Last week I was lucky enough to be invited to join Sue Hepburn at CookSpeakEat (English Language Food School), a unique new concept in culinary education that combines cooking, language and community.
The cooking and language sessions are run by Sue who is the vivacious, and visionary, founder of CookSpeakEat, at the Friendship Cafe in Gloucestershire, where people from various backgrounds and walks of life come together to share their recipes, stories, and perspectives whilst learning to speak English.As part of the initiative they are being trained and are receiving their qualifications in food hygiene, making them more employable. With that and the wealth of knowledge of their cultural and culinary heritage to bring to the table, they would be an asset to any establishment with a mind to take advantage of that.
Chatting away in the kitchen with one of two regular groups who come to CookSpeakEat, we cooked a fantastic Pakistani lunch, and I was blown away by the diversity and deliciousness of the food.
I managed not to make a fool of myself when I was asked to fold some samosas with potato, cumin and chilli filling, while each lady had a different task or dish assigned to them. Miraculously the menu came together and we were able to indulged in a feast of flavours and friendship.
The food was scrumptious, with a rich depth of flavour and fresh ingredients. We had bhindi masala with fresh okra, tomato and garlic, Salnia’s chicken with succulent chicken, garlic and coriander, rice and dahl, handmade chapati with a soft and chewy texture, and three kinds of chutneys: tamarind (Immli), green (Hari), and garlic (Lahsan). I could taste the coriander, garlic, tomato, mint, and tamarind in every bite as we shared different dishes around the table.
Sue has many plans for the group in the coming year and we’ll be sharing more on this initiative soon! In the meantime follow them on Instagram.
