B24: Something's Cookin' In The Kitchen

On a beautiful Spring day in April, 2011, we had the most gloriously-foodie-fun day at The Village at Lyons  (“Lyons”) in Kildare.  When I say “we”, I mean my former work Division Management group and I at our annual team-building “Away-Day”.  Ten of us (5 lads and 5 lassies) went down to a team cookery course hosted by the celebrity chef, television presenter, and author, Clodagh McKenna.  Back then she ran the course at Lyons (the latter property is now run as a hotel I understand). 
 
I’m well known amongst my friends and family for my culinary skills…particularly Haricots Cuits Sur Rōtie (baked beans on toast)😊 .  (I’m particularly skilled at opening the tin of beans without slicing my fingers off…well most of the time….popping them in the microwave for 

the requisite length of time, choosing the appropriate dial on the toaster and buttering the toast with just the right amount of butter!!).  So any cookery course would be a challenge for me.

Clodagh's Cookery School at The Village at Lyons

After driving around a few windy and bendy roads from Celbridge, it’s hard not to miss The Village at Lyons by the giant, almost fore-boding front gates adorned with, yes, lions.
At the end of a long driveway, we were greeted by what looked like a little cottage.  The Cookery School at The Village at Lyons back then was set beside a precious little courtyard outside the cottage. ​

The Garden at The Village at Lyons

Our day started at 10.30am, when we were warmly welcomed by Clodagh and her assistant and given our cooking menus/ instructions for the day while we waited for all of our classmates to arrive.  We were set to work in pairs and worked through most of the recipes ourselves, with Clodagh demo-ing three of the recipes for us.  
 Our mission was to make:

• amazing Italian Parmesan and Pine Nut Crisp Breads
• yummy Tomato and Ricotta Bruschetta
• delicious Tuscan Marinated Chicken
• tasty Aubergine Parmigiani
• individual servings of scrumptious Tiramisu, and
• my favourite, Baked Lemon Ricotta Cake (consumed outside at our 12:30 pm Tea/ Coffee break).

Baked Lemon Ricotta Cake

Our Al-Fresco Tea/Coffee & Cake Break

SEE BELOW FOR THE RECIPES

OR CLICK HERE FOR THE PRINTABLE RECIPES

Me (above in green apron) mixing it up!

Getting Stuck In!

​I’d have to say that one of best things about the course was Clodagh herself.  Her enthusiasm and passion for food and her patience with us was wonderful.  We had loads of laughs as we discovered how to use the commercial cookers and equipment/ utensils, slicing, beating and whipping!!  We also had fun foraging in the garden for salad items and herbs.

We ended our day by with a beautiful al-fresco meal with wine using all of the food we had prepared ourselves, sitting outside in the most lovely of settings, toddling off home with no leftovers at about 4.30pm, full and content having thoroughly enjoyed both the cooking, the cameraderie and the beautiful setting.

Enjoying the results of our labour!

The Food We Cooked

Italian Parmesan & Pine Nut Crisp Breads

Tomato & Ricotta Bruschetta and Aubergine Parmagiana

Tuscan Marinated Chicken

Individual Tirimasu Desserts

 
Clodagh no longer runs the course at Lyons but here are 8 other great cookery courses currently in Ireland:
 
An Grianán Cookery School
Termonfeckin, Co. Louth
There is something happening every month at the cookery school at An Grianán.    My friend and neighbour from Carrick, Janice Casey Bracken, teaches here.  She's brilliant and very friendly.
 
Ballymaloe Cookery School & Gardens
Shanagarry, Co Cork
While cookery is of course central to the schedule Darina Allen’s internationally renowned Ballymaloe Cookery School, it’s developed over the years to include life skills of every kind.
 
The Neven Maguire Cookery School
Blacklion, Co Cavan
The delightfully homely cookery school adjoining MacNean House & Restaurant offers a range of classes suitable for people of all cookery levels, with small numbers allowing hands-on instruction and assistance from Neven and his dedicated team. All courses are conducted by Neven who has carefully selected a range of his own recipes for people of all levels of experience. 
 
The Tannery Cookery School
Dungarvan, Co Waterford
Renowned chef Paul Flynn offers an exciting range of courses to suit all tastes and abilities from evening demos to a five-day hands-on course.
 
Dunbrody Country House & Cookery School
Arthurstown, Co Wexford
Converted outbuildings at Catherine and Kevin Dundon’s elegant Georgian manor house what must be Ireland’s most stylish cookery school and has been designed to cater for all levels of cooks, from budding enthusiasts to the experienced gourmet and, alongside it, a beautiful spa.
 
Ballyknocken House & Cookery School
Ashford, Co Wicklow
Perfectly placed for walking holidays in the Wicklow Hills, playing golf, or simply for touring the area, Catherine Fulvio’s charming Victorian farmhouse provides comfort, cosiness, home-cooked food and hospitality. Ballyknocken Cookery School offers a selection of day, weekend and resedential courses, on application.
  
Cooks Academy
Dublin 2
Justifiably styling themselves 'Dublin's Premier Cookery School', Vanessa and Tim Greenwood's stylish purpose-built city centre cookery school offers a wide range of cookery and wine lessons for both the amateur enthusiast and the professional cook.
 
The Kitchen in the Castle
Howth, Co Dublin
Run by an experienced team - founder Edwina St Lawrence, with Head Tutor Hazel McFadden and tutor, Liberty Finnegan - this unusual cookery school is based in the beautifully restored Georgian kitchens in historic Howth Castle.

Bucket List Items Partly Ticked Off in the above Blog post
Number 40 - Food & Drink - Take a Cookery Class at a top Cookery School

Other Blog Posts
Blog 7 - Alice Springs, Australia
​Blog 8 - Adelaide, Australia
Blog 9 - Melbourne, Australia
Blog 10 - Cairns, Australia
Blog 11 - Sydney, Australia
Blog 16 - Books 8 of 80 to read now!

Did you ever do a cookery class?  How did you get on?   

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