Sure Brisbane can offer delicious offerings at great restaurants, but have you thought of tempting your taste buds from a different angle and creating your own culinary masterpiece with guidance from the experts.
The state capital boasts an impressive collection of top quality cooking schools so grab a friend, partner or a bunch of your closest foodies and top up your skills. Classes have already kicked off for the year so dust off the apron and book in for one now:
At James St Cooking School in Fortitude Valley, seafood, beef and bush tucker are just some of the cooking tips covered in the day classes. And what's more, the participants can obtain their produce fresh from the local markets before transforming it into fabulous meals at the hands-on and demonstration style cooking classes. Special chefs in 2006 include Alastair McLeod from Brett's Wharf and Asian cooking supremo Carol Selva Rajah.
Similarly, students at Black Pearl Epicure, also in the Valley, can get their products from one of Australia's finest purveyors of foods and then venture upstairs to the cooking school to learn how to use them. As well as offering a Guest Chef Series which this year includes Stephanie Alexander, Jason Pepper from Isis Brasserie and Philip Johnson from e'cco bistro, owner Babak Hadi gives pantry tours where you can taste and learn about culinary delights such as cheese, caviar and chocolate.
The cooking classes at Mondo Organics, West End are conducted by Award winning chef and partner of Mondo, Dominique Rizzo. Students can expect an energetic, hands-on approach, learning the fundamental skills of cooking with organics, improving their health and becoming aware of the diverse choices available. Classes are designed to cater for vegetarian and meat eaters (unless specified) and are generally for 10-12 people.Classes run from March-May and July-December on Tuesday nights between 6.30pm-8.30pm.
Executive Chef's Cooking School at South Brisbane offers regular day and evening classes including "Hands On" in which kitchen basics are taught, gourmet meals, Asian cooking, desserts and other tempting offerings. Demonstration classes with guest presenters are included in the schedule as are classes for children and teenagers.
At Mons Ban Sabai Cooking School, Camp Hill you can learn the secrets of Thai cooking at classes held on the 3rd Saturday and 2nd Wednesday of each month, starting at 9.30 a.m. Four recipes are covered in each lesson, along with basic skills in Thai cuisine preparation. The cost of $95 per person is all inclusive of ingredients, recipes, and a delicious four-course meal. Classes can also be organised to incorporate special menus or for a group of friends.
For more information:
James St Cooking School
http://www.jamesstcookingschool.com.au
Tel +61 7 3252 8850
Black Pearl Epicure
http://www.blackpearl.com.au
Tel +61 7 3257 2144
Mondo Organics
http://www.mondo-organics.com.au
Tel +61 7 3844 1132
Executive Chef's Cooking School
http://www.executivechef.com
Tel +61 7 3844 4413
Mons Ban Sabai Cooking School
http://www.venzin.com.au
Tel +61 7 3821 4460
