cookery school

WE LOVE LUCY
COOKING UP A REAL TASTE FOR TAPAS

Now, after attending a day-long Andalucian cookery course in Staveley I also know how tapas originated.*

Just one of the many things I learnt at my course at LucyCooks' rather fantastic new premises in Wilf's Yard.

The centre is the brainchild of the woman behind Lucy's of Ambleside. Now she has invested serious cash in creating the area's first cookery school and it is magnificent. More than a dozen workstations, everything to an incredibly high specification, most items sourced locally.

There were seven on my course - a brother and sister, Harrogate woman and her mother-in-law, two older ladies and me. Course tutors were former BBC journalists Cheryl Holden and Jonathan Seal who set up an Andalucian food import company some years ago. They were friendly and informative - as Lucy said at the outset, this place is about having a go and not just watching a cookery programme on television.

Everything started off informally - a coffee and a chat in the dining room complete with Aga (one of the courses is designed specifically to teach people how to get the best results from Aga cooking)

As we settled in Jon and Cheryl introduced us to their first ever taste of Andalucian food - the thing which hooked them into southern spanish cooking.

We were served a piece of warm bread and urged to drench it with some very good olive oil. As simple as that.

In today's society oil and fat are often demonised. But looking at Jon and Cheryl, both slim and brimming with good health, it wasn't doing them any harm. And it tasted delicious too - warm citrussy oil on hot bread. Great

We too were hooked so it was upstairs to the impeccable kitchen area for the first practical demonstration. It was a day of spanish home cooking - authentic recipes rather than trendy 'cheffy' stuff.

The first dish was stuffed pork tenderloin stuffed with ham, pepper and egg with almond sauce. First we watched, then we cooked. A simple but pleasingly impressive recipe which could be eaten hot or cold as tapas.

All the ingredients were supplied and measurements already weighed out. Jon and Cheryl were attentive but not intrusive. In the morning Lucy came in to have a quick chat with everyone - her charm showing how she has managed to create such a successful foodie empire in the Lake District over the last 18 years.

Although the demonstrators run a food import company there was no pressure to buy and lots of locally sourced ingredients had been included in the recipes. With the pork dish, instead of using jamon serrano they had opted for air dried ham from Cumbrian supplier Richard Woodall's. A nice touch.

Then as the pork was cooking for 40 minutes, on to the rice dish. Almost a risotto but cooked with peppers and tomatoes and absolutely no stirring involved.

We cooked it as an accompaniment to the pork but it could easily turn into a main meal with chicken, pork or shellfish added in. This dish was incredibly easy and tasty - definitely one I will repeat at home.

Then lunch - Lucy's team provided fresh bread, salad and wine to accompany the pork and rice we had cooked earlier. Most of us chose to eat just a small helping (they were very generous portions) and took the rest home to share with friends and loved ones.

Lunch conversation was mainly food based and when one lady started singing the praises of her new washing machine we knew it was time to return to the kitchen.

The afternoon concentrated on tapas - first, Jon gamely created a six-egg classic spanish omelette (we did a smaller one later). This was an effortless recipe and absolutely delicious. A wonderful mix of eggs, potatoes and onions which tastes so much better than the sum of its ingredients.

Then on to a little tasting session.

They introduced us to the delights of Pan de Higo (fig and almond cake) which can be used as tapas with a slice of goats cheese of perhaps ham.

With the cheese it was absolutely stunning - a sweet sour combination.

As was the grape juice syrup we had a taste of next. It tasted like molasses syrup with much more flavour. Apparently delicious over ice cream or over ham and melon as tapas. Anyway, it's certainly a perfect present for a foodie in your family.

Suddenly it was 3.30pm. Where had the day gone? Jon quickly demonstrated a couple more tapas while we ate his tortilla. Jon, it was fab!

He created a quick alioli (garlic mayonnaise), then a very light sauce - salmoreja cordobes - with just a red pepper, tomatoes, garlic, bread and oil. Again, we were urged to try and we did, all managing to swipe another piece of tortilla to dip into it.

So what did I learn?

Well firstly it was just a really enjoyable day out. (There are loads of different courses, some specifically aimed at families, others to get husbands and wives working together, something for everyone)

I met some really nice people who were interested in food but not too high brow about it all.

I came away with at least three simple recipes which I will cook at home.

I've found a couple of new ingredients I want to buy and experiment with.

I feel inspired to go back to my cook books and learn more.

What more could I want from a day out?

Well, perhaps a pudding to finish the day off....oh, yes, at the end of the day Dale (one of Lucy's chefs) brought us all a surprise indian dessert which was drop dead gorgeous. Dale, if you care to email me the recipe....

The only slight gripe was that the kitchen was very cold. If you are planning to attend a course in the winter months, wear lots of layers. One minute you're cooking over a stove, the next watching a demonstration so layering is essential.

Apart from that minor glitch, the set up is absolutely perfect.The cookery school is beside a stream by a salmon ladder and in the summer you will be able to sit outside in the sunshine, eating the food you've just cooked for yourself, sampling a glass of wine in like-minded company. Perfect!

Practical courses start from £50, more details on lucycooks.co.uk or ring 015394 32288. The cookery school is on the Lancashire/Cumbria border, about 10 minutes drive from Junction 36 on the M6.

*The word tapas means lid and bar staff started putting saucers on top of glasses of wine with little bits of ham and bread on them to give customers added value. Now tapas has become a worldwide cuisine.

Sue Riley
16/02/07