GO TO SHOP >>
- About The Cookery School
- Recent Events and Reviews
- Contact Cookery School
- Our Locations
- FAQs
- Chef Biographies
- Class Type
- Buy Vouchers
- Recipes
- Download Brochure
- Terms and Conditions
FILTER COOKERY CLASSES BY:
- Event Month
- Class Type
- Time of Day
- Cuisine
- School
- Cookery Class Price
- Chef
- Reset Filters
- You're in
- Cookery School
- Recent Events and Reviews
Recent Events and Reviews
 |  |  |
Members of the press and public were treated to sea salt caramels, rosemary & olive oil chocolates and chestnut & sesame brownies in a demonstration that showed why William has been named four time winner of the Best British Chocolatier award by the Academy of Chocolate.
Unsurprisingly a few New Year’s resolutions to abstain from chocolate were broken that evening.
You're invited to the late night shopping event with book signing and demonstration by William Curley on:
Wednesday 11th Jan
33-34 Marylebone High Street
7 - 9pm
Join us as we start the new winter Cookery School term with FREE wine tasting with Majestic, petit fours and a cooking demo by William Curley with recipes from his new book Couture Chocolate.
Take advatage of a 10%* shopping discount on the night.
Monday (5th December) saw the launch of the Mince Pie Project at Divertimenti in South Kensington.
The project lined up 36 of the UK’s best chefs to each cook an exclusive batch of 50 mince pies to be auctioned off online in support of Action Against Hunger and The Jamie Oliver Foundation. Chefs offering their own unique take on the humble mince pie included Raymond Blanc, Angela Hartnett, Claude Bosi, Fergus Henderson and Adam Byatt.
The launch party provided the perfect excuse to taste a selection of mince pies from those participating and was attended by a who’s who of celebrity chefs including Michel Roux Jr, Philip Howard, Martin Nisbet and super bakers Eric Lanlard and Edd Kimber.
Among the offerings were mince pie whirls by Philip Howard, Martin Nisbet’s Scottish inspired mince pies made with 18 year old Chivas Regal Whisky and Anna Hansen’s mince pies filled with gin soaked sloe.
If you fancy indulging in mince pies of a Michelin-star calibre while also raising some money for charity, then it’s time to get bidding (we’ve already set our sights on our favourite mince pies from the evening).
Bidding takes place between 9th-16th December and each batch of 50 mince pies will be freshly cooked and couriered on the same day to the winners on the 22nd December. The auction leader board can be followed here (http://themincepieproject.com/auction.html)
 |  |  |
Chef's Table with Tom Kerridge
I was lucky enough to attend a chef's table with Tom Kerrigan recently at Divertimenti Brompton Road. It was my first time at this type of event and I can't recommend it highly enough as the evening exceeded even my highest expectations. As well as watching a master at work (and having a chance to participate in creating a side dish) the evening was punctuated with loads of friendly banter as well as brilliant anecdotes from the world of Michelin starred chefs.
Last but not least, the food was unbelievably fantastic - 4 courses of mouth watering dishes, each one better than the last! The menu was everything I expected from watching Tom's cooking on TV: fabulous ingredients, cooked to perfection. One thing I found particularly useful was learning lots of cooking tips - we were all firing questions at the chef, and as a result we were learning whilst eating!
As one of the other guests said, why spend a fortune at one of the many London restaurants when you can enjoy an even better meal with the chef himself! I've already scoured the cookery school programme to earmark the forthcoming events I would love to attend and I recommend that you do too! A great night that I will never forget............
By Pauline Wood
Macaroons and More Cookery Class
I had already decided that this weekend was going to be a weekend filled with baking. I'd had vague thoughts about attempting to make macaroons and conquering my fear of piping bags and ground almonds but when an email popped into my inbox last week from Divertimenti about a last-minute macaroon class that was being arranged for Sunday, I recognised that this was the hand of fate at work and signed up there and then.
Our teacher, Diane Thuret, started off by demonstrating how to make simple pistachio macaroon shells. What I had failed to appreciate was that the macaroon shells are simply meringues with the addition of ground almonds. I'm not really sure how this knowledge had passed me by but when I think of them like that, all of a sudden they're not quite so scary. After demonstrating the proper way to mix your egg whites and dry ingredients, Diane showed us how to pipe the perfect macaroons.
When Diane had demonstrated the basic technique, we were let loose on our own macaroon shells. My group was responsible for the production of chocolate macaroons which were to be filled with a dark chocolate and passion fruit ganache. First we whisked our egg whites until they were frothy and gradually added some caster sugar until we had a meringue. A little red gel food colouring produced a very pink mixture that was a little bit off-putting but when this was combined with our almonds, icing sugar and cocoa powder, the requisite dark brown was formed and they baked up beautifully (in colour at least).
We then had a go at piping our macaroon shells and we learnt that it's much easier to pipe them when you've drawn a template of circles on your parchment paper (especially if you have as little spatial awareness as I do).
A few bangs of our trays on the counter later (which must have terrified the customers in the shop), we were ready to leave our macaroons out to dry out and form a crust while we got on with having lunch and, more importantly, making our fillings.
Diane demonstrated three different ways of filling our macaroons. For the green pistachio macaroons and the pink raspberry macaroons, we made a chocolate ganache by pour boiling cream over white chocolate until melted and adding pistachio extract and raspberry puree respectively. Similarly the chocolate and passion fruit filling was made with heavy cream, dark chocolate and the flesh of a couple of passion fruits.
For the yellow lemon and macaroons, Diane made a quick lemon and basil curd. The flavour was subtle but delicate with the basil providing a welcome relief from the tartness of the lemon.
Finally Diane made a salted caramel filling which I used with gay abandon on any shells I could get my hands on and, frankly, it was only good manners that stopped me piping it into my mouth.
It was then time for the great reveal and our now-cooked macaroon shells were brought out of the oven. The results showed the importance of keeping your piping uniform as one tray could contain several small overdone and several large underdone macaroons with just a few perfect shells. On the whole though, we were pretty pleased with the results.
As might be obvious from the above, the salted caramel macaroons were my absolute favourite but I wouldn't kick any of them out of bed. I feel really excited to get back into the kitchen and see what other flavours I can come up with. Guess what everyone I know will be getting for Christmas?
By London Bakes
Join us as we start the new Autumn Cookery School term with free wine tasting, petit fours and a cooking demo by David Lebovitz with recipes taken from his new book Ready for Dessert.
Take advantage of a 10%* shopping discount on the night.
*Excludes electricals, cookers and gift vouchers.
 |  |  |
Despite attempts by the torrential rain to dampen the spirit of the event, the press and public were undeterred, and no doubt enticed by the prospect of tasting David’s delectable desserts, not to mention the free wine tasting provided by Majestic Wine.
Those in attendance were treated to a demonstration of candied peanuts, chocolate dipped macaroons and ginger cake, accompanied by the wit and humour that David’s blog and memoirs are famed for.
The event also saw the debut of the Divertimenti Digest; a brochure focusing on food trends and fashions, product highlights, a look forward to the Cookery School autumn term, and other gastronomic goings-on.
 |  |  |
La Cornue Chef's Table with Jun Tanaka
Being enthusiastic about cooking but not having a television at home means I don't really understand all the fuss about TV cooks and celebrity cook shows. Furthermore, it seems that despite the fact that there are so many cooking books and TV shows out there (not to mention all the free information available online), people tend to cook less and less, as our host for the night, Jun Tanaka, commented.
For me, the idea of the big celebrity chef is slightly pretentious and overrated, as in my opinion some of the best meals are those prepared with the family, with a group of friends or even with the neighbours. However, Tanaka is not that kind of celebrity chef and it’s hard not to get excited about the journey ahead when your fellow diners are raving about the cook from the start, as was the case when I had the opportunity to see Tanaka cooking for a small group of people around the La Cornue Island at Divertimenti Knightsbridge.
Wanting to document the evening I sat at the La Cornue Island equipped with a pen and notebook, but my stationary was quickly replaced by tableware as I was encouraged to sit back and enjoy the culinary experience that started to unfold in front of me. Dish after dish, Tanaka was able to take us through a journey of the senses while talking about his career and culinary projects. Guests were also able to chat and share their own cooking experiences, but best of all, was the chance to get a glimpse of this talented chef's mind, taste some of the dishes offered in his central London restaurant, ‘Pearl’, and to hear some of his cooking tips.
The first starter was what Tanaka named 'the taste of summer’ – so called because you were able ‘to feel the season from the plate'. It was a light vegetarian dish made with heritage tomato in jelly, cream cheese and a lovely basil sorbet. According to Tanaka, this classic combination of ingredients could be used to describe both his cooking and even his own outlook on life, evidence that for him the culinary craft is not just a means of living but also a way of life.
As we were eating the first starter, Tanaka and his sous-chef were already preparing the second one, which included one of my favourite fishes: monkfish, poached with seaweed and served with consommé. It was a small seafood feast where the hobs, the hot plate and the grill were the centre of attention, but nothing could prepare me for the end result, in this case the whole was definitely greater than the sum of its parts!
I couldn’t believe the highlight of the evening could easily be something like a consommé, but that was until the next course: herb crusted lamb, again with a superb selection of side dishes. At this point, I was already enjoying myself and starting to understand how charisma may have a strong impact on large audiences, after all, celebrity chefs are usually well known for reasons other than for just being good cooks. So rather than having an elaborate main, it was not surprising to have a medium rare lamb kebab with herb crumbs, which turned out to be a great, delicate dish, simple but irresistible.
I didn't think it would be possible to find the cherry to put on top of this amazing evening, but the dessert was genuinely one of the best I have ever tried, with a stunning combination of textures and flavours. I think the picture speaks for itself!
All in all, the evening was a great chance to enjoy a gorgeous dinner and to see a professional chef in action, using a dream cooker such as La Cornue and sharing insights on cooking and how we are (or should be) connected with food.
If you’re wondering whether by this point I was starting to have a new appreciation for the food craze of celebrity cooking shows, I must confess that Tanaka certainly did impress and made me understand why the genre is as popular as it is.
By Betty L.
An Evening with Chef Valentine Warner at Divertimenti Cookery School
It was a lovely June evening for a trip to Marylebone High Street, for a cooking demo with Chef Valentine Warner at the Divertimenti Cookery School.
Chef Valentine demonstrated 5 delicious recipes, all of which we got to taste. The recipes were Boquerones Sardines, Razor Clams with Chorizo & Broadbeans, Piperade, Red Mullet with Tomatoes on Toast with Rouille, and Barbequed Skirt Steak with Anchovies.
Valentine was very chatty with the audience, and we got to ask him all kinds of questions. His favourite food is Japanese, and he loves a good Shepherd's Pie.
The Boquerones Sardines were fantastic - they were marinated in white wine vinegar, lemon juice, and olive oil, and served on crunchy toast. Really easy to make, and delicious. Valentine is a very energetic presenter, which also makes him ideal for T.V.
Another fave was the Piperade, which is essentially scrambled eggs, but with a Basque twist. Valentine is very fond of Spanish cooking, and this was a theme in the recipes he presented.
Here we are enjoying the Barbequed Skirt Steak with Anchovies, served with wine. Yum!
If you haven't heard of Valentine, I encourage you to check out his cookbooks. He makes excellent easy, seasonal food with lots of flavour.
 |  |  |
Join Divertimenti at the Marylebone Summer Fayre, Sunday June 19, for some culinary fun throughout the day with knife skill demonstrations and cupcake decorating classes.
 |  |  |
Cosmopolitan Cupcakes Cookery Class
First off, a confession. I don’t really like cupcakes that much. I know they have taken the world by storm in recent years but I always find the cake is a bit disappointing and is often overwhelmed by the sweet buttercream. I do, however, like cocktails so when I saw that Divertimenti were offering a class all about making cupcakes with booze, I decided to see if some tips from the professionals (and a healthy amount of alcohol) could help me overcome my suspicions.
The class was taught by Martha Money, a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu London and former head chef of the Cafe Divertimenti. The recipes themselves were developed by another of the tutors, Sarah Benjamin.
The cupcakes we made were:
- Amaretto Shotcakes
- Absinthe Cake
- Pink Champagne Showgirl Cupcakes
- Raspberry Sherry Trifle Cupcakes
- Chocolate Kahlua Cupcakes
We made each type of cupcake using a different method (by hand, with an electric whisk, with a food processor) so that we could compare the end results. With all the methods, the key to the perfect cupcake was not to over-mix the batter once the flour had been added. I'm pretty sure that I have been a bit whisk happy on previous occasions which has led to most of my cupcakes to date having a texture and density akin to a brick.
Martha also demonstrated a couple of techniques for frosting cupcakes including my new favourite (and easiest) method using a small star-shaped nozzle.
My absolute favourite cupcake was the Amaretto Shotcakes. We made this cake first and made it by hand. The recipe uses coconut milk and sunflower oil and doesn't contain any butter or eggs. I was a little sceptical at first but the resulting cake was fantastically moist and rich. About as far away from my usual experience with cupcakes as possible. The amaretto flavour is quite subtle even though it is in both the cake and the frosting so I might be tempted to up the quantity slightly next time I make these (and I will be making them again!).
By London Bakes
(Cosmopolitan Cupcakes with Sarah Benjamin on Wed 11th May 2011)Punishment Free Pulses
The title of the demonstration was “Punishment Free Pulses”. How on earth can something that requires the foresight to soak overnight, before you even start to cook it, be punishment free I wondered? Nevertheless I was desperate to find out.
Our chef for the evening was the delightful Maria Elia. She was aided that night by sous chef George, who gained my respect and sympathy after learning that he’d been grating more horseradish than was possibly safe (for anyone who has ever grated this intoxicating root you’ll also sympathise), and the sprightly Gloria who multitasked around Maria ensuring that nothing was left unattended, including our wine glasses.
I had been apprehensive about how a demonstration would work, particularly as I am someone who relishes the hands-on practical experience of cooking. However I needn’t have worried. There were not only two flat screen TVs on either side of the kitchen, which itself was slightly raised on a platform, but there was also a long angled mirror directly above the stove so at all times you could see exactly what was being stirred into what, for how long and with what sort of vigour. In addition to this we had our very own booklet of recipes, so that we could follow exactly what Maria was making – and more importantly recreate it back in the comfort of our own homes later on. Our job was easy: we sat, we watched, we asked the occasional question; and most importantly: we ate.
Six recipes and five taster courses of lentil-based dishes sounds intimidating, but the variation of flavours and textures combined with Maria’s expertise and uncomplicated approach made for an eclectic menu. Quite frankly I’ve never seen lentils so sexy.
As each course came our way, (we never even left our seats) our group of twenty or so people fell silent, apart from the occasional ‘mmmmmmm’, ‘ahhhhhh’. However this was an interactive class. Despite the fact that we were not doing the cooking, and let’s face it – who doesn’t like to be cooked for, especially when a world-class chef is doing the cooking.
For anyone who has ever suffered the affliction of watching their favourite cookery programme only to become irrationally flustered, frustrated and famished at not being able to taste the food created on screen, Divertimenti is for you. Taking a seat in front of an open kitchen I felt that the wonderful people at this cookery school had created a unique answer to this problem.
By Maya Thomas
(Punishment Free Pulses with Maria Elia on Wednesday 6th April 2011)Easter Around Italy Cookery Class
Despite it being a, frankly, gorgeous saturday afternoon, I elected to spend my day in a basement in Marylebone with my mother learning how to cook a traditional Italian Easter lunch. The class was a hands on session at Divertimenti, taught by Francesca D'Orazio Buoanerba.
The menu was as follows:
- Pane di Pasqua (Easter bread)
- Timballo de Scrippelle con Ragu di Carne (Baked layered pancakes with meat sauce - recipe below)
- Agnello al forno con patate (Roast leg of lamb with herbs, roasted garlic and potatoes)
- Asparagi alla Milanese (Asparagus with butter sauce)
- Cassata Siciliana (Sicilian ricotta cake)
What I particularly liked was the small adjustments that Francesca had made to the recipes to make them a little bit healthier for example the butter sauce for the asparagus with made with half butter/half chicken broth making it much lighter.
The whole menu was delicious but the stand out dish for everyone was the timballo; luckily my table were responsible for producing this so I feel very happy that I will be able to recreate it at home. I was quite sceptical initially as every time I've tried an Italian dish with pancakes, I've found that it just turns into a big mushy mess. I am now a complete convert and I'm pretty sure when ever I make lasagne - or any baked pasta dish - from now on, I'll use pancakes rather than pasta.
The timballo is layered with very thin pancakes made from eggs, flour and water. As there's no milk, the pancakes remain almost translucent when cooked and, when cooked, have the taste and consistency of the highest quality fresh pasta.
The pancakes were layered with a ragu made from tiny meatballs in a rich tomato sauce along with mozzarella and grated parmesan and then the whole thing was baked in the oven for about 30 minutes. I found making what seemed like hundreds of tiny meatballs strangely therapeutic and it didn't take anywhere near as long as I thought it would. The meatballs were then cooked in a mixture of water and olive oil; this was a technique that I had never seen before but was wonderful allowing the meatballs to cook without becoming dry.
The technique in making the tomato sauce for the meatballs was again something that I'd never seen before. We fried a finely chopped onion in some olive oil and added a lump of beef and a lump of veal. These were browned before a glass of wine was thrown in and allowed to evaporate. Then three cans of chopped tomatoes were briefly puréed in a food processor, added to the pan and the whole thing was allowed to simmer for an hour or so. Before the meatballs were added, the beef and veal were removed from the sauce. Although it may seem extravagant to use two sizeable chunks of meat to create a sauce, I can't even begin to imagine how good it would be served cold with some bread and a salad.
By London Bakes
(Easter Around Italy with Francesca D'Orazio Buoanerba on Saturday 9th April 2011)
Master the Knife and the (Culinary) World is your Chicken Oyster
“The chef’s blade should be considered an extension of the arm”, proclaimed Chef Peter Lien at the start of my knife skills class (Wednesday 30th March 2011). “The knife is the most essential tool in the chef’s arsenal” he continued, showing us the correct way to hold a knife – something that is not as intuitive as one might think. He then proceeded to demonstrate the purpose of a range of knives and the methods used to keep them razor sharp.
The basics covered it wasn’t long before we were literally sharpening our knives and getting into position for some serious carving. Having observed Peter’s surgeon-like skills it was time for the class to put a chicken ‘under the knife’.
We began by exposing the chicken’s ‘oysters’, or as the French call it sot-l'y-laisse, loosely translated as ‘only the fool leaves it there’; considered by chefs to be the most delicious part of poultry and their ‘reward’ for preparing the fowl. A few carefully guided incisions later and I was ready to turn my cutting edge to the fruit and veg.
We were then shown the techniques utilised by professional chefs to chop everything from parsley to pineapple. This included how to ‘rock and chop’ and julienne but also how to do so without putting our fingers at risk. I was soon slicing and dicing with ease.
No doubt prompted by the fresh produce around us, the class turned its attention towards the spoils of our collective cutting efforts – a delicious meal was rapidly put together and we settled down to eat.
For our starter we had Genoese Vegetable Soup accompanied by a Mint Pesto which added a refreshing twist. This was followed by Grilled Chicken with Soy and Chilli Glaze partnered with a Thai Peanut Slaw. The use of ketjap manis on the chicken added an exciting culinary dimension for me and for others in the group.
For dessert we had a Tropical Fruit Salad, and for those who wanted to indulge in an even sweeter experience there was an option to add a Star Anise Infusion (a sugar syrup infused with cardamom and star anise).
What impressed me about the Masterclass was the bonhomie within the group. As we sat around the table enjoying the fruits of our labour there was plenty of good conversation stimulated by the experience we had just shared.
On my way home I looked forward to preparing dinner and the opportunity to practise my newly acquired skills. It then struck me that despite being introduced to the elusive chicken ‘oysters’, I had neglected to keep an eye on whose plate they had made it onto. The contented smile on the chef’s face during the meal suddenly made sense.
By Chris Kader
Little Puds That Left a Big Impression
Claudine Boulstridge’s Petit Fours demonstration class (Tueday 15th March 2011) is the ultimate treat for anyone with a sweet tooth. The Divertimenti cookery school team were very welcoming and attentive and the demo kitchen was well equipped with televisions & mirrors, allowing an all round view of the dishes being made.Claudine started her class with a simple cinnamon & almond baklava recipe. Each student was given a step-by-step instruction booklet to follow and informed about the ingredients used and where to source specialised products, such as the filo pastry. Claudine explained that it’s best to use a ceramic oven dish when baking Baklava, so when you cut the pastry into diamonds at the end you don’t scratch the bottom of the container (which can easily damage many non-stick surfaces).The mini pistachio bundt savarins with sour cherry syrup were definitely a class highlight for me. They were baked in decorative mini Kugelhopf non-stick tins and then decorated in a variety of ways. Claudine poured cherry syrup into the middle of the cakes (which was mixed with kirsch liqueur) for added moistness.The lemon brûlée tartlets with raspberry coulis took a lot of skill to make, and Claudine provided us with some of her secrets to help keep the pastry intact when serving. Great care needs to be taken when blowtorching the sugar topping on these cakes, as Claudine expertly demonstrated.The class ended with dark chocolate salted caramels, amaretto dark chocolate truffles and mini roasted coffee cream éclairs. These petit fours were very easy to make and I will attempt to make these as gifts for my family this coming Easter. I am also very keen to attend one of Divertimenti’s hands on classes in the summer, and put some of my new found skills to the test. Many thanks to Claudine, Mary & Gloria for all their efforts and I look forward to trying out these recipes at home in the near future.By Alexander Nye
Castle Chef Captivates With Culinary Creations
Talented young chef James Dugan, of Amberley Castle fame, delighted La Cornue and Von Essen Hotel guests to a summer banquet last night at Divertimenti Brompton Road (Thursday 20th May 10).
James made his name as head chef of Richard Corrigan’s Lindsay House and has achieved national acclaim from the likes of Michael Winner ever since.
Guests were fortified with Amberley Castle specialities including Smoked Salmon Compressions, French Trimmed Sussex Lamb with Sweetbreads and a Deconstructed Carrot Cake.
The Cambridge Cake Campaign
The Divertimenti Cookery School will be running a series of FREE weekday and weekend cakebaking demos/Join-in for children and adults, running right through thesummer.Click here for more details.
Cooking For a Good Cause at Divertimenti - 21st December 2009
Divertimenti was delighted to host a special student's cookery class, just before Christmas (Monday 21st Dec 09) at the Marylebone store, in aid of children’s charity Place2Be.
Participants were treated to a hands on masterclass by award winning chef and AGA favourite, James McIntosh, with all proceeds going to the charity.
Mrs Moneypenny from the Financial Times, otherwise known as Heather McGregor, was in attendance along with her son Rob (or Cost Centre #1). Using her weekly column she was able to generate plenty of interest for the event as well as signing her son up for one of the coveted places!
New Divertimenti Directory Launch - 1st December 2009
December is historically (and biblically) a month for new arrivals so Divertimenti couldn’t have chosen a more auspicious time to launch their new Directory, which was warmly received by those gathered at the Marylebone store last Tuesday (1st Dec 09).
Described as the ‘shop in print’, the Directory puts over 1800 culinary items including classic cookware, kitchenware, tableware, innovative tools & utensils and informative buying guides at your finger tips.
Michelin starred chef and Saturday Kitchen (BBC) regular, Atul Kochhar, treated guests to a selection of his award-winning cuisine in honour of the occasion and, thanks to a shopping discount on the night, the tills rang out well into the evening.
Pork and the Popstar!
Former Atomic Kitten and Celebrity Masterchef winner, Liz McClarnon hosted an exclusive ‘Love Pork Properly’ cooking demonstration at the Divertimenti Cookery School Cambridge this week (15/09/09) as part of the UK Pork promotional tour.
Guests enjoyed an array of autumnal dishes, prepared by pork lover Liz, plus goody bags and a recipe book.
Culinary Couture
Months of trawling trade shows and scrutinising suppliers came to fruition last week (2&3rd July 09 Marylebone) as Divertimenti unveiled its new culinary collection to a product hungry food and homes press pack.
Editors and stylists from the UK’s top titles enjoyed a preview of the latest cookware and tableware ranges destined for the Divertimenti shelves in September 09. Show stoppers included the fire engine red Lagostina Rossa pans and Cuisinartall in one soup maker. There were coos of admiration over the eggcoddlers and bamboo oven gloves, with many pledging allegiance to thecoffee pod after a cappuccino from the new Nespresso Citiz.
Blue blade titanium knives and the Sleek'n'Slice Mandolin where given top billing amongst the cutting edge products, while grape scissors, toothpick dispensers and Cornishware reflected a retro trend.
The temperatures last week may have soared to 30 degrees but the forecast for the new collection is hot, hot, hot.
By Samantha Paterson
Top Journalists get a Roasting at Divertimenti, Brompton Road
The Centenary Flamberge Rotisserie, the newest addition to the La Cornue family, received a full media christening on Tuesday (19.05.09) presided over by La Cornue president, Xavier Dupuy.
Editors and writers from Britain's top interiors magazines where treated to a cooking demonstration and mouth-watering rotisserie lunch, prepared by celebrity chef Rachel Green. A whole salmon, leg of lamb, chicken kebabs and pork ribs all had a spin on the spit; even the pineapple dessert took a whirl!
The media guests were left in no doubt as to La Cornue’s rotisserie pedigree, but should any require further persuading a turn on the spit could be arranged!
At the Cutting Edge of Cooking
The knives were out for Martha Money last Thursday (23.04.09), not in an ‘et tu brute’ sense, merely in preparation for her knife skills masterclass!
A fluid and comprehensive introduction to knife selection, safety and sharpening preceded a step by step guide to portioning whole chickens, slicing vegetables and chiffonading herbs.
While the chicken marinated for lunch, the class continued to julienne peppers, cube cucumbers and get to grips with gazpacho.
With all digits accounted for, the class settled down to a delicious lunch and a chance to ask the chef for some extra pointers!
By Samantha Paterson
Something about Sushi
At the start of Silla Bjerrum's Sushi hands on masterclass (Wednesday 22nd April 09) one point was made very clear. Get the sushi rice right and everything else would fall into place; get it wrong and you're 'sashimied'.
Preparing the rice involved washing it ten times, then resting it for half an hour before carefully cooking it. Once cooked, it had to be cooled by a fan to the desired temperature before the rice wine vinegar could be added.
With perfect sushi rice at the ready, the class was tutored in Maki rolling, sourcing and slicing fish for Nigiri, assembling garnishes in the sushi tradition and rice moulding. As the classes dexterity at sushi rolling improved two groups emerged. Those who rolled enough to supply a nation and those who sampled enough to sustain a nation!
Silla's straightforward and edifying approach promoted the class from sushi fans to Maki masters.
View more pictures from the Sushi masterclass here
By Samantha PatersonBill’s Bonza Book Signing
London’s grey skies and drizzle couldn’t dampen the spirits of those gathered for Divertimenti’s night of culinary diversions, on Thursday at the Marylebone High Street store (16.04.09).
The promise of a dose of Aussie sunshine was redeemed in the form of chef and food writer Bill Granger. The blond chef with the blinding smile worked his antipodean charm on the 150 strong crowd, while signing copies of his new book 'Feed Me Now' (Quadrille 2009).
Guests were refreshed with canapés, inspired by Bill’s book, and specially chosen wines. There were product demonstrations and The Divertimenti Cookery School put on knife skill classes for all to enjoy.
The weather outside may have been grim, but all those who attended glowed with satisfaction.
Samantha Paterson
A Quick Peek at Orange Pekoe’s Tea Tasting Class
Monday, 30th March 2009, Marylebone High Street
Much was revealed by reading the tea leaves during Orange Pekoe’s tea tasting class on Monday. No tall dark strangers appeared but there were plenty of black, green and white tea flavours produced by Orange Pekoe's speciality loose leaf range.
Each tea was introduced with a commentary on its origin, cultivation and character before guests were invited to taste and evaluate aromas and flavours. Naturally there couldn’t be tea without cake, so guests were treated to a delicious selection from Orange Pekoe's award winning Barnes tea room.
Customer comments:
'It was very informative and I learned a lot about different teas…'
'I enjoyed the informal relaxed atmosphere and the cakes were delicious'
'It was very informative, learned a lot about different Tea and Tea drinking will be different from now on.'
'I enjoyed the tasting of all different teas and the interaction with the group.'
'The informal relaxed atmosphere and the other participants.'
'Experiencing new teas and inside information.'
'Jane was great and the teas and cakes were delicious.'
'The expertise, enthusiasm and well selected range of teas.'
By Samantha Paterson
An evening with Michelin starred Chef Alexis Gaulthier at the Divertimenti Chefs Table, Brompton Road.
Thursday, 23rd January 2009
Already a legend with Légumes, Alexis’s new culinary expedition is to explore the fifth taste sensation or ‘Umami’. Taken from the Japanese for savoury, Umami amplifies earthy tastes on the palate, expanding and rounding out the flavours.
Joining him on this journey of discovery were the intrepid guests of the Divertimenti Chefs Table. Alexis expertly guided us through the preparation and presentation of some of his signature seasonal dishes.
The port and foie gras egg soufflé was a sweet savoury sensation, baked in a duck egg shell and balanced on a bank of sea salt. Gasps of appreciation rang out after Alexis’s Gnocchi master class and the coriander and lime granite left us enlightened.
Umami satisfactorily unearthed, the evening was rounded off with an assortment of petit fours from Alexis’s restaurant Roussillon, and a round of applause for the chef.
by Samantha PatersonBuying Products
Cookery School
Customer Services
Other Information
Find us on
