Forthcoming Dates:

Please see the main diary for all forthcoming Mediterranean Classes.

Check the Main Diary

TAPAS:

Spain is a real favourite of ours. Gutsy, unpretentious food but featuring fantastic ingredients such as chorizo, jamon, morcilla; paella, saffron, paprika, lemon, cardamom, every kind of fish and seafood, rice, potatoes, pasta, bread; the Spanish welcome it all into their culinary fold, a testament to their long history as conquistador and subjugate in near equal measure. Plus it's ok to drink sherry outside of December even if you're younger than 60 and they love beans of every kind, just like me.

Tapas allows you to taste all the great flavours in Spanish cooking in one sitting. Little plates full of intense flavours and requiring many different techniques to produce. Our tapas classes are great fun as we make and taste many different dishes.

ITALIAN:

Italy has an unrivalled reputation both for the quality of its produce and the passion of its cooks. In our Italian classes we start by making fresh foccaccia and pasta doughs. Then we start preparing a selection of classic and less well known regional dishes which explify the best of Italian cooking.

The day ends with a fest of numerous dishes progressing from antipasti, through pasta, fish, meat and vegetable dishes finishing with a dolce (dessert).

Italian cooking is a huge subject so each class will be specific to a region or season. Check the diary for details.

NORTH AFRICAN:

Morocca, Algeria, Tunisia; names that bring to mind romantic desert landscapes, beautiful Moorish architecture and the smell of food cooking on an open fire wafting on the hot wind as you stare at the stars in a cloudless sky.

Just a stones throw across the Straits of Gibraltar from Europe the cuisine changes significantly. The food is influenced by the spread of the Arab world from the east and flavours reflect the Muslim culture which has dominated this part of the Mediterranean. Lentils, Chickpeas, kid, lamb, harissa, ras-el-hanout, olives, almonds, apricots, cardamom, tagines, are just some of the flavours and dishes that exemplify the region. Our classes pick out the flavours which make the North African cuisine so distinctive from the rest of the Mediterranean.

MEZZE:

The reputation of Greek and Turkish Cuisine has been very poorly served over the last 40 years by the low quality stuff turned out in many over developed coastal resorts. However, the region has a culinary tradition of some 4,000 year and it was Archestratos in 330 B.C. who wrote the first cookbook in history. We'll attempt to capture some of the essence of Greek and Turkish Cooking by exploring some of the dishes the locals eat rather than those served to tourists.

The Lebanon and the Eastern Med has a wonderful cuisine; koftas, kebabs, pitta breads, fattoush, and falafel are just a few of the dishes which owe their existence to the inginuity of the cooks of the region. The style of eating is also different with lots of dishes on the table at once and all eaten communally form the centre of the table.

SOUTH OF FRANCE:

Bouillabaisse, Ratatouille, Soupe au pistou, Salade Niçoise, Socca, Pissaladière. The list of dishes unique to this region goes on and on. We'll pick classics from coast and mountain as we create a feast that will transport us to the world of Jean de Florette.

Of course the South of France is more than just Provence so this class will focus on some of the other great dishes of the region. The western end of the French Mediterranean coast sees much more influence from Spain where Provence has the more Italian feel. Patés, mushrooms, beans, chestnuts, jambon , brandade, bourride, merguez are dishes and ingredients that occur again and again.

In our class we'll cook dishes from across whole of the South to create a feast which demonstrates the best of the region.

Each workshop will start at 10:00 with coffee available from 9:30. We will spend the morning preparing and discussing the food of each region which will take us through to a late lunch at 2:30. the day will end around 4:00.

Cost £125 per person.

To book call us on 01803 752943 or email