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Wild Food Foraging with Jesper – 4th May

April 16, 2013 in Our cooking sessons

Chorlton Waterpark, 11am – 2pm
– £20
Book and pay online now 

Spring heralds the finest season for finding tender and delicious edible plants. Woods and hedgerows come to life with patches of fresh green growth and this walk is the perfect opportunity to decipher what can and can’t be eaten, and to learn how to differentiate the toxic from the delicious. With luck, some of Spring’s tastiest edible mushrooms will be on the agenda too. This walk will last up to 3 hours and will be followed by an al fresco cooking experience of our best finds.

www.jesperlaunder.com

 Please click here to watch an inspiring FILM from one of Jesper’s previous sessions

Example of feedback from previous sessions:
“It was fascinating seeing what plants and food grow and learning what we could eat! I will definely be trying this myself!” – David Roberts”Loved the medicinal info, cooking tips and the ideatification/tasting of plants! Really informative, great introduction to foraging” – Zophie Begolo
“Very enjoyable, informative – very inspiring” – Katie Corbes-Hill

Book and pay online now

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Community Cooking: Approved Premises 6 week course

April 15, 2013 in Carousel, Our cooking sessons

6 week cooking programme starting on the 17th April 2013

Partnering with Manchester College (CAAC:IF funded) we’re delivering our 4th 6 week course at the residence for ex-offenders, starting on the 17th of April.

Our 6 week cooking courses, working with ex offenders as part of their basic life skills training, are accredited through Manchester College to ‘Open Awards Level 2′. We’ll be teaching a wide range of cooking skills, in conjunction with food safety & hygiene, the basics of digestion & nutrition, seasonality, cooking & eating on a budget and how to eat healthily.

Our course involves hands on cooking covering a broad range of delicious but healthy everyday staples such as stir fries, stews n pies, pasta dishes, curries and store cupboard feasts, as well as focussed group work on areas such as healthy eating, the basics of digestion and nutrition, seasonality and cooking on a budget.

Courses will continue – ESF Funded

 

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Cracking Good Food Public Sessions in Altrincham too!

February 19, 2013 in Altrincham Grammar School, Carousel, classes, cookery classes, cooking sessions, Cracking Cooks, Deanna, Events, Fish, Harjinder, Islington Mill, Kim, Mezze, Our cooking sessons, Public Cooking Events, Punjabi, risotto, Rob, Robert Owen Brown, Venison

We are delighted to say that we have now, in collaboration with Altrincham Grammar School for Boys launched fortnightly hands on ‘cook & dine’ sessions.

Based in the new high spec food technology facilities at Altrincham Grammar, these are 3 hour cooking sessions, on Monday evenings from 6-9pm, where you will learn to cook delicious seasonal dishes, with ingredients sourced from local independent shops, in a group environment, and then everyone sits down together at the end to dine on what you have cooked. There may be leftovers, so please bring a suitable container with you on the evening!

Numbers are strictly limited to 12 places per session so please book early to avoid disappointment, and you need to be 18 or over to attend (due to public liability insurance restrictions).

PLEASE NOTE: Places on these sessions are booked through Altrincham Grammar School, not through our online booking system. To book your place on one of the sessions, please contact Andrea Lacon at Altrincham Grammar on 0161 928 0858 or email her alacon@agsb.co.uk. They accept payments by cash or cheque.

If you would like to get involved in the sessions in a different way, by helping out as a volunteer in return for dinner, please contact Andrea Lacon to express your interest.

Please click here to have a look at these sessions on the Altrincham Grammar School website 

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Game on! – Cooking with Venison in Altrincham this Monday!

February 18, 2013 in Altrincham Grammar School, classes, cookery classes, cooking sessions, Mark Addy, Our cooking sessons, Public Cooking Events, Robert Owen Brown, Venison

Monday 25th February 2013 
Altrincham Grammar – 6-9pm 
- £55
To book please contact Andrea Lacon on 0161 928 0858 or email her alacon@agsb.co.uk  

The legendary Mark Addy’s executive head chef Robert Owen Brown delivers a perfectly balanced session on the UK’s most sustainable meat. You’ll find out about hunting & environmental issues, and different cooking methods, before embarking on a trio of dishes, all using different cuts & different cooking methods to increase your knowledge & confidence in cooking with venison, each of which will impress family or dinner guests – pan fried venison liver with baby onions and dandelion & burdock reduction on celeriac mash, slow braised venison haunch with claret & thyme and venison loin with red cabbage & chocolate.
For further information please take a look at our Cracking Cooks BLOG from our recent Venison session with Robert: 
http://crackingcooks.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/guest-blog-game-for-it.html

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Bread Extra with Rob – Sat 2nd February

January 26, 2013 in Bread, classes, cooking sessions, Our cooking sessons, Public Cooking Events, Rob

Chorlton High School, 10am – 2pm
– £45
Book and pay online now 

Rob is back with his extended breadmaking session covering all the basics of making the perfect 100% organic loaf, easy and fabulous garlic naan breads as well as aromatic focaccia with red onion and rosemary or sunblush tomatoes and olives. Suitable for all levels of experience, from absolute beginners to those wishing to perfect their skills. An extended four hour session with lots of time for talk and questions and plenty of fabulous bread to take home at the end.

Course starts an hour earlier so that you’ve more time to wallow in the wonderful world of bread with an expert! And now also includes added extra – tasty homemade pizza, with tips on the perfect tomato sauce and how to make the perfect base, so lunch is provided.

If you’ve been to one of our Breadmaking For Beginners sessions, you’ll know just how satisfying it is to make your own bread. Not only are home-made loaves cheaper, tastier and healthier than the shop-bought stuff, they fill your house with the delicious smell of baking! Whether you’re an absolute beginner or someone who has mastered the skill of tin loaves and rolls and fancy extending your repertoire, with a little more time to ask those questions too, this next-step-up session is for you. Resident baker Rob is also very experienced in artisan breadmaking and is keen to share his knowledge. We’ve added an hour to the session so you get real value for money – and a skill that will last you a lifetime.

All ingredients are bought locally at Unicorn Co-operative Grocery and other local independent shops.

Book and pay online now 

 

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Roti and Stuffed Paratha Masterclass with Harjinder – Sat 27th April

January 22, 2013 in Asian, Carousel, classes, cookery classes, cooking sessions, Harjinder, Our cooking sessons, Public Cooking Events, Punjabi

Chorlton High School, 10am-2pm
- £40
12 places left 
Book and pay online now 

Dhal, Roti Masterclass and Stuffed Mooli/Alu Parathas with homemade yoghurt

Cracking Cook Harjinder, who has been cooking Punjabi food for 40 years and has been on TV with the Hairy Bikers on their well known Mum Knows Best series, is back again with this popular masterclass session, to share more of her secrets of this delicious cuisine.

This is a 4 hour session, so there will be plenty of time to really master your roti (chappati) making skills, and learn how to use the traditional Tava, as well as how to finish off your roti on the open flame. Once you’ve got your roti down to a fine art, you’ll be ready to start preparing  various fillings – a spicy potato filling and a white mooli based filling – and put together the stuffed parathas.  There will also be plenty of time for you to master the perfect lentil dahl. Harjinder wil bringing along her own delicious homemade yoghurt to serve with the meal and will give you lots of useful tips about how you can replicate this at home (and it will be included in the recipe sheet you take away at the end).

Harjinders website

A video of Harjinder in action

Feedback from some of Harjinder’s previous sessions:
“Harjinder was very knowledgeable – I really lliked the insight into Punjabi culture + how cooking methods are passed down to the next generation” – Sally
“Harjinder very knowledgeable + shares that knowledge with great enthusiasm” – Nick
“Excellent atmosphere” – Ijeoma
“Fab – loved every minute” – Jayne
“Everything was interesting. From walking in through the door seeing all the food laid out – lovely. Most welcoming” – Sally
“Harjinder is a natural teacher and very knowledgeable + interesting” –Heather
“Really enjoyed the whole session, hearing about the background of food, having a go myself and eating…! Yum!” – Tessa
“All useful techniques and very delicious + straightforward recipes. Helpful advice in the cooking” – Felicity
“Harjinder is such a professional & so inspirational “– Fiona
 

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Looking for original Christmas Gifts??

December 14, 2012 in Christmas, classes, Community cooking, cookery classes, cooking programmes, cooking sessions, Cracking Cooks, Events, original Christmas gifts, Our cooking sessons, products, Public Cooking Events, vouchers, website

All of us here at Cracking Good Food
wish you much happiness over
the festive season
and we look forward to cooking with you in 2013!

If you want to give a cooking session or two as an original experiential gift, but don’t know which sessions to choose, why not get one of our CGF Gift Vouchers and let them choose the cooking session they really want themselves!
Vouchers are available in any denominations, and are perfect for the person in your life who has everything – or perhaps the one who just loves to cook!!!

To buy a Cracking Good Gift Voucher please go to http://crackinggoodfood.mygostore.co.uk/gift-vouchers.html

or if you know which session to go for (and you don’t want to risk that session selling out) then you can buy them a session via our online booking system http://crackinggoodfood.mygostore.co.uk/ and download the word document of our CGF Gift Cards here: http://www.crackinggoodfood.org/book-online/gift-cards/ fill in the relevant information and message yourself, print out and then you’ve got something nice to present to your loved ones!

 

2012 has been a great year for us, over the year we ran 41 public cooking sessions and 85 community sessions reaching out to 1486 participants!
To read more about all the work we have done since our launch in 2010, please take a look at our fantastic new big document with statistics and a list of everything we’ve done so far:
http://www.crackinggoodfood.org/about/cracking-good-food-cooking-summary/

We are also very excited to announce a whole batch of new cooking sessions coming up in 2013:
http://www.crackinggoodfood.org/our-cooking-sessions/public-cooking-sessions/upcoming-events/

And to book and pay for your cooking session you can easily do that through our brand new online booking shop:
http://crackinggoodfood.mygostore.co.uk/

 

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CGF ‘commended’ as a part of GM Probation Trust staff awards!

July 5, 2012 in award, Carousel, Community cooking, community group session, cookery classes, cooking programmes, cooking sessions, cooking workshop, Our cooking sessons, staff

It has just been announced that Cracking Good Food has been ‘commended’ in the Partnership Category as part of this year’s Greater Manchester Probation Trust staff awards, for our ongoing work with them, running Level 2, six week cooking programmes, for ex-offenders within an Approved Premises setting.

Our course involves hands on cooking covering a broad range of delicious but healthy everyday staples such as stir fries, stews n pies, pasta dishes, curries and store cupboard feasts, as well as focussed group work on areas such as healthy eating, the basics of digestion and nutrition, seasonality and cooking on a budget.

As we’ve only been working with GMPT for a few months, we’re thrilled that our work with them has already been recognised and praised. It means a lot!

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