With quick dauphinoise, greens, black forest affogato.

This week’s recipe comes from our cookbook of the week, Jamie’s 30 Minute Meals. It is definitely one of the recipes that Wickedfood Cooking School will use  for an exciting new Jamie Oliver Cooking Class later this year.

© David Loftus

DAUPHINOISE
1 red onion
1kg potatoes
1 nutmeg
2 cloves of garlic
1 x 300ml tub of single cream
4 anchovies in oil
Parmesan cheese
2 bay leaves
a very small bunch of fresh thyme

SEASONINGS
olive oil
extra virgin olive oil
sea salt & black pepper

CHICKEN
a few sprigs of fresh rosemary
4 x 180g chicken breasts, skin on
4 teaspoons Colman’s mustard powder
3 baby leeks or 1 large leek
4 cloves of garlic
white wine
75ml single cream (taken from cream for dauphinoise)
1 heaped teaspoon wholegrain mustard

GREENS
200g Swiss chard or other greens
1 x 200g bag of pre-washed baby spinach
1 lemon

AFFOGATO
1 tablespoon instant coffee (or you could use 4–6 shots of espresso)
3 teaspoons golden caster sugar
4–6 round shortbread biscuits
1 x 425g tin of pitted black cherries in juice
1 x 100g bar of good-quality dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids)
1 x 500g tub of good-quality vanilla ice cream

TO START Get all your ingredients and equipment ready. Put a medium saucepan and a large ovenproof frying pan on a low heat. Fit the thick slicer disc attachment into the food processor and turn the oven on to 220°C. Fill and boil the kettle.

DAUPHINOISE Peel and halve the red onion. Wash the potatoes, leave their skins on and slice in the food processor with the onion. Tip into a large sturdy roasting tray (approx. 35 x 25cm) and season. Grate over ¼ of the nutmeg, crush in 2 unpeeled cloves of garlic and pour in 225ml of single cream.
Tear in the anchovies and finely grate over a large handful of Parmesan. Add the bay leaves, pick the leaves from a few thyme sprigs and add a good drizzle of olive oil. Use your clean hands to quickly mix and toss everything together, then put the tray over a medium heat. Pour in 200ml of boiled water, cover tightly with tin foil and leave on the heat.

CHICKEN Turn the heat under the frying pan up to medium. Pick and finely chop the leaves from the rosemary sprigs and sprinkle them into the pack of chicken. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of mustard powder over each breast, then season and drizzle some olive oil over the chicken and into the frying pan. Massage and rub these flavours all over the meat. Put the chicken breasts in the pan, skin side down. Wash your hands well. Use a fish slice to press down on the chicken to help it cook. It should take around 18 minutes in total.

DAUPHINOISE Give the tray a shake so nothing catches.

GREENS Finely slice the stalks so they cook quickly. Wash the leaves. Put the stalks into the saucepan, cover with boiling water, add a good pinch of salt and put the lid on.

DAUPHINOISE Remove the tin foil. Finely grate over a layer of Parmesan. Drizzle the remaining thyme sprigs with oil, scatter on top and put into the oven on the top shelf to cook for 15 minutes, or until golden brown and bubbling.

CHICKEN Quickly trim the leeks and halve lengthways. Wash them under the cold tap, then finely slice them and add to one side of the chicken pan.

GREENS Add the chard leaves to the saucepan. Add another splash of boiled water if needed.

CHICKEN Crush 4 unpeeled cloves of garlic into the pan of chicken. Flip the chicken breasts skin side up, then press down on them again. Stir the leeks and add a good swig of white wine.

GREENS Empty the bag of spinach into a colander and pour the greens and the boiling water over the spinach. Add a lug of olive oil to the empty saucepan, squeeze in the juice of 1 lemon, then return all the drained greens to the pan and use tongs to toss and dress in the flavours. Season to taste, then take straight to the table.

CHICKEN Check the chicken is cooked through, then pour 75ml of cream into the frying pan. Cover the pan with tin foil. Quickly check on the dauphinoise.

AFFOGATO Put 1 tablespoon of instant coffee into a small jug with 3 teaspoons of sugar. Half-fill the kettle and boil. Crumble the shortbread biscuits into the bottom of 4 espresso cups. Drain the cherries and divide them between the cups. Bash the bar of chocolate up and add a few chunks
to each cup.Take the cups to the table.

CHICKEN Turn the heat off. Transfer the chicken breasts to a board and slice into uneven pieces. Stir 1 heaped teaspoon of whole grain mustard into the sauce, then taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Spoon the sauce on to a platter and put the sliced chicken on top. Drizzle over some extra virgin olive oil and take straight to the table.

DAUPHINOISE Take to the table. Get your ice cream out of the freezer to soften for later.

TO SERVE After dinner, stir some boiling water into the jug of coffee and sugar. Take to the table with the ice cream and spoon a scoop into each espresso cup. Grate over some chocolate, then pour over just enough hot coffee (or espresso) to start melting the chocolate. So delicious!

Main courses serves 4 to 6

For other recipes from Jamie’s 30 Minute Meals …. click here.

Wickedfood Cooking School runs cooking classes throughout the year at its purpose-built Johannesburg cooking studio. Cookery classes are run in the mornings and evenings 7 days a week (subject to a minimum of 12 people). The venue is also popular for corporate events and private functions – teambuilding cooking classes, birthdays, kitchen teas, and dinner parties with a difference.

Our cooking lessons are hands-on, where every person gets to participate in the preparation of the dishes. They are also a lot of fun where you not only learn new skills, but get to meet people with similar interests. For corporate groups and team building cooking classes these events are a novel way of creating staff interaction or entertaining clients.

Wickedfood Cooking School, SUNNINGHILL

Information & bookings (011) 234-3252 sunninghill@wickedfood.co.za

Hi all,

Wickedfood Cooking School, in conjunction with Slow Food and Die Ou Pastorie restaurant in Skeerpoort, near Hartebeerspoort Dam, will be organizing a spring feast on Sunday, 19 September.  This will be a great opportunity  to meet some local producers and savour the delicious produce.  See below for more details.  Space is very limited, so book early to avoid disappointment.

And for all the wine lovers out there, don’t forget the Juliet Cullinan Wine Festival this week Wednesday and Thursday.  See below for more details.

Find us on Facebook and Twitter – just search for Wickedfood and you will find us. We update the blog on a daily basis and publish it through Facebook and Twitter.

Wickedfood Cooking School news

Cooking class programmes are up on the internet, click the relevant month for the September and October programmes .

Wickedfood Cooking School runs cooking classes with a minimum of 8 participants and a maximum of 12 as this gives everyone hands-on experience and keeps the cooking class small enough for maximum learning. These cooking classes are conducted by our senior instructors who have extensive experience in the food industry and share a variety of additional cooking tips throughout the cooking class.

• Sunday 12 September at 4pm – Easy Entertaining Indian style (R380pp). Authentic Indian cooking class including bhel puri, lamb korma, potato and cauliflower curry, chicken pulao and cheese balls in syrup.
• Monday 13 September at 6pm – Jamie’s America – … on Soul food (R360pp). Jamie Oliver cooking class, based on his latest book on his recent travels through the USA. We re-interpret some of the dishes, and put them together into a themed menu including red pepper summer soup, fried chicken, collard greens, grits, coleslaw and peach cobbler.

• Monday 20 September at 6pm – Entertaining Turkish style (R370pp). Turkish cooking class – dishes include bulgur wheat patties, yoghurt soup, baked layered lamb pastry, stuffed aubergines, rice pilav and syrupy almond cake.
• Sunday 26 September at 4pm – Easy Asian dishes with a Chinese flavour (R390pp). Chinese cooking class – perfect for entertaining, with most dishes prepared in advance including wonton soup with noodles, chilli prawns, master stock chicken, Mu shu pork and ginger pudding.
• Monday 27 September at 6pm – Alfresco Italian dining (R380pp). Real Italian cooking class, tastes of al fresco summer dining and easy entertaining, including char grilled asparagus, affettati misti, insalata caprese, chicken involtini and Hanepoot semifreddo.

Please contact the school should you wish to make a booking:

Slow Food Spring country feast

Wickedfood Cooking School, in conjunction with Slow Food and Die Ou Pastorie restaurant in Skeerpoort, near Hartebeerspoort Dam, will be hosting a spring feast on Sunday, 19 September. Come and meet some of the small producers, and sample their award-winning ingredients incorporated into a delicious 5-course menu prepared by Die Ou Pastorie (there is also a vegetarian option, please advise when booking):

• Organic micro green salad with free range chicken locally smoked;
• Soup  – incorporating the freshest of spring vegetables available on the day;
• Spring lamb from the valley: roasted shoulder served with timbale of polenta cooked in a light smoked chicken stock with locally produced halloumi cheese, smoked bacon, and spring vegetables.
• Local award-winning cheese platter with a selection of Die Ou Pastorie jellies and home made biscotti.
• Pecan nut tiramisù.

The cost of the lunch is R250pp including a wine pairing with each course (other drinks for your own account).  To book contact: Tim tim@mutengo.co.za 011 442-5201 or 072 238-2790

Looking for info on food?

If you have any food-related questions, or a dish that you just can’t get right or even a certain recipe that you are looking for, but just can’t seem to find, then contact us and we will do our best to answer it as soon as possible. Click Here for more information. Hope to hear from you soon.

Juliet Cullinan Wine Festival

The Juliet Cullinan Standard Bank Wine Festival 2010 takes place this year on 8 and 9 September from 17h30 to 21h00 at the Wanderer’s Club, 21 North Road, Illovo, Johannesburg. Cost per ticket is R100.

With only 60 exhibitors, this small, focused festival appeals to tasters looking for old and tested, or new and innovative wines, which are not available to the general trade and not easily available in retail outlets.  Each year the management at Wickedfood Cooking School visits this show to keep abreast of new trends and cultivars available on the market, a really worthwhile outing.

On food

You can tell whether a crab is male or female by the markings on the underside. A female has a pattern similar in shape to a dome, whereas a male’s markings resemble a rocket. Lovers of the delicate white crabmeat will find this useful as the male’s larger claws contain more of the prized flesh than the female’s do.

Cookbook of the week

Mexican Food Made Simple

When Thomasina Miers first visited  Mexico at the tender age of eighteen,  she fell so in love with its food that she went back to live there, opening up a cocktail bar and using her free time to travel the country. Returning to London, she entered and won  BBC’s MasterChef . She went on to open a  Mexican street food cantina, Wahaca, and has now opened three branches. Her latest book Mexican Food Made Simple is a really great introduction into Mexican food. Recipes are simple to follow, yet at the same time wholesome and full of Mexican flavour. … Click Here for more.

Click Here to see Wickedfood Cooking School’s top 10 food-related books for 2010.

Food quote of the week

“Lettuce is like conversation: It must be fresh and crisp, and so sparkling that you scarcely notice the bitter in it” – Charles Dudley Warner, essayist

Recipe of the week:

Steak Burritos

This recipe is from Thomasina Miers latest book Mexican Food Made Simple. A great casual party dish or for a quick healthy meal. …Click Here for the recipe.

The Wickedfood Team

Wickedfood Cooking School runs cooking classes throughout the year at its purpose-built Johannesburg cooking studio. Cookery classes are run in the mornings and evenings 7 days a week (subject to a minimum of 12 people). The venue is also popular for corporate events and private functions – teambuilding cooking classes, birthdays, kitchen teas, and dinner parties with a difference.

Our cooking lessons are hands-on, where every person gets to participate in the preparation of the dishes. They are also a lot of fun where you not only learn new skills, but get to meet people with similar interests. For corporate groups and team building cooking classes these events are a novel way of creating staff interaction or entertaining clients.

Wickedfood Cooking School, SUNNINGHILL

Information & bookings (011) 234-3252 sunninghill@wickedfood.co.za

Hi all,

Over the weekend we had a very successful joint function with Slow Food, tasting five very different venison recipes and pairing them with some of the country’s top wines.  Due to its great success, we will repeat these type of functions on a quarterly basis.

Over the next two weeks, we once again have some fantastic individual classes.  Our French cooking class is always popular, so book soon.  In addition we have a class on quick and easy meals for two, as well as a cooking class on making pasta and an Indian cooking class.  Hope to see you at one of these cooking classes, see details below.

Find us on Facebook and Twitter – just search for Wickedfood and you will find us. We update the blog on a daily basis and publish it through Facebook and Twitter.

Wickedfood Cooking School news

Cooking class programmes are up on the internet, click the relevant month for the August and September programme .

Wickedfood Cooking School runs cooking classes with a minimum of 8 participants and a maximum of 12 as this gives everyone hands-on experience and keeps the cooking class small enough for maximum learning. These cooking classes are conducted by our senior instructors who have extensive experience in the food industry and share a variety of additional cooking tips throughout the cooking class.

• Sunday 29 August at 4pm – Classic French cooking (R390pp). French cooking class, an introduction to French cuisine with some classic seafood dishes including quiche Lorraine, bouillabaisse, sole meunière, salad niçoise and flourless chocolate cake.
• Monday 30 August at 6pm – 30 minute meals (R370pp). In this class we will show participants how to produce quick and easy 30 minute meals that are delicious, and at the same time low in fat and well balanced.  Includes Tandoori chicken salad, penne with a tomato salsa and tuna, chilli seafood rice and apple and pear strudel.
• Monday 06 September at 6pm – Making filled pasta and accompanying sauces (R390pp). Dishes covered in this pasta making cooking class include cheese and ham ravioli with a tomato sauce, meat filled agnolotti, spinach and ricotta tortellini, cappelletti filled with sweet potatoes and ravioli with apple and pecan nut stuffing.
• Sunday 12 September at 4pm – Easy Entertaining Indian style (R380pp). Authentic Indian cooking class including bhel puri, lamb korma, potato and cauliflower curry, chicken pulao and cheese balls in syrup.

Please contact the school should you wish to make a booking:

Looking for info on food?

If you have any food-related questions, or a dish that you just can’t get right or even a certain recipe that you are looking for, but just can’t seem to find, then contact us and we will do our best to answer it as soon as possible. Click Here for more information. Hope to hear from you soon.

Juliet Cullinan Wine Festival

The Juliet Cullinan Standard Bank Wine Festival 2010 takes place this year on 8 and 9 September from 17h30 to 21h00 at the Wanderer’s Club, 21 North Road, Illovo, Johannesburg. Cost per ticket is R100.

With only 60 exhibitors, this small, focused festival appeals to tasters looking for old and tested, or new and innovative wines, which are not available to the general trade and not easily available in retail outlets.  Each year the management at Wickedfood Cooking School visits this show to keep abreast of new trends and cultivars available on the market, a really worthwhile outing.

On food

Is your extra virgin olive oil top grade?

A University of California study on olive oil says many of the olive oils lining supermarket shelves in the United States are not the top-grade extra virgin oils that their labels declare (and for which we’re paying good money). I’m pretty sure that the situation in South Africa is very similar, especially  with regards to the imported oils.  The  study  found that more than two-thirds of samples failed to meet international and U.S. standards.

First, remember that all olive oils, regardless of the variety, are 100 percent fat and contain the same amount of calories!

So what should be we be looking for when buying olive oil?

• Extra virgin olive oil: The finest and fruitiest of olive oil grades. It is also the most expensive, with a colour ranging from deep gold or greenish gold to bright, grassy green. It should never be cooked with, only used as a garnish.
• Virgin olive oil: Is the second pressing.  Its acidity level can be up to 2 percent. It should also taste smooth and have a good aroma, flavour and colour.
• Olive oil: oil with flavour or an aroma that is less than perfect is refined to produce an odourless, colourless and tasteless oil. Virgin olive oil is then added to give it some flavour and colour. The flavour and, ultimately, price of olive oil varies depending on the amount of virgin olive oil added.

Don’t fry away your money. The flavour of higher priced extra virgin olive oil tends to break down at frying temperatures. Standard olive oil forms a crust on the surface of food when fried that impedes the penetration of oil and improves its flavour. As a result, less of the oil is actually absorbed in the food, resulting in a lower fat content than food fried in other oils. … Click Here to read more.

Cookbook of the week

Mastering the Art of French Cooking

Remember the movie Julie & Julia, starring Meryl Streep as Julia Child. In the movie Julie set herself the task of  cooking every dish from Julia Child’s book, Mastering the Art of French Cooking originally published more than 40 years ago. Fortunately the book has recently been re-printed, with all 524 recipes. … Click Here for more.

Click Here to see Wickedfood Cooking School’s top 10 food-related books for 2009.

Food quote of the week

“Laughter is brightest where food is best.” – Irish Proverb.

Recipe of the week:

Boeuf bourguignon

As is the case with most famous dishes, there are more ways than one to arrive at a good boeuf bourguignon. Carefully done, and perfectly flavoured, it is certainly one of the most delicious beef dishes concocted by man. Fortunately you can prepare it completely ahead, even a day in advance, and it only gains in flavour when re-heated. …Click Here for the recipe.

The Wickedfood Team

Wickedfood Cooking School runs cooking classes throughout the year at its purpose-built Johannesburg cooking studio. Cookery classes are run in the mornings and evenings 7 days a week (subject to a minimum of 12 people). The venue is also popular for corporate events and private functions – teambuilding cooking classes, birthdays, kitchen teas, and dinner parties with a difference.

Our cooking lessons are hands-on, where every person gets to participate in the preparation of the dishes. They are also a lot of fun where you not only learn new skills, but get to meet people with similar interests. For corporate groups and team building cooking classes these events are a novel way of creating staff interaction or entertaining clients.

Wickedfood Cooking School, SUNNINGHILL

Information & bookings (011) 234-3252 sunninghill@wickedfood.co.za

Hi all,

This sudden cold snap has certainly reminded us that winter is still here, and in winter we should be eating hearty warming stews and roasts. Winter is also a time for venison and in celebration of this, on  Sunday 22 August, we’ll be running a very special event – working with venison, in conjunction with Slow Food. It is a radically discounted event, only R250pp, and we only have a few spaces still available, so see below, or contact the school for more details.

Find us on Facebook and Twitter – just search for Wickedfood and you will find us. We update the blog on a daily basis and publish it through Facebook and Twitter.

Wickedfood Cooking School news

Cooking class programmes are up on the internet, click the relevant month for the August and September programme .

Wickedfood Cooking School runs cooking classes with a minimum of 8 participants and a maximum of 12 as this gives everyone hands-on experience and keeps the cooking class small enough for maximum learning. These cooking classes are conducted by our senior instructors who have extensive experience in the food industry and share a variety of additional cooking tips throughout the  class.

• Sunday 15 August at 4pm – Thai master class (R390pp). A Thai cooking class with classic Thai flavours and a strong leaning towards seafood. Dishes include fried seafood pancake, chilli and tamarind soup, deep-fried fish, banana flower salad with prawns, crispy noodles and sweet sticky rice.
• Monday 16 August at 6pm – 30 minute meals (R380pp). Quick and easy meals for two. Dishes include vegetarian stir-fry, red chicken curry, pepper steak, sun-dried tomato pesto, fish with almonds, and pizza.
• Sunday 22 August at 5.30pm – Working with venison (R250pp), in conjunction with Slow Food. This is a gourmet, 5 course dinner, looking at 4 very different venison preparations, and pairing them with some very unique wines.
• Monday 23 August at 6pm – Jamie’s Ministry of Food – Easy curries, salads and soups (R370pp). This Jamie Oliver cooking class is inspired by Jamie’s book Ministry of Food, at Wickedfood Cooking School we regard it as his best. It is a perfect book for any beginner. We take six recipes from the book and re-interpret them, with plenty of tips along the way. Learning the secrets to successful  easy cooking, including spicy Moroccan stewed fish with couscous, chicken and leek stroganoff, broccoli and pesto tagliatelle, classic tomato spaghetti, macaroni cauliflower cheese bake and banana tarte tatin, with a wicked twist.
• Sunday 29 August at 4pm – Classic French cooking (R390pp). French cooking class, an introduction to French cuisine with some classic seafood dishes including quiche Lorraine, bouillabaisse, sole meunière, salad niçoise and flourless chocolate cake.

Please contact the school should you wish to make a booking:

Looking for info on food?

If you have any food-related questions, or a dish that you just can’t get right or even a certain recipe that you are looking for, but just can’t seem to find, then contact us and we will do our best to answer it as soon as possible. Click Here for more information. Hope to hear from you soon.

On food

Lemons don’t just perk up meals and desserts with their citrus vim and vigour, they can also help your cookery. Adding a few drops of lemon juice to egg whites before whisking them for meringues helps stabilise the proteins and prevents the whites turning into clumps of cotton-woolly foam, should you get overzealous with the electric beaters.

Cookbook of the week

Bourke Street Bakery

One of the rising stars of Australia’s baking scene is Bourke Street Bakery, situated in the hip foodie enclave of Sydney’s Surry Hills, selling artisanal baked goods of the highest order.  Fortunately for those of us who are not able to visit the bakery, we can now recreate many of their delicious offerings from the inspiring cookbook of the same name. … Click Here for more.

Click Here to see Wickedfood Cooking School’s top 10 food-related books for 2009.

Food quote of the week

“Cooking is like love. It should be entered into with abandon or not at all.” – Harriet Van Horne.

Recipe of the week:

Carrot cake
Carrot cake is one of the all time favourites, found on nearly every coffeehouse menu.  Apart from being full of flavour, carrot cake also has a relatively long shelf life. … Click Here for the recipe.

The Wickedfood Team

Wickedfood Cooking School runs cooking classes throughout the year at its purpose-built cooking studio. Classes are run in the mornings and evenings 7 days a week (subject to a minimum of 12 people). The venue is also popular for corporate events and private functions – teambuilding cooking classes, birthdays, kitchen teas, and dinner parties with a difference.

Our classes are hands-on, where every person gets to participate in the preparation of the dishes. They are also a lot of fun where you not only learn new skills, but get to meet people with similar interests. For corporate groups and team building cooking classes these events are a novel way of creating staff interaction or entertaining clients.

Wickedfood Cooking School, SUNNINGHILL

Information & bookings (011) 234-3252 sunninghill@wickedfood.co.za

Hi all,

In this cold weather, what better way to warm up, than with a tasty stew or hearty soup  – see our feature below for some great soup ideas, or search through our recipe section on the blog (We have 29 pages of delicious recipes).

The August  programme of Johannesburg cooking classes for individuals is now up on our website.  We have a mouthwatering selection of classes on offer, including a French cooking class, and a baking class, specializing in chocolate – see our recipe of the week to whet your appetite.

Find us on Facebook and Twitter – just search for Wickedfood and you will find us. We update the blog on a daily basis and publish it through Facebook and Twitter.

Wickedfood Cooking School news

Cooking class programmes are up on the internet, click the relevant month for the July and August programme .

Wickedfood Cooking School runs cooking classes with a minimum of 8 participants and a maximum of 12 as this gives everyone hands-on experience and keeps the cooking class small enough for maximum learning. These cooking classes are conducted by our senior instructors who have extensive experience in the food industry and share a variety of additional cooking tips throughout the  class.

• Monday 05 July at 6pm – Cooked in Africa (R380pp). Justin Bonello has become a cult hero in the South African culinary world. Through his quirky television series, and accompanying book, Cooked In Africa, he has taken a bunch of friends on a culinary road trip through southern Africa. In this Justin Bonello cooking class, we’ve taken a few of the recipes from the series and re-interpreted them to create a delicious South African cooking class.

• Monday 12 July at 6pm – Jamie’s Ministry of Food – quick meals and pastas (R350pp). This Jamie Oliver cooking class is inspired by Jamie’s book Ministry of Food, at Wickedfood Cooking School we regard it as his best. It is a perfect book for any beginner. We take six recipes from the book and re-interpret them, with plenty of tips along the way. Learning the secrets to successful  easy cooking, including spicy Moroccan stewed fish with couscous, chicken and leek stroganoff, broccoli and pesto tagliatelle, classic tomato spaghetti, macaroni cauliflower cheese bake and banana tarte tatin, with a wicked twist.
• Sunday 18 July at 4pm – Entertaining Italian style (R350pp). Great Italian cooking class, with dishes for entertaining with Italian flair including rice croquettes, Siena bread soup, semolina gnocchi, poached chicken with a caper/egg sauce and baked pears.

Please contact the school should you wish to make a booking:

Looking for info on food?

If you have any food-related questions, or a dish that you just can’t get right or even a certain recipe that you are looking for, but just can’t seem to find, then contact us and we will do our best to answer it as soon as possible. Click Here for more information. Hope to hear from you soon.

On food

Soup

It’s so easy to make delicious, homemade soups, which are especially hearty in this cold winter weather.  But what is a soup?

Wikipedia defines soup as “...a food that is made by combining ingredients such as meat and vegetables with stock, juice, water or another liquid. Hot soups are additionally characterized by boiling solid ingredients in liquids in a pot until the flavour is extracted, forming a broth. Traditionally, soups are classified into two main groups: clear soups and thick soups. The established French classifications of clear soups are bouillon and consommé. Thick soups are classified depending upon the type of thickening agent used: purées are vegetable soups thickened with starch; bisques are made from puréed shellfish or vegetables thickened with cream;the  cream soups may be thickened with béchamel sauce; and veloutés are thickened with eggs, butter and cream. Other ingredients commonly used to thicken soups and broths include rice, flour and grains.“

Basic soups are very easy to make, as we constantly remind our cooking class students at Wickedfood Cooking School.  Chop equal quantities of onion, celery and carrots, and fry in a little butter or oil until the flavour is released.  Add a few chicken thighs and wings, slices of lamb neck, or some beef bones, cover with water or homemade stock and boil until the meat falls off the bone.  Add a handful of pulses such as lentils, barley or chickpeas, at the beginning of the cooking process, for more body.  Season to taste and serve.  See links to other websites in this article for some delicious soup recipes.

Soup as a figure of speech:

• Alphabet soup – a term often used to describe a large amount of acronyms used by an administration.
• Pea soup describes a thick or dense fog.
• Word soup refers to any collection of words that is ostensibly incomprehensible.
• Tag soup further refers to poorly coded HTML.

Click Here for some delicious soups from Jamie Oliver.

Book of the week

A Greener Life - Clarissa Dickson Wright and Johnny Scott

You may well remember Clarissa from the TV series Two Fat Ladies. In her more recent publications, A Greener Life, Clarissa and Johnny Scott look at how to live a more natural and self-sufficient life. They explore  issues from growing your own vegetables to using alternative energies, so that you have the knowledge to start living  greener.

In … Click Here for more.

Click Here to see Wickedfood Cooking School’s top 10 food-related books for 2009.

Recipe of the week:

Chocolate brownies

This recipe is based on one that we use at Wickedfood Cooking School in our baking class, specializing in chocolate .  Chewy chocolate squares, one of the best brownie recipes around, and quick and easy to make. They use cocoa powder instead of chocolate.

The Wickedfood Team

Wickedfood Cooking School runs cooking classes throughout the year at its purpose-built cooking studio. Classes are run in the mornings and evenings 7 days a week (subject to a minimum of 12 people). The venue is also popular for corporate events and private functions – teambuilding cooking classes, birthdays, kitchen teas, and dinner parties with a difference.

Our classes are hands-on, where every person gets to participate in the preparation of the dishes. They are also a lot of fun where you not only learn new skills, but get to meet people with similar interests. For corporate groups and team building cooking classes these events are a novel way of creating staff interaction or entertaining clients.