This week I had the hugely enjoyable experience of a cooking class in Jamie Oliver’s cooking school, Recipease. 

After a very warm welcome by the crew, I was offered a complimentary glass of prosecco.  It was lovely to relax for a few minutes, sipping my refreshing glass of bubbles while checking out the rest of my cooking companions.  They looked like a fun bunch to spend a cooking class with, further reinforcing my reasonably high expectations of an enjoyable evening.

Chef Dimo then called us over to the cooking station.  I instantly loved this guy!  He was friendly, fun, and had a great sense of humour.  The class I’d signed up for was Mexican Street Food.  We were informed by Chef Dimo that we would be creating mini corn tortillas with various toppings including chipotle chicken, roasted corn salsa, sautéed spinach and feta, guacamole, and tomato salsa.  And yes, before you ask, we did get to sit down at the end and enjoy our very satisfying feast 🙂

We all watched intently as Chef Dimo started to demonstrate what we would be doing.  After a few steps, he recapped and then let us proceed to our work stations to start our own Mexican adventures.  He did the rounds, keeping a watchful eye on us and giving great tips and pointers along the way; a fountain of knowledge and supreme knife skills were a couple more of Chef Dimo’s amazing attributes.

Once we all completed the first batch of steps, he pulled us all back together to demonstrate the next ones before we continued.  The steps were all easy to follow, but you definitely had to get your paws dirty!  (They do have a sink at the back where you can wash your hands at any time.)  It was tremendous fun and the time flew by, which wasn’t a bad thing because all the delicious aromas were making my tummy growl.

Once fully prepared, we all sat down together at the communal tables to enjoy our feasts.  As you can see from the picture below, my presentation skills were not amazing.  But trust me when I tell you it tasted far better than it looks; the flavours were amazing!  We were offered more drinks (not included), and I happily accompanied my meal with a lovely glass of red wine.  By the end of our delectable feast, my new friends and I were suitably stuffed.  We agreed that a wonderful evening was had by all!

The next day I was very pleased to see the recipe sheets for everything we had made in my inbox.  I now have my next dinner party menu all sorted 🙂

Big bear hugs from Little Ted xx

FYI: If you do a 2 for 1 deal, which is exceptional value, be aware that you and your friend will be sharing a work station.  Recipease is located at 92-94 Notting Hill Gate, London W11 3QB, UK.  You can book lessons at http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipease/lessons/