Taking Some Time

Sometimes life is hard. I've found the last few weeks particularly difficult for various reasons. Friday arrived and I felt physically and emotionally exhausted. The last thing I felt like doing was a cookery course. But, surprisingly it's just what James and I needed. A day together, having some fun.

Just before Christmas I started researching cookery courses. Cooking is something that James enjoys and something we've enjoyed doing together so I thought a voucher for a course would be a nice gift to give him on Christmas morning.

My research led me to The Food Hub Cookery School in Kenton. Kenton is about a 30 minute drive from where we're currently living and just down the road from where we are planning to move to. As I browsed their course list I found one on authentic Indian food, James' favourite, perfect!

We arrived at the venue just before 10am and were welcomed with tea, coffee and carrot cake. We were then introduced to Paddy who was running the course that day. She was warm, friendly and laid back which set the tone for the day. We were reassured that we couldn't mess things up too badly so there was no pressure to perform and to get everything right. The cookery school has a large kitchen area with 3 work stations. There is also a separate station at the front of the room that's used for demonstrations. Paddy talked us through and prepared the recipes the recipes that were on our menus while we watched on the television screens around the room. It was then our turn to recreate the magic. There was the option to pair up and double to recipe or to work alone whichever option was preferred by the individuals in the room. James and I decided to pair up and work as one. All the ingredients and equipment that's needed throughout the day is provided, even the take away containers so we were able to take home what we'd made to eat later. We stopped for lunch about half 12 and got to tuck into some of the delicious food that Paddy had prepared during the demonstrations. The day moved at a really good pace, not too fast that we struggled to keep up but not too slow so that we were standing around waiting for the next part to begin. Before we knew it, it was three o'clock and time to put our utensils down, switch off our hobs and head home. We can't wait to try out the recipes again and share what we've learnt with out friends and family.