'Fabulous food and fantastically fun'
I was one of a lucky few invited along to the media launch of the new Forestside Cookery School located in...you guessed in Forestside Shopping Centre (more on this later) We were invited along to rustle up a three course meal under the fellowship of the very talented and extremely passionate Steven Jeffers.
(Chef Jeffers and his favourite apprentice - I'm like Darth Vader and he's Darth Sidious)
So I'm going to split this blog up into 3 sections:
1. The Experience
2. Ideas
3. Availability
1. The Experience
Our journey started at a lift - now renamed the gateway to heaven; as you enter the lift and ascend there is a sense of intrigue, where does this go, when will it stop? - I'll tell you where it goes, straight into a lavish dining area, fit for a king - we would return later to feast on our creations!
So we were introduced to Chef Jeffers and his team - we were then put into pairs, I got stuck with Laurie (Laurie struggles to make cereal - so this was either going to be really fun or a dinner disaster)
We were then given a brief - much like a head chef would his team, we were introduced to the ingredients and then given a demonstration on how to approach the first dish - Whiskey Smoked Salmon on a bed of salad. What I liked here was the step by step approach that Chef Jeffers took - he also instructed us to say 'yes chef' to signal understanding - I being quite shy found this a littl......did I heck, this was amazing, it was like being in a real kitchen, and when you looked around you realised you were in a professional kitchen, top of the range SMEG equipment, fresh ingredients and spoons of multiple sizes, depth and colours all added to the sense of excitement and professionalism
Starter devoured we headed back for another go - this time we were cooking the perfect steak, accompanied by a champ potato cake, roasted shallots, our own butter (ohhhh Chefy) and a whole lot a love! Again - each step was carefully explained, demonstrated and recapped - we then went to our stations and under the watchful eye of Chef Jeffers, we attempted to recreate his masterpiece!
(Chef Jeffer's steak on the left - Chef Hogan's on the left - I was very proud)
We once again headed into the dining area and enjoyed our main course - the sense of achievement you get from seeing the raw ingredients, preparing them, cooking and eating them is amazing! I honestly though it was the best steak I've ever tried and that was partly down to the fact I enjoyed cooking it - and the quality of the fantastic ingredients we used - it was probably the ingredients to be fair - nearly all the ingredients were supplied by Musgrave MarketPlace NI who pride themselves on local produce use and quality sources and this was evident in the taste!
2. Ideas
So why would you go to a shopping centre, to pay, to make your own food? I can think of a few reasons.
The Fun Factor - Laurie and I are still talking about how much fun we had - working as a team, creating great food and this along with the witty Chef Jeffers makes for a night you won't forget
A Date Idea - What a great way to spend a date - i think this would really impress the other half if you organised this, it's different. you spend time togther, you eat, you laugh and you pick up new skills.
Learning - It is very easy - the support you get, the demos and the fact you complete each segment before moving on, for instance we started with a salad dressing, it was explained and demonstrated before you complete it, then you return to the chef station for the next section - baby steps - but in a good way!
3. Availability
I really do encourage you to give this a go - I've already planned my next trip and I've had a few people contact me about wanting to go, which is great! Here's a link to all the classes
https://forestsidecookeryschool.com/apps/bookthatapp/calendar
Mexican, Pizza, Indian or Irish - for aspiring chefs and total novices there really is something for everyone - and if Chef Jeffers ever needs a blog about any of the above he knows where to find me...subtle hint hint
Overall an amazing night out - our class lasted 3 hours but it flew in - here's a wee image of us enjoying our masterpieces - have I ever looked happier?
