Cookery courses: That First Lesson

I’m sure that you’ve sat at home and watched Jamie Oliver cook up something delicious and thought, ‘I wish I could make that’ or even ‘I wish I could taste that’. I’ve salivated after Rachel Allen cookbooks and watched Nigella on the TV and wished that I could create something as succulent and beautiful as she. Recently, after spending time watching day time repeats of MasterChef Australia was inspired to look into some cookery courses. I couldn’t wait to dive into sautéing vegetables and piping pastries. I was excited because, despite a few Home- Economics disasters, I have had little to no real cooking experience. I was going to learn how to do more in the kitchen than rip the cardboard boxes and open the jars of sauce.

My first introduction to my cooking course was a very basic overview of the kitchen utensils. You will find, if you undertake a cooking course of your own that knowledge of everything that you need is very important. You need to know exactly what and where everything is in the kitchen because the organised chef is the successful chef. The basic cooking terms and rules are then revised. They range from the simple - never sieve sugar to the practical - never put silverware or metal embossed plates in the microwave. Rules such as this become old hat to you as you gain more experience in your cookery course.

It was explained that the more technical cookery methods would be dealt with as they were needed in each lesson of the cookery course. The instruction began with a demonstration from the teacher and then with supervised guidance while the students began with the recipe.

My first lesson was a simple Pepperoni and Basil Pizza. We were instructed in the making of the dough, the sauce and then the proper methods of cooking the Pizza too. There were some wonderful tips to pick up, such as the perfect way to make pizza dough (by either using a rich pastry base or a basic yeast bread base). The key was to let the dough sit, so the yeast would rise, or that the pastry dough was completely re- usable if you made too much. I also learned the importance of choosing the right cheese for my pizza. One of the best surprises was the wonderful fresh taste the home made tomato sauce had gained. I love homemade Pizza, so this was an excellent lesson to experience and I anticipated many more like it.

If you would be interested in cooking courses in your area you could be in luck. Close to Ennis you have access to the activity based cookery courses at the Doonbeg Lodge. These classes can be enquired about on the 065 905 5600. Alternatively you may receive lessons in Tralee on the Tralee Community Development Project, if you are interested in getting involved then you can do so on their website, traleecdp.ie.

I am an experienced journalistic writer and editor.