Cooking up a storm!

Went for a cooking lesson at Giggling Gourmet Cooksplayground last night. It was informative, incredibly well organised, convivial and an astounding success. My tarte tatin looked as though I had made it all my life and was a perfect balance of tartness and sweetness. The tagine had flavours to die for and will be enjoyed tonight as well. Abdul showed us how to make the most amazing dips and salads (not a lettuce leaf in sight - yay!) and the overall experience was just a taste sensation!

 

Even if you have never boiled an egg, you will be able to produce these results under the watchful eye of head chef Abdul and encouragement from Jenny. I learned all sorts of things that I didn't know after 40 years in the kitchen, and it makes a world of difference to actually watch someone chopping and sauteeing - those little tips that bring the joy of cooking to life.
The thing that struck home was how little effort we put into our cooking. Don't measure your ingredients (unless it's a cake) - learn to judge with your eye - and don't stint! There is nothing to be gained, flavourwise, from saving your spices for the next meal - use them now and in abundance!
Fresh is the way to go, lemons are a vital part of every meal and if you don't want to lick the plate, you didn't hit the mark!