remainder, we were free to do what we liked. I made barmcakes, Mark did finger rolls, I spotted some batches and bloomers, and a couple of adventurous people created some lovely looking plaits (see above). Once everything had been left to rise, they were baked in a hot oven for just under half an hour (less for the smaller baps). Mark's was the first tin loaf out (see below) and he even received a round of applause, it was so perfect!
While the loaves and rolls rested on wire racks to cool, we got busy making naan breads to eat there and then. For these, we used white flour and yeast, with sugar and salt added for flavour, but the magic ingredient was yoghurt, which we heated up to the same temperature as the yeast mix before mixing everything together and transferring to a floured surface to knead. The naans were then rolled out into their familiar shape (garlic paste - made from garlic finely chopped with salt - could be added at this stage, if preferred) and cooked in a frying pan on the hob. Really tasty with houmous and guacamole, and equally delicious later that evening with a fish curry we rustled up for the occasion of having fresh homemade naans in the house!
*****
If you missed this class, there's another chance to take part in Breadmaking for Beginners on Tuesday 25 January, 6pm-9pm. If you've already taken the basic class, you might be interested in joining the advanced breadmaking class, when Rob will be looking at sourdough (contains egg), brioche, rye bread and others: Saturday 22 January 11am-2pm and Tuesday 1 February 6pm-9pm.
As always, bookings can be made online at http://crackinggoodfood.org/, via email (fiona@crackinggoodfood.org), by telephone on 0845 652 2572, or in person at Hickson & Black’s deli on Barlow Moor Road in Chorlton.
If you missed this class, there's another chance to take part in Breadmaking for Beginners on Tuesday 25 January, 6pm-9pm. If you've already taken the basic class, you might be interested in joining the advanced breadmaking class, when Rob will be looking at sourdough (contains egg), brioche, rye bread and others: Saturday 22 January 11am-2pm and Tuesday 1 February 6pm-9pm.
As always, bookings can be made online at http://crackinggoodfood.org/, via email (fiona@crackinggoodfood.org), by telephone on 0845 652 2572, or in person at Hickson & Black’s deli on Barlow Moor Road in Chorlton.
5 January 2011
Happy and healthy New Year!
After the overindulgence of the festive season, diet and exercise are at the top of most people's list of New Year's Resolutions. Why not let Cracking Good Food help you kick off a happy and healthy 2011 - our latest classes start on 15 January and run on Saturday late mornings and Tuesday early evenings until 15 February.
The best guacamole you'll ever eat, from Fernanda's Mexican Tapas class.
Get on a bit of a roll in Breadmaking for Beginners run by Rob!
Kate's Thai green curry will knock your socks off in our Spicy Vegetarian session.
Breadmaking for Beginners (with Cracking Cook Rob): Saturday 15 January
Breadmaking Advanced – Sourdough (with Cracking Cook Rob): Saturday 22 January
Breadmaking for Beginners (with Cracking Cook Rob): Tuesday 25 January
Spicy Vegetarian (with Jam Street Café’s Kate): Saturday 29 January
Breadmaking Advanced – Sourdough (with Cracking Cook Rob): Tuesday 1 February
Curry Up (with Kath from Unicorn Grocery): Saturday 5 February
Marvellous Meat (with Beth of Electrik’s Guestrant Wild Food fame): Tuesday 8 February
Mexican Tapas (with Unicorn’s Fernanda): Saturday 12 February
Risottos Demystified (with Kim from Islington Mill Café): Tuesday 1 March (please note new date)
Bookings can be made online at http://crackinggoodfood.org/ (our website is having a little spring clean, so bear with us!), via email (fiona@crackinggoodfood.org), by telephone on 0845 652 2572, or in person at Hickson & Black’s deli on Barlow Moor Road in Chorlton.
Vouchers are also available if you fancy treating the food-lover in your life!
16 December 2010
New year, new classes
Here at Cracking Good Food HQ, we're really excited to be able to announce the next round of Cracking Good classes, running in the New Year.
All classes are three hours long, giving you ample time to prep, cook, chat, pick the brains of your cooking leader and sit down together to enjoy the feast you've made. Taking place in the well-equipped food science rooms at Chorlton High School, you just need to bring yourself - we supply all the ingredients, and everything is bought locally using seasonal, ethically sourced, organic and fairtrade where possible. The Saturday classes take place in the daytime between 11am and 2pm, and the Tuesday evening sessions start at 6pm and finish at 9pm; all classes cost just £20 (£15 concessions - unemployed, students or over 65s).
Saturday 15 January
Breadmaking for Beginners is back due to demand. You’ll never buy a loaf again thanks to Rob.
Saturday 22 January
Breadmaking Advanced has been introduced after many requests. Rob will be showing you how to make sourdough among other things.
Tuesday 25 January
Breadmaking for Beginners – if you missed the earlier class.
Saturday 29 January
Spicy vegetarian – green Thai curry and spicy burgers with a Catalan romesco sauce are on the menu again. Re-run with Kate.
Tuesday 1 February
Breadmaking Advanced – if you missed the earlier class.
Saturday 5 February
Curry Up – a new class with the queen of curries, Kath. We'll be making vegetable and fish versions of this ever-popular dish.
Tuesday 8 February
Marvellous Meat – another new class, legendary Beth of Guestrant Wild Food fame will be showing you how to make good use of more unusual, less expensive cuts of meat.
Saturday 12 February
Mexican tapas – this is one of Cracking Good Food's most popular classes, with Fernanda giving an authentic insight into Mexican vegetarian cooking.
Tuesday 15 February
Risottos Demystified – Kim will be showing you how to rustle up some tasty veggie risottos, often thought to be a complicated dish. This is another new class for the new year.
Book soon to avoid disappointment! And with such variation, why not treat your family or friends to vouchers to put towards their choice of sessions? Just email fiona@crackinggoodfood.org or call 0845 652 2572 for bookings and to buy vouchers.
All classes are three hours long, giving you ample time to prep, cook, chat, pick the brains of your cooking leader and sit down together to enjoy the feast you've made. Taking place in the well-equipped food science rooms at Chorlton High School, you just need to bring yourself - we supply all the ingredients, and everything is bought locally using seasonal, ethically sourced, organic and fairtrade where possible. The Saturday classes take place in the daytime between 11am and 2pm, and the Tuesday evening sessions start at 6pm and finish at 9pm; all classes cost just £20 (£15 concessions - unemployed, students or over 65s).
Saturday 15 January
Breadmaking for Beginners is back due to demand. You’ll never buy a loaf again thanks to Rob.
Saturday 22 January
Breadmaking Advanced has been introduced after many requests. Rob will be showing you how to make sourdough among other things.
Tuesday 25 January
Breadmaking for Beginners – if you missed the earlier class.
Saturday 29 January
Spicy vegetarian – green Thai curry and spicy burgers with a Catalan romesco sauce are on the menu again. Re-run with Kate.
Tuesday 1 February
Breadmaking Advanced – if you missed the earlier class.
Saturday 5 February
Curry Up – a new class with the queen of curries, Kath. We'll be making vegetable and fish versions of this ever-popular dish.
Tuesday 8 February
Marvellous Meat – another new class, legendary Beth of Guestrant Wild Food fame will be showing you how to make good use of more unusual, less expensive cuts of meat.
Saturday 12 February
Mexican tapas – this is one of Cracking Good Food's most popular classes, with Fernanda giving an authentic insight into Mexican vegetarian cooking.
Tuesday 15 February
Risottos Demystified – Kim will be showing you how to rustle up some tasty veggie risottos, often thought to be a complicated dish. This is another new class for the new year.
Book soon to avoid disappointment! And with such variation, why not treat your family or friends to vouchers to put towards their choice of sessions? Just email fiona@crackinggoodfood.org or call 0845 652 2572 for bookings and to buy vouchers.
8 November 2010
GUEST BLOG: A proper roasting
Guest blog by SARAH-CLARE CONLON
I'd barely put my bag down and washed my hands, and I was straight in to untrussing a whole chicken and stuffing its cavity with shallots, garlic and fresh sage leaves and thyme. Next, I rubbed rock salt into the skin, drizzled over some olive oil and gave the whole thing a good turn of freshly ground black pepper. A second bird was also prepared, along with a shoulder of lamb - whole cloves of garlic were jammed in next to the muscle along with sprigs of fresh aromatic rosemary. These were put into hot ovens; one lamb was already in, having been given a bit of a head start by Cracking Cook Rob before we got there.
Once the meat had started roasting, we could throttle back slightly, and had chance to pick Rob's brains about cooking times and techniques (start with a high oven, then reduce the temperature after 20 minutes, then reduce a third time; yes to basting; either way to covering with tinfoil; buy with or without giblets but cook these separately) and also about the provenance of the meat. The lamb came from W.H. Frost the butchers in Chorlton Precinct, and, while it wasn't organic, it was local, hailing from the fields around Macclesfield. The two chickens were bought from Wild At Heart on Railway Terrace and reared organically on the Rhug Estate in North Wales. Both weighing about 1.2kg and costing in the region of £13, they were more expensive than the standard supermarket offering, but they were so tasty, didn't shrink during cooking and fed all nine adults and one very well-behaved two-year-old in the class plus Cooking Leader Rob, Cooking Assistant Vic and volunteer helper Caroline, with leftovers for next week's Lovely Leftovers class.
Next we prepared all the lovely fresh veg Rob had sourced from Unicorn Grocery on Manchester Road, including celeriac, pears, shallots and garlic to add to the meat roasting trays; squash to soften in the oven wrapped in foil; plus two varieties of spud, which we scrubbed half of and peeled the rest, then parboiled and roasted; dirty carrots which we washed, peeled and cut into matchstick-thin Julienne then sweated over a low heat in a pan with the lid on; and finally two types of cabbage, which were chopped finely and cooked on the hob with the tiniest amount of water and olive oil and some sliced garlic for extra flavour. We also made some spicy creamy butter beans by adding red chillies, cumin, creme fraiche and the flesh from the squashes, and really beautiful three rice mix (organic basmati, wild and red rices) by frying the dry rice in a little olive oil for extra nuttiness and colour, then adding hot water once it had cooled slightly and allowing this to be absorbed before throwing in the special secret ingredient of chopped dried apricots. Normally I'm not a fan of dried fruit, but this gave the whole thing a lovely sweetness and depth.
Last but not least, the gravy was made - taking the meats out to rest under a blanket of foil, the roasting tins were put on the hobs and water added to deglaze the caramelised juices, then a thickening paste was made using cornflower, and bouillon powder and yeast extract were added to the chicken stock and honey and tahini (sesame seed paste) added to the lamb stock. Yum! The table was set and everyone brought over the various components of the meal they were in charge of. We went round filling our plates, then sat down and silence descended as we all tucked in! This was definitely a good sign as the "mmmms" started and everyone agreed how tasty it all was and how useful the tips we'd picked up would be over the upcoming festive season.
This coming Saturday, Steve of Manchester Food & Drink Festival Awards nominated Chorlton deli Hickson & Black’s will be showing you how to get your money’s worth from a roast and make use of all those Lovely Leftovers, with homemade chicken stock, soup, stir-fry, bubble and squeak, and more (Saturday 13 November, 11am-1pm; Chorlton High School; £15; £10 concessions). Places are booking up fast, so be quick! To book...
* email fiona@crackinggoodfood.org
* call 0845 652 2572
* visit www.crackinggoodfood.org
* pop into Hickson & Black’s in Chorlton
*There are now more photos from this session on our Facebook page.
I'd barely put my bag down and washed my hands, and I was straight in to untrussing a whole chicken and stuffing its cavity with shallots, garlic and fresh sage leaves and thyme. Next, I rubbed rock salt into the skin, drizzled over some olive oil and gave the whole thing a good turn of freshly ground black pepper. A second bird was also prepared, along with a shoulder of lamb - whole cloves of garlic were jammed in next to the muscle along with sprigs of fresh aromatic rosemary. These were put into hot ovens; one lamb was already in, having been given a bit of a head start by Cracking Cook Rob before we got there.
Once the meat had started roasting, we could throttle back slightly, and had chance to pick Rob's brains about cooking times and techniques (start with a high oven, then reduce the temperature after 20 minutes, then reduce a third time; yes to basting; either way to covering with tinfoil; buy with or without giblets but cook these separately) and also about the provenance of the meat. The lamb came from W.H. Frost the butchers in Chorlton Precinct, and, while it wasn't organic, it was local, hailing from the fields around Macclesfield. The two chickens were bought from Wild At Heart on Railway Terrace and reared organically on the Rhug Estate in North Wales. Both weighing about 1.2kg and costing in the region of £13, they were more expensive than the standard supermarket offering, but they were so tasty, didn't shrink during cooking and fed all nine adults and one very well-behaved two-year-old in the class plus Cooking Leader Rob, Cooking Assistant Vic and volunteer helper Caroline, with leftovers for next week's Lovely Leftovers class.
Next we prepared all the lovely fresh veg Rob had sourced from Unicorn Grocery on Manchester Road, including celeriac, pears, shallots and garlic to add to the meat roasting trays; squash to soften in the oven wrapped in foil; plus two varieties of spud, which we scrubbed half of and peeled the rest, then parboiled and roasted; dirty carrots which we washed, peeled and cut into matchstick-thin Julienne then sweated over a low heat in a pan with the lid on; and finally two types of cabbage, which were chopped finely and cooked on the hob with the tiniest amount of water and olive oil and some sliced garlic for extra flavour. We also made some spicy creamy butter beans by adding red chillies, cumin, creme fraiche and the flesh from the squashes, and really beautiful three rice mix (organic basmati, wild and red rices) by frying the dry rice in a little olive oil for extra nuttiness and colour, then adding hot water once it had cooled slightly and allowing this to be absorbed before throwing in the special secret ingredient of chopped dried apricots. Normally I'm not a fan of dried fruit, but this gave the whole thing a lovely sweetness and depth.
Last but not least, the gravy was made - taking the meats out to rest under a blanket of foil, the roasting tins were put on the hobs and water added to deglaze the caramelised juices, then a thickening paste was made using cornflower, and bouillon powder and yeast extract were added to the chicken stock and honey and tahini (sesame seed paste) added to the lamb stock. Yum! The table was set and everyone brought over the various components of the meal they were in charge of. We went round filling our plates, then sat down and silence descended as we all tucked in! This was definitely a good sign as the "mmmms" started and everyone agreed how tasty it all was and how useful the tips we'd picked up would be over the upcoming festive season.
This coming Saturday, Steve of Manchester Food & Drink Festival Awards nominated Chorlton deli Hickson & Black’s will be showing you how to get your money’s worth from a roast and make use of all those Lovely Leftovers, with homemade chicken stock, soup, stir-fry, bubble and squeak, and more (Saturday 13 November, 11am-1pm; Chorlton High School; £15; £10 concessions). Places are booking up fast, so be quick! To book...
* email fiona@crackinggoodfood.org
* call 0845 652 2572
* visit www.crackinggoodfood.org
* pop into Hickson & Black’s in Chorlton
*There are now more photos from this session on our Facebook page.
1 November 2010
Feeling festive!
Christmas is coming, so why not let Cracking Good Food help you brush up on your culinary skills in time for the festive season? We have a number of fab classes aiming to do just that...
Saturday 6 November: Roaring Roasts – this is your chance to let Rob help you brush up on those roasting skills before the 25th! On the menu is organic roast chicken with all the trimmings (including the best gravy in the universe) plus a slightly less traditional alternative: North African-style roast lamb with butterbeans and butternut squash. Once the meal is prepared, everyone sits down for a feast at the end! (11am-1pm; Chorlton High School; £15; £10 concessions.)
Saturday 13 November: Lovely Leftovers – Steve of Manchester Food & Drink Festival Awards nominated Chorlton deli Hickson & Black’s will be showing you how to get your money’s worth from a roast, with homemade chicken stock, soup, stir-fry, and bubble and squeak. An ideal session for helping you live through the age of austerity! (11am-1pm; Chorlton High School; £15; £10 concessions.)
Tuesday 16 November: Cracking Christmas – due to popular demand, we’ve added a second date of Anna’s session. The edible treats we’ll be making include rum truffles, chilli jam and cookies in a jar, which you get to take home at the end of the class: instant pressies! (6pm-9pm; Chorlton High School; £18; £13 concessions – the slightly higher price includes the cost of the fancy jar!)
And if you’re stuck for gift ideas this Christmas, we have vouchers available redeemable against 2011’s cookery classes – the perfect present for food lovers and budding chefs! Vouchers are available in any denomination, and can be used as full or part-payment on any cooking sessions; valid for one year from date of purchase.
To book classes or buy vouchers...
* email fiona@crackinggoodfood.org
* call 0845 652 2572
* visit www.crackinggoodfood.org
* pop into Hickson & Black’s in Chorlton
(Photograph from the amazing Seventyseventyone blog, designers of fab fashion accessories available to buy at the Royal Exchange Craft Shop.)
Saturday 6 November: Roaring Roasts – this is your chance to let Rob help you brush up on those roasting skills before the 25th! On the menu is organic roast chicken with all the trimmings (including the best gravy in the universe) plus a slightly less traditional alternative: North African-style roast lamb with butterbeans and butternut squash. Once the meal is prepared, everyone sits down for a feast at the end! (11am-1pm; Chorlton High School; £15; £10 concessions.)
Saturday 13 November: Lovely Leftovers – Steve of Manchester Food & Drink Festival Awards nominated Chorlton deli Hickson & Black’s will be showing you how to get your money’s worth from a roast, with homemade chicken stock, soup, stir-fry, and bubble and squeak. An ideal session for helping you live through the age of austerity! (11am-1pm; Chorlton High School; £15; £10 concessions.)
Tuesday 16 November: Cracking Christmas – due to popular demand, we’ve added a second date of Anna’s session. The edible treats we’ll be making include rum truffles, chilli jam and cookies in a jar, which you get to take home at the end of the class: instant pressies! (6pm-9pm; Chorlton High School; £18; £13 concessions – the slightly higher price includes the cost of the fancy jar!)
And if you’re stuck for gift ideas this Christmas, we have vouchers available redeemable against 2011’s cookery classes – the perfect present for food lovers and budding chefs! Vouchers are available in any denomination, and can be used as full or part-payment on any cooking sessions; valid for one year from date of purchase.
To book classes or buy vouchers...
* email fiona@crackinggoodfood.org
* call 0845 652 2572
* visit www.crackinggoodfood.org
* pop into Hickson & Black’s in Chorlton
(Photograph from the amazing Seventyseventyone blog, designers of fab fashion accessories available to buy at the Royal Exchange Craft Shop.)
25 October 2010
Rob's roasts and Steve's stocks!
Our Veggie Roasts class on Saturday 30 October is now fully booked, but you still have chance to join Rob's Roasts session on Saturday 6 November from 11am. As well as dishing up a traditional roast chicken with all the trimmings, just in time for Christmas, Cracking Cook Rob will be offering up a slightly less traditional alternative: roast North African-style lamb with spiced butternut squash and butterbeans - perfect for warming you up on an autumnal afternoon.
All the meat will be organic and sourced from Chorlton's own Wild At Heart, with vegetables and pulses from Unicorn Grocery.
The following week (Saturday 13 November), why not learn how to make use of those Lovely leftovers with Steve from Hickson & Black’s deli? Roasts are great in the age of austerity and Cracking Cook Steve will be showing you how to get your money's worth with homemade chicken stock, soup, stir-fry, bubble and squeak...
Each three-hour session costs just £15 (£10 concessions) at Chorlton High School on Nell Lane.
To book...
• visit our website http://crackinggoodfood.org/when-and-where
• pop in to Hickson & Black’s Deli at 559a Barlow Moor Road in Chorlton
• call 0845 652 2572
• email fiona@crackinggoodfood.org
All the meat will be organic and sourced from Chorlton's own Wild At Heart, with vegetables and pulses from Unicorn Grocery.
The following week (Saturday 13 November), why not learn how to make use of those Lovely leftovers with Steve from Hickson & Black’s deli? Roasts are great in the age of austerity and Cracking Cook Steve will be showing you how to get your money's worth with homemade chicken stock, soup, stir-fry, bubble and squeak...
Each three-hour session costs just £15 (£10 concessions) at Chorlton High School on Nell Lane.
To book...
• visit our website http://crackinggoodfood.org/when-and-where
• pop in to Hickson & Black’s Deli at 559a Barlow Moor Road in Chorlton
• call 0845 652 2572
• email fiona@crackinggoodfood.org
15 October 2010
GUEST BLOG: Use your loaf!
By guest blogger AVRIL POVAH
It’s easy to take bread for granted, being such an important part of our diet. We went from farm to fork in the bread-making lesson at Chorlton High School on Saturday 9 October, with Rob, our Cooking Leader for the day, explaining that bread is one of the oldest prepared foods, perhaps developed by accidental cooking or deliberate experimentation with water and grain flour. The uses and properties of wheat flours were eloquently described by Rob, along with the composition of wheat, which we consumed raw many millions of years ago. Eventually, using tools to pound the grain and adding water to the crushed kernels to form a wholesome gruel, early humans developed what we know today as our daily bread.
The myth and process of bread-making was slowly unravelled, and we watched yeast (our leavening agent in bread) slowly ferment; the fermentable sugars present in dough turn into carbon dioxide, causing it to expand or rise as gas pockets or bubbles. The scientific aspects were quite intriguing to us all, and for a minute I felt I was back in the chemistry classroom. The actual name for bread is old English, derived from many Germanic languages (Brot in German and Brod in Swedish), and may be connected with the root words of "brew" or even of "break" or "broken pieces".
There are many variations of bread: it can be made with yeast, bicarbonate of soda (as used in traditional Irish soda bread), different flours and by incorporating other ingredients and nutrients, and we made a variety of loaves and baps. We also made some naan bread - a very popular choice! These were stuffed with garlic paste and cheese and devoured straight from the pan for our lunch with some marinated olives, avocado and roasted red pepper hummus. Made with love by hand, not by machine, this bread was truly delicious!
More photos from the bread-making class are on our Facebook page.
It’s easy to take bread for granted, being such an important part of our diet. We went from farm to fork in the bread-making lesson at Chorlton High School on Saturday 9 October, with Rob, our Cooking Leader for the day, explaining that bread is one of the oldest prepared foods, perhaps developed by accidental cooking or deliberate experimentation with water and grain flour. The uses and properties of wheat flours were eloquently described by Rob, along with the composition of wheat, which we consumed raw many millions of years ago. Eventually, using tools to pound the grain and adding water to the crushed kernels to form a wholesome gruel, early humans developed what we know today as our daily bread.
The myth and process of bread-making was slowly unravelled, and we watched yeast (our leavening agent in bread) slowly ferment; the fermentable sugars present in dough turn into carbon dioxide, causing it to expand or rise as gas pockets or bubbles. The scientific aspects were quite intriguing to us all, and for a minute I felt I was back in the chemistry classroom. The actual name for bread is old English, derived from many Germanic languages (Brot in German and Brod in Swedish), and may be connected with the root words of "brew" or even of "break" or "broken pieces".
There are many variations of bread: it can be made with yeast, bicarbonate of soda (as used in traditional Irish soda bread), different flours and by incorporating other ingredients and nutrients, and we made a variety of loaves and baps. We also made some naan bread - a very popular choice! These were stuffed with garlic paste and cheese and devoured straight from the pan for our lunch with some marinated olives, avocado and roasted red pepper hummus. Made with love by hand, not by machine, this bread was truly delicious!
More photos from the bread-making class are on our Facebook page.
27 September 2010
What's next on the menu?
Cracking Good Food are pleased to announce the next round of cookery classes, with some good hearty recipes and meal ideas perfect for autumn and winter. So what's next on the menu?
Saturday 23 October: Perfect pumpkins
Pumpkin and salmon curry, pumpkin risotto and pumpkin seed nibbles are here for Hallowe'en thanks to Jay from Hickson & Black’s.
Saturday 30 October: Veggie roasts
Kim from Islington Mill Cafe will be showing you how to rustle up a tasty veggie roast.
Saturday 6 November: Traditional roasts
Cracking Cook Rob's dishing up a traditional roast with all the trimmings.
Saturday 13 November: Lovely leftovers
Roasts are great in the age of austerity and Steve from Hickon & Black’s will be showing you how to get your money's worth with homemade chicken stock, soup, stir-fry, bubble and squeak...
Saturday 20 November: Cracking Christmas
Christmas is coming and Anna's edible treats make great gifts with rum truffles, chilli jam and cookies in a jar.
Each three-hour session costs just £15 (£10 concessions) and takes place every Saturday 11am-2pm at Chorlton High School on Nell Lane. Places are limited to 12 so book early to avoid disappointment!
To book...
• visit our website http://crackinggoodfood.org/when-and-where
• pop in to Hickson & Black’s Deli at 559a Barlow Moor Road in Chorlton
• call 0161 881 7070
• email adele@crackinggoodfood.org or fiona@crackinggoodfood.org
Saturday 23 October: Perfect pumpkins
Pumpkin and salmon curry, pumpkin risotto and pumpkin seed nibbles are here for Hallowe'en thanks to Jay from Hickson & Black’s.
Saturday 30 October: Veggie roasts
Kim from Islington Mill Cafe will be showing you how to rustle up a tasty veggie roast.
Saturday 6 November: Traditional roasts
Cracking Cook Rob's dishing up a traditional roast with all the trimmings.
Saturday 13 November: Lovely leftovers
Roasts are great in the age of austerity and Steve from Hickon & Black’s will be showing you how to get your money's worth with homemade chicken stock, soup, stir-fry, bubble and squeak...
Saturday 20 November: Cracking Christmas
Christmas is coming and Anna's edible treats make great gifts with rum truffles, chilli jam and cookies in a jar.
Each three-hour session costs just £15 (£10 concessions) and takes place every Saturday 11am-2pm at Chorlton High School on Nell Lane. Places are limited to 12 so book early to avoid disappointment!
To book...
• visit our website http://crackinggoodfood.org/when-and-where
• pop in to Hickson & Black’s Deli at 559a Barlow Moor Road in Chorlton
• call 0161 881 7070
• email adele@crackinggoodfood.org or fiona@crackinggoodfood.org
10 June 2010
Cooking session #1: Cooking With Fish The Sustainable Way with Rob
Rob Tomlinson is probably one of the busiest Cracking Cooks, helping run Cracking Good Food events such as the launch at Chorlton's Big Green Festival at the end of March, the Celebrate Festival in Whalley Range at the start of May, and the recent Chorlton Arts Festival Street Feast (see our Facebook page for loads of photos!). He has also led sessions such as last week's puddings workshop for Chorlton Good Neighbours and the first of our public cookery classes, Cooking With Fish The Sustainable Way, on Tuesday at Chorlton High School, which you can read more about on our blog here.
You can join Rob for his second class on Cooking With Fish The Sustainable Way this Saturday (12 June) at St Ninian's (11am-2pm). He will take you through a variety of different methods for cooking fish from frying goujons to grilling stuffed mackerel, and will help you get to grips with techniques such as descaling, gutting and filleting. You'll even learn how to make fish stock, the basis for many tasty recipes. Rob is also very knowledgeable about ingredients and provenance, making him the perfect candidate for explaining all about the importance of shopping for responsibly sourced sustainable fish.
All details on the June and July sessions, which cost just £15 for three hours (£10 concessions), are on the Cracking Good Food website here.
You can join Rob for his second class on Cooking With Fish The Sustainable Way this Saturday (12 June) at St Ninian's (11am-2pm). He will take you through a variety of different methods for cooking fish from frying goujons to grilling stuffed mackerel, and will help you get to grips with techniques such as descaling, gutting and filleting. You'll even learn how to make fish stock, the basis for many tasty recipes. Rob is also very knowledgeable about ingredients and provenance, making him the perfect candidate for explaining all about the importance of shopping for responsibly sourced sustainable fish.
All details on the June and July sessions, which cost just £15 for three hours (£10 concessions), are on the Cracking Good Food website here.
GUEST BLOG: Reeling in some top tips on cooking fish
By guest blogger ADELE JORDAN
A culinary treat was had by all on our first session for the paying public on Tuesday evening – one of the group even described it as Babette’s Feast! Rob was in charge of Cooking With Fish The Sustainable Way and we got stuck in immediately.
First off, we had a go at filleting some lemon sole, then we each prepared whole mackerel with all its innards. The roe was potential taramasalata, and someone even took it away with them to make the fishy dip at a later date. We used all the leftover bones to make a fish stock in the pressure cooker, adding a few vegetable peelings from the mushrooms and shallots that Jay from Hickson & Black’s Deli (pictured below getting to grips with some coley) added to a Veronique sauce he made using the quick stock, some cream and an egg yolk.
We got our fish from Out Of The Blue fishmongers in Chorlton, where Dave advised us to buy coley on the grounds that they are always mature (the ones that he sources anyway) and therefore more sustainable. We duly cut it into finger slices, made breadcrumbs by bashing old toasted bread with a rolling pin, and put out a dish with flour for coating and another with beaten egg for dipping. Flour, egg, breadcrumbs, frying pan...
Having shallow-fried the coley goujons, grilled the mackerel with toasted almonds, and baked the lemon sole Veronique in the oven, we were set to eat. Accompaniments were a garlic and yoghurt dip, and boiled samphire - a wonderful sea vegetable that Dave threw in for us. What a feast. The only problem was that we soon had to pack up and go home... we could’ve all stayed there for hours!
Adele Jordan coordinates the classes and events run by Cracking Good Food. You can get in touch with her by emailing adele@crackinggoodfood.org
A culinary treat was had by all on our first session for the paying public on Tuesday evening – one of the group even described it as Babette’s Feast! Rob was in charge of Cooking With Fish The Sustainable Way and we got stuck in immediately.
First off, we had a go at filleting some lemon sole, then we each prepared whole mackerel with all its innards. The roe was potential taramasalata, and someone even took it away with them to make the fishy dip at a later date. We used all the leftover bones to make a fish stock in the pressure cooker, adding a few vegetable peelings from the mushrooms and shallots that Jay from Hickson & Black’s Deli (pictured below getting to grips with some coley) added to a Veronique sauce he made using the quick stock, some cream and an egg yolk.
We got our fish from Out Of The Blue fishmongers in Chorlton, where Dave advised us to buy coley on the grounds that they are always mature (the ones that he sources anyway) and therefore more sustainable. We duly cut it into finger slices, made breadcrumbs by bashing old toasted bread with a rolling pin, and put out a dish with flour for coating and another with beaten egg for dipping. Flour, egg, breadcrumbs, frying pan...
Having shallow-fried the coley goujons, grilled the mackerel with toasted almonds, and baked the lemon sole Veronique in the oven, we were set to eat. Accompaniments were a garlic and yoghurt dip, and boiled samphire - a wonderful sea vegetable that Dave threw in for us. What a feast. The only problem was that we soon had to pack up and go home... we could’ve all stayed there for hours!
Adele Jordan coordinates the classes and events run by Cracking Good Food. You can get in touch with her by emailing adele@crackinggoodfood.org
25 May 2010
Festival fever!
On Sunday, Chorlton Arts Festival comes to a close with a huge Street Feast from 5pm-7.30pm in Chorlton Precinct. There will be tables in a big long line down the middle and a cracking good community atmosphere is guaranteed! Everyone is encouraged to bring decorations to make their table the best dressed and it would be great to see as many people as possible there donning their best bib and tucker. Cracking Cooks Rob, Kath and Vic will be manning the Cracking Good Food stall, purveying their wares alongside other local food and drink vendors, and performers will be providing entertainment for the troops!
It's a free event, but you need to get tickets in advance - you can pick these up from the Festival Hub in the Precinct (open Wed-Sat 10am-4pm), by calling the ticket hotline on 07794 860305 or by emailing tickets@chorltonartsfestival.com
It's a free event, but you need to get tickets in advance - you can pick these up from the Festival Hub in the Precinct (open Wed-Sat 10am-4pm), by calling the ticket hotline on 07794 860305 or by emailing tickets@chorltonartsfestival.com
6 May 2010
Celebrating good food!
On bank holiday Monday (3 May), Whalley Range played host to the Celebrate Festival at St Margaret's Primary School on Withington Road. Events kicked off at noon and ran right through the afternoon until 6pm. Cracking Good Food was there with the Cooks On The Hop gazebo and we had fantastic fun helping festival-goers make their own lunch.
It was another great chance for Rob (below, in the white pinny) and Juliet (above, also in the white apron) to show off their Szechuan sauce stir-frys. There was an abundance of fresh produce to choose from, and hungry participants eagerly selected what they fancied, duly peeled, chopped and tossed their veg'n’tofu around the woks, and threw over coconut, pineapple and sesame seeds at the end. Even Gerald Kaufman MP popped by and was obviously delighted by what was going on.
What’s more, Laura and Anghi, two wonderful Year 10 Chorlton High School students, were keen to help out, having loved their time at the wok during Cracking Good Food's launch at Chorlton's Big Green Festival in March. We’re hoping to see more of these two… they're truly inspired chefs in the making!
Cracking Coordinator Adele
29 March 2010
A cracking day for a Cracking launch!
Phew, we're only just recovering from the launch of Cracking Good Food at Chorlton's Big Green Festival on Saturday, when around 6,000 local residents turned up to enjoy sustainability in the spring sunshine.
The Cracking Good Food launch was a resounding success, with loads of happy customers signing up for sessions led by Kim, Lorenzo and Rob, pictured above manning the woks. Young William here even said how much he enjoyed the mushrooms in the stirfry he made - his mum Zoe (who kindly passed on the two photos below) was thrilled because apparently he won't touch them normally!
Cracking coordinators Jess and Adele (shown here with the official Cracking Good Food clipboard!) collected loads of feedback on what kinds of workshops the good people of Chorlton would like to see run by Cracking Good Food - from classic French to basic bread-making. We'll let you know when we have some dates in the diary so you can get booked in!
The Cracking Good Food launch was a resounding success, with loads of happy customers signing up for sessions led by Kim, Lorenzo and Rob, pictured above manning the woks. Young William here even said how much he enjoyed the mushrooms in the stirfry he made - his mum Zoe (who kindly passed on the two photos below) was thrilled because apparently he won't touch them normally!
Cracking coordinators Jess and Adele (shown here with the official Cracking Good Food clipboard!) collected loads of feedback on what kinds of workshops the good people of Chorlton would like to see run by Cracking Good Food - from classic French to basic bread-making. We'll let you know when we have some dates in the diary so you can get booked in!
20 March 2010
Cracking Good Food official launch
Cracking Good Food's official launch is approaching fast and a week today (Saturday 27 March), we'll be rocking up at Chorlton's Big Green Festival with our Cooks On The Hop gazebo!
Chorlton's Big Green Festival gives people the chance to sample sustainable living in fun and friendly surroundings, putting environmental issues centre stage with a vibrant and varied programme of live entertainment, activities and workshops. The festival is a really great showcase for local suppliers of tasty, responsibly sourced food and drink, and this year there will also be plenty of info about grow your own and allotments as the theme is "growing locally".
Cracking Good Food is really pleased to be involved and we'll be running our unique Cooks On The Hop sessions on the day, which kicks off at 11am. Make sure you pop in to the school hall at St Clement's where Cracking Cooks Avril, Rob and Lorenzo will be in action, rustling up sensational stir-fries. You get to choose your ingredients, chop them up then combine them in a wok with one of the fabulous sauces blended just for you. The best thing is you get to eat your creation, so you'll have plenty of energy to enjoy the rest of the festival!
Chorlton's Big Green Festival gives people the chance to sample sustainable living in fun and friendly surroundings, putting environmental issues centre stage with a vibrant and varied programme of live entertainment, activities and workshops. The festival is a really great showcase for local suppliers of tasty, responsibly sourced food and drink, and this year there will also be plenty of info about grow your own and allotments as the theme is "growing locally".
Cracking Good Food is really pleased to be involved and we'll be running our unique Cooks On The Hop sessions on the day, which kicks off at 11am. Make sure you pop in to the school hall at St Clement's where Cracking Cooks Avril, Rob and Lorenzo will be in action, rustling up sensational stir-fries. You get to choose your ingredients, chop them up then combine them in a wok with one of the fabulous sauces blended just for you. The best thing is you get to eat your creation, so you'll have plenty of energy to enjoy the rest of the festival!
Clare
11 February 2010
Cooks meet, February 2010
As Cracking Good Food hurtles towards its official launch at Chorlton's Big Green Festival on Saturday 27 March, coordinators Adele, Jess and Beth thought it would be a good idea to get all the Cracking Cooks together, and last Tuesday evening was set as the date.
Adele's wonderfully homely kitchen was crammed with 20 chairs and stools begged and borrowed from various friends and neighbours, and the Cracking Good Food Cooking Leaders met for a briefing about the project and a chance to try out each other's food. One by one, everybody introduced themselves to the group and described their cooking background - from restaurant pastry chefs and events caterers to local grocers and full-time mums. The coordinators outlined the aims of the network and organisation, explained how the cooking sessions and Cooks On The Hop events will work, and answered queries that were put forward.
Next came the important business of sampling the various dishes that the Cooking Leaders had brought along with them. Included in the savoury spread was a delicious homemade cheese and onion quiche, some Aberdeen Buttery Rowies straight from Rob's oven next door, Juliet's clove-laden chilli con carne, an unusual take on veggie moussaka courtesy of Unicorn's Richard and a tasty curry with lovely fresh chapattis. Steve and Jay from new deli Hickson & Black's supplied the cheeseboard and Kim rustled up a sundried tomato flatbread there and then. Anna's chocolate muffins with a cheesecake topping went down a treat for afters, while Kate's dragon cake was so beautiful noone wanted to cut into it - but we were so grateful when Jess finally took the plunge, as the sweet sponge and icing concoction was fabulous!
Clare