My daughter and I have just completed a four week course organised by the Isle of Wight Council Community and Family Learning Service.
Called Family Cookery (part of the Ventnor community learning courses), it was aimed at improving cooking skills (desperately needed), making your diet healthier and also getting parents to cook with their children.
We went along on Wednesday afternoons, 3.30pm – 5.30pm, to the well-equipped kitchens of Ventnor Middle School and learned to make some excellent dishes – ones that I frankly had thought were well beyond our skills.
Really interesting dishes
What kind of thing? How about Thai green curry, sweet chilli sauce, handmade fish cakes; Lasagne, five fruit cheese cake; bacon quiche? Quite a selection.
It was taught by the very amiable Paul Rogers, who is one of the Island’s Community Chefs. He’s got a great manner and patiently takes even the most junior of cooks (read me) through simple stages to achieve surprisingly good results.
Today, we asked those taking part in it what they’d thought of it and every response was very positive with many people saying that they’d like to take part in it again.
Here’s a couple of the comments, “It’s been really fun spending time with my family and learning to cook;” “We’ve had a good time – enjoyed it.”
You’d expect this to cost a fortune wouldn’t you, but no – it cost £16 per adult, with everything included in the price.
I can’t recommend this course highly enough. It’s brilliant.
Here are the views of all of those that were on the course. [audio:http://otw-audio.s3.amazonaws.com/family-cooking-comments.mp3]
