Latest features Top 10 hot global cookery courses

Date Published:

28/04/2008

Ever fancied foregoing the ice cream and sunburn and instead taking yourself off on a world tour of cookery courses this summer? Sue Ashworth takes a closer look at ten of the best.

Tuscany - just off the high street

Close to home

For a taste of Tuscany - without leaving Britain – book yourself onto a course at La Cucina Caldesi in Marylebone, central London. Giancarlo and Katie Caldesi have invested their vast culinary experience to create a cookery school that exudes warmth and fun in a cheerful, modern space set close to (but a million miles from) the bustle of Bond Street. The relaxed, informal atmosphere means you can enjoy yourself, yet there is plenty to learn. There’s a wealth of fascinating courses, covering everything Italian from antipasti and dolci to pasta and sauces, through to the complete Italian dinner party. And there’s the immensely popular Flirting with Flavour – Cooking for Singles! Guest chefs include Ursula Ferrigno, Thane Prince, Sophie Grigson and Valentina Harris, whilst Stefano Borella makes regular appearances along with Katie and Giancarlo. Lured away from his new restaurant in Bray, Friday Night with Giancarlo is a huge hit on their menu of courses.

Something fishy

If you are stir-crazy about seafood, sign up for tuition that will hone your skills. For a hands on course that really gets down to the nitty gritty of scaling, boning and filleting fish, Rick Stein is your man, with one of the many courses that are offered at his school in Padstow. His enthusiasm is always infectious, and he has encouraged many of us to approach fish cookery with more confidence.

Also passionate about fish, Mitch Tonks set up his own fishmongers and seafood café in Bath in 1995 – now an award-winning institution, with branches elsewhere in the South and cookery tuition available at FishWorks seafood school in Richmond, London and at the restaurants in Bristol and Christchurch. His take is to let your fishmonger tackle the business of preparing fish, so that you can cook it to perfection.

Lady Claire Macdonald's courses are no pie in the [Isle of] Skye

North of the border

You don’t need to speed on a bonnie boat to take you to the Isle of Skye these days – the road bridge will do nicely to take you on your way to Kinloch Lodge, home of best-selling cookery writer Lady Claire Macdonald. Famed for her ability to write realistic, practical recipes that taste superb, Claire is more than willing to share the secrets of her culinary success. Join her on a three-day residential course to learn how to cook with fine Scottish ingredients, and you will be brushing up your kitchen prowess in one of the most magical settings, in the discreet luxury of this superb highland hideaway. The courses are all-inclusive and include three night’s accommodation with breakfast, light lunch and evening meals, plus two mornings tuition in Claire’s kitchen.

Pasta pointers at Ballymaloe Cookery School

Over the water

For a first class get-away-from-it-all experience, the famous Ballymaloe Cookery School sits in a world of its own in County Cork, Ireland, surrounded by a glorious 100 acre organic farm that is at the heart of all that the school represents. Here, the whole ethos is about the enjoyment of food and the devotion that goes into it – from its cultivation through to its presentation on a plate. Founder of the school, Darina Allen, believes that the best cooking comes from using the best ingredients, enthusing: "What could be better than cooking with one’s own organic vegetables, fruit, herbs, milk, butter, cheese, meat, honey and other produce?" Courses vary from a comprehensive 12-week Certificate Course to 5 day, 2½ day, 1 day and ½ day short courses, including tuition on forgotten skills like 'how to cure a pig in a day'. Demonstrations, running most afternoons, are open to the public too - meaning there’s something to suit all tastes.

Take the Marrakech Express

If you fancy something deliciously different, yet around just three hours flying time away, then sample the culinary delights of Morocco. The cuisine is spicy and exotic, with fragrant Africa-meets-Arabic flavours and unusual cooking methods to inspire you. Set against the awe-inspiring backdrop of the magnificent Atlas Mountains, Gourmet On Tour offers wonderful itineraries to Marrakech on their Taste of Morocco trips – it’s an experience that knocks your senses for six. Each day starts with breakfast on the terrace under traditional tents, and you can visit Berber villages, fishing ports and markets, learning how to cook couscous with the locals whilst drinking in the atmosphere. There are opportunities to relax with traditional Moroccan pampering too – facials and massages can be part of your itinerary. 7 night, 5 night and long weekend options.

'Pick your own' with a French twist

Foraging in France

For Francophiles, there’s a fabulous edible plants and flowers cookery course in Franche-Comte, the region of eastern France stretching along the Franco-Swiss border with stunning mountains and beautiful valleys, rivers and lakes. Stay at the picturesque La Fresse B&B and learn to cook with local flowers and herbs. Lessons start with breathtaking (in every sense of the word) walks in the Jura Mountains where you learn to recognise and pick local edible plants before making a beeline for the kitchen. Here you’ll create mouth-watering dishes with the day's gatherings, including nettle soup and salads made with nasturtium, mallow and burnet – perfect with a glass of local Jura wine. Six nights at La Fresse on a full-board basis, including the course, start at 500 euros each. For more information and bookings, call + 33 (0) 381 46 51 63. The region can be reached by car, rail or flights to Basel and Geneva.

Serious business – Stateside

For the ultimate in cooking courses, with a view to a highly regarded professional qualification, you could choose to join the C.I.A. – that’s the Culinary Institute of America. Firmly established at 3 campuses - Hyde Park in New York, St Helena in the beautiful Napa Valley in California and now in San Antonio, Texas - the schools turn out their candidates with sharply honed skills and excellent credentials for employment. You’ll need more than a fistful of dollars to attend, plus a chunk of time out from your normal schedule to take a course – yet it could be life changing. One of the college’s alumni, chef and broadcaster, Michael Flores, runs something more low-key and relaxing to tie in with a holiday in San Antonio, Texas. For about $60 his 'Learn Aboard' cooking classes will have you travelling along the San Antonio River, learning how to prepare regional dishes whilst enjoying the views in the heart of the Alamo City.

Secrets of Seattle

For less than a hundred bucks (just!) cookery enthusiasts can indulge in a unique experience in the Emerald City – that’s Seattle, Washington State, U.S.A. Launching a new series of 1 day city tours to appeal to food lovers, Gray Line of Seattle have linked secret grocery shopping, mystery meeting places and premier chefs to give foodie travellers the ultimate culinary tour of Seattle. Through the rest of the summer until September, $99.95 buys an opportunity to cook with, shop and taste Seattle’s finest, giving you an intimate, memorable experience of this vibrant city. Each trip starts with a ‘meet and greet’ service from an award-winning chef, who then accompanies participants on a deluxe coach to a surprise shopping location. After gathering local ingredients, the next stop is to one of eight well-known Seattle restaurants for a lively cooking demonstration and taste test. It’s a marvellous way to gain first-hand experience of Seattle’s culinary gems.

Casa Luna cooking

Far flung

Lovers of the exotic would adore a taste-full trip to the wonderful Indonesian town of Ubud, an area of serene beauty in the hills of Bali, where you’ll find Casa Luna – a cookery school that teaches all you need to know about the local style of cuisine. The story has a romantic beginning, for Australian Janet de Neefe and her Balinese husband, Ketut, set up the school after meeting on holiday in Bali. Set in the lush, tropical surroundings of the family compound, courses give a fascinating insight into Balinese life, beliefs and culture through learning about its food, cooking and culinary myths. Guests can visit the local market, then learn to cook with exotic herbs and spices used in everyday dishes, such as Spiced Fish in Banana Leaves, Balinese Chicken Curry and Black Rice Pudding, enjoying local rice wine and homemade hibiscus tea.

Thai your hand at this Thai cooking

Try Thai

For a wonderful holiday that ties in a taste of Thai cookery, then a trip to Anantara Koh Samui Resort & Spa might be just what you need. Looking out over azure-blue waters and white sands, the facilities are superb. Guests can sign up for a variety of cookery lessons, including the Men’s Cookery Class or the Thai Culinary Journey, where you learn how to balance the four taste senses of Thai cuisine - hot, sour, salty and sweet. The Full Moon Wine & Dine signature class offers a creative, practical approach to preparing favourite dishes from the menu, including some ‘wine talk’ with the resident wine guru. Or you can meld health and well-being with the Culinary Health and Spa Journey – a combination of food, fitness, health and relaxation, culminating in a traditional Thai massage. Yes, please! The courses are offered daily and last 2-3 hours. In each lesson guests prepare about four traditional Thai dishes. However, instructors can tailor a course to suit your needs.

Fancy some foreign food? Search through our French or Thai recipes.