We have just launched a range of classes in conjunction with ‘hello babycakes’.

These include:

Cake Pops

The latest cake trend! we will teach you to model cake into fun lollipops with lots of decorating techniques

Elegant Cupcakes

Learn how to make cupcakes beautiful! We will teach you how to use fondant, stencils and moulds for the perfect party and wedding cupcakes

Fun Cupcakes

Learn how to decorate fun and colourful cupcakes with different piping techniques and fondant decorations – perfect for beginners!

Check dates, prices and book you place here.

We are excited to announce that we will soon start running classes in partnership with ‘hello babycakes’.

Would you love to bake, but just don’t know how?

Do you have friends and family that make amazing cakes and you’d like to join them?

Well wonder no more! Come and take a class with hello babycakes at Pudding Pie Cookery School and find out everything you need to know!

Watch out for the first dates to be announced soon!

We need your nominations!

If you like our Cookery School, teaching skills that last a lifetime, or our approach to healthy eating using quality local ingredients, or perhaps you are on our Forever Plan Healthy Eating Diet and want to help spread the word.

If so, please nominate us for the Northamptonshire Local Food Hero’s Award for 2012/13, you can download the  nomination form here.

Thank you.

We are now also able to run our popular Forever Plan Diet Clubs on a Tuesday morning as well as the evening.

You can also join for FREE during May, saving £8.49 registration fee, so there really is no excuse to put it off any longer!

Eat your way to a healthier lifestyle…. what are you waiting for?

Join The Forever Plan in May and save £8.49 registration fee. Offer includes first weeks detox plan, recipes, cookery demo and access to the members forum.

All you pay is the normal £6.50 weekly fee.

The Forever Plan, eat your way to a healthier lifestyle.

Serves 4

Ingredients
2 large potatoes peeled and sliced
Olive oil
1 large onion finely chopped
3 cloves of crushed garlic
2 x 400g cans of chopped tomatoes
Splash of red wine
1 tsp of dried oregano
Pinch of cinnamon
Pinch of Sugar
2 Tbsp tomato puree
1 400g can red kidney beans
2 aubergines sliced
2 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
Salt & pepper
1 recipe for Bechamel sauce

Method

•    Boil potatoes until just tender.
•    Cook onion and garlic gently in olive oil for about 10 minutes or until soft but not coloured.
•    Add tomatoes, wine, oregano, cinnamon, sugar, tomato puree.
•    Boil.
•    Then reduce heat and simmer gently for 10 minutes, then add the beans and simmer for another 20 minutes.
•    Taste.
•    Season.
•    Fry aubergine slices in two to three tbsp olive oil turning till just soft or griddle them, drain on kitchen paper.
•    Make cheese sauce.
•    Pre-heat oven to 190 degrees C.
•    To put together: Use either 4 small shallow heat proof dishes or one large, spread tomato/bean mix at the bottom, then layer aubergine slices a little grated cheese, then potato. Repeat until all used, finishing with aubergine.
•    Cover with cheese sauce and bake for one hour, rest 10 minutes before eating.

It is very easy to catch someone on a bad day and then run them into the floor with a bad review. We prefer to concentrate on the positive experiences and simply not mention the bad ones!

We have put together a guide of the ones we think are worth a visit:

The Nut Tree Inn

Chef – Mike North (1 Michelin Star)

Our Review – 2009

I guess you could call this a gastro-pub, but the Nut Tree Inn is an affordable pub with fantastic food. Tipped for good things in the near future, here you have the chance to sample Michelin food at a good pub price!

We had a 3 course meal and thoroughly enjoyed it. You wont get the full Michelin experience of some big restaurants, but you do get looked after and some really good food.

Downsides

Whereas the food is great and fully deserves the award, the premises did not live up to the same standard a bit untidy on the day we went in places, but you soon forgive that when you taste the food.

Our Revisit – 2012

We went back for a second visit in March 2012, we were glad to see that the rather dirty looking conservatory that we ate in last time, had been demolished and replaced with a new dining room. This was nice enough although very open and no real character (also when full very noisy a bit like a school dining room).

We went for the taster menu this time, with the accompanying wine. The  amuse bouche was a delicious mushroom soup, which let us believe we were in for a treat, however the next two dishes came under seasoned, then we had the best lamb dish we have ever eaten, followed by a fairly average dessert, then a fantastic souffle. Altogether a very mixed bag. The wine waiter rattled through the wine choice at such a rate of knots that we could not understand a single word and when we finally got the drinks we had never ordered removed from the bill, we went on our way a little confused by the experience.

In Summary

A nice place to eat, but …. this is our second visit and both times we have had something that spoils it just a little. Will we be back, probably not (too many other places to try for the money is costs), would we recommend it, yes we would, you get what you pay for but nothing more than that really. It is not fine dining (they don’t set out to be) but they do have a star and you expect certain standards and levels of food, and we wonder if they can deliver this on all levels from the two visits we have made. By all means give it a try it’s good food, but there are better restaurants at the same price level, in our opinion.

________

The Fat Duck, Bray

Chef – Heston Blumenthal (3 Michelin Stars)

Our Review – 2010

We ate Heston’s taster menu all washed down with Taittinger Champagne! In a small dining room in an unassuming property on the side of the road in Bray, we were served a meal that was a fabulous assault on our senses. Things we thought were hot were cold and things we thought were desserts were not, all in all it was a great evening, fantastic staff that attended to our every need, we really did not have to ask for anything. The food was beautiful (even the snail porridge) and prepared immaculately and delivered with pure theatre (lots of liquid nitrogen). Not cheap but in this case we did get what we paid for, we would recommend anyone to visit and try.

Downsides

Having to wait so long to get a table!

________

Le Manoir Aux Quat Saisons

Chef Patron- Raymond Blanc (2 Michelin Stars)

Our Review – 2010

We had already visited Raymond’s Brasserie in Oxford with our kids and were really impressed at the great menu, reasonable prices and how welcoming they were to children. With this in mind we tried Le Manoir, what an impressive building and location, you feel really grand entering the place and you are made to feel really welcome. It was a lovely summers day when we went so we had pre-dinner drinks sitting in the impressive garden before tucking into the taster menu. The atmosphere was more relaxed than some places we have been (service wise), but the food was exceptional. After the meal we were able to wander freely around the grounds and walk through Raymond’s impressive veg patch (which is bigger than a football pitch) and you are never rushed to leave, in fact they want you to stay and getting away took us a little over 3.5 hours! Great place to eat very reasonable menu options, kids are welcome and a must for anyone to try.

Downsides

None I can think of, that’s why we are planning a return trip soon.

Our Review – 2nd visit May 2011

We finally had some time off and took full advantage by returning to ‘Le Manoir’. This time we decided to treat our two kids (13 + 9 years old) again the food and service was spectacular, our eldest joined us in the 5 course taster menu which was fabulous, while our youngest enjoyed the kids menu (all delivered in a child friendly way with good humour for the kids).

They loved it all, after the meal we wandered the gardens again in the sunshine and took tea on the lawn, before we were treated by Pim Wolfs (Host Manager) to a tour of the kitchen and cookery school. We were there for over 4 hours and loved it all. We love to visit new places, but this venue keeps drawing us back and it’s virtually on our doorstep, so we will certainly be back to sample some more of the great atmosphere and food.

Downsides

As before not one we can think of, maybe that we had to go home!.

________

Lasan Indian Restaurant

Chef – Aktar Islam (Winner of ‘The F Word’)

Our Review – 2011

We saw this place on Gordon Ramsey’s F Word programme and naturally they won it, the trophy has pride of place in their foyer. What can we say about this restaurant, simply it’s the best Indian food we have  ever had and we’ve tried quite a few in our lives. The food is beautifully presented and not the traditional Indian flavours you would expect, they have fused the flavours with a western twist to create some of the best food you will ever taste (which is why we had 3 desserts!). Great staff very patient and a fantastic modern interior all created a great experience for us.

Downsides

None, we will be back to give it another try – you wont be disappointed.

________

The Waterside Inn, Bray

Chef – Alain Roux (3 Michelin Stars)

Our Review – 2011

A beautiful location just down the road from Heston’s restaurant in fact. We pulled up to be met by a doormen wearing a suit and hat, who dutifully took our keys and went off to park our car between two Bentley’s !! We were greeted and shown our room which had a balcony overlooking the Thames and we thought what could be better … the answer, the food. We ate their taster menu and had some of the best food we have ever eaten in our lives, you can see why they have maintained 3 stars for so many years.

The dining room seemed a little busy with all the staff flying around, not as tranquil as some places we have been but nevertheless it was a nice atmosphere. We chose to have the wine to compliment the meal and by the time we retired to our room we were very full and very merry!. To make the trip even better we were invited to view the kitchen the next morning where we met Alain and Michel Roux Jnr as they filmed for a new TV series, how wonderful.

Downsides

Dining room seemed a little too crowded with staff but that’s being picky as we cannot really fault anything about the place, well worth a try.

________

Viners, Newquay Cornwall

Chef – Kevin Viner (AA Chef of the year)

Our Review – 2011

Tucked away on the outskirst of Newquay, Kevin is a winner of some of Britain’s renowned professional cooking competitions including UK National Chef of the Year in 1998 and the AA’s Chef of the Year in 1999, voted by his peers and colleague chefs throughout the trade. He was also nominated as one of the ‘Top ten chefs of the last decade’ by the A.A.

The atmosphere is not stuffy and you are made to feel part of the family from the moment you arrive. We ate there twice in fact once with our children and then again with just adults. We ate amongst other things, oysters, mackerel, scallops, chicken, souffles, and various other dishes. All we can say is wonderful!

The food is fantastic, we highly recommend them, when we are next in Cornwall we will be back.

Downsides

Not sure there are any as far as the food is concerned, it’s a shame though that the entrance is used as a drying area for tea towels very tacky look, get rid of them and think what people first see would be our advice.

________

The Butchers Arms, Priors Hardwick

Chef – Adam Newman

Our Review – 2012

Lino, Peter and Helen Pires head up a team of dedicated staff with their prime objective – to look after you during your visit.

A lovely building awaits as you approach it in the village of Priors Hardwick, Warwickshire. We have eaten here many times over the years with friends and even our children every Christmas Day. We have never been disappointed.

The menu is extensive with an option to suit all tastes and budgets. The staff are always attentive but relaxed and you never feel rushed into finishing your meal. Whenever we visit we are never out of the place in less than 3 hours!

The service is relaxed and not too stuffy and they cannot do enough for you, to the extent that one new years eve when our taxi failed to show, one of the staff drove us home, half an hour away!!

The food is well presented and always delicious, and we have tried just about all of it over the years. They have a huge wine/champagne stock as well as lovely beers, so allround very impressive set up.

Well worth a visit (if not for the dessert trolley alone) you will not be disappointed.

Downsides

Never enough opportunity to go I guess, there’s nothing to fuss about really, if we were pushed to think of something we may say less raunchy posters in the gents as it ruins your aim!!!

________

The Feathers Hotel, Woodstock.

Our Review – February 2012

We found the Feathers on a snowy day in February, we had booked and heard lots of good things and just hoped that we could still manage to get there in the bad weather. We were initially one of two tables in the restaurant that had decided to brave the snow.

Upon arrival we were very impressed with the standard and service we received. We waited in a lovely lounge and were treated to an amuse bouche from the chef which was delicious and got us thinking we were in for a real treat. It is clear from our experience, that this establishment is aiming for high accolades, maybe even a Michelin Star soon, the food is certainly up to standard, it’s just falling slightly behind with some of the service.

We had 3 courses and between each we were treated to a taster sample from the chef (really lovely), all the food was faultless and beautifully presented and it all tasted fantastic, we cannot fault it one of the nicest meals we have had for a long time. If you are looking for Michelin Star food, but not wanting to pay the prices, we recommendnd you get there quickly before they get a star and the prices rise, we thoroughly recommend you sample the delights of the menu, we will be back there soon.

Downsides

We found the atmosphere in the restaurant very stuffy to start with, being watched all the time by staff is somewhat off putting when you are trying to dine, the deadly silence in the room was also a bit weird (perhaps some soft music when it’s so quiet) however as the place filled up with a few more tables, the staff seemed to relax into their stride and it ended up being great.

________

Purnells, Birmingham

Chef – Glynn Purnell

Our Review- April 2012

We had heard so much about Purnells from friends in the trade, that we thought we better go along, after all it’s virtually on our doorstep. Just round the corner from another favourite of ours (Lasan) we were pleasantly surprised by the modern clean crisp interior, they had some music playing and the atmosphere seemed really nice. The dining room is not massive, so you do feel cosy and the staff were all very attentive.

We went for the taster menu (as we so often do) our verdict was …. wonderful, yes there were one or two dishes from the 8 or so courses that were not our favourite, but that’s the whole point of a taster menu, you get to taste it all and decide what you like so you can have it next time!

We were well looked after and were very pleased with the meal we had. All washed down with some very fine Champagne, who can complain. Perhaps you may find it a little expensive, but for a one star Michelin taster menu, we felt very good value for money.

If you feel like a quality night out, great food served to the highest of standards in lovely surroundings, with brilliant staff, then look no further here it is, go on give it a try you wont regret it.

Downsides

Well, the on street parking is a nightmare, but I don’t suppose you can hold the restaurant responsible for that, otherwise one of our diners found the tables a little difficult to get their legs under, but really we cannot fault the place on anything else.

We now have some Cotton Carrier Bags with the Pudding Pie logo in our shop.

They are only £2.95, a great bag to use time and time again.

So if you fancy one just click here for full details and other items in our shop.

Pudding Pie Cookery School, teaching skills that last a lifetime.

Our April Newsletter is now available to read on-line for the next 30 days.

We have news on the new School Holiday Class dates and The Forever Plan Diet this month. Enjoy the read!

Packed with all the latest news from Pudding Pie Cookery School.

Just giving you all plenty of notice about the Banbury Food Fair on Sunday 19th August 2012, 10.30am – 4.30pm.

We will be the main stall, running our demo and tasting tent, where you can sample some of the delicious food that we make on our classes.

Also we will be hosting and running the chef demo tent, this will include demo’s from us and guest chefs covering:

• Malaysian Cookery
• Italian Cookery
• Quick & Easy Recipes
• + more

So this year’s event is sure to be a huge hit, with some great businesses already confirmed. Pop it in your diary and why not follow them on Facebook and keep up to date with all the latest news.

Our June school holiday classes are now full. As the summer holidays approach, this year with a second kitchen we are able to offer more places on our children’s / teenagers cookery classes.

With 240 places available and block booking discounts we hope there is something for everyone.

Please click here for the dates and prices. Please book early as these places do fill very quickly.

Pudding Pie Cookery School, fun with food.

Thank you to everyone who came along to the Brackley Festival of Food yesterday. Apart from a quick 10 minutes spell of rain, we had a glorious day, making and serving up samples, such as:

Panna Cotta

Filled Breads

Mushroom Soup

Chocolate Tart

+ more

For all those that came along, we hope you enjoyed the day and the free tasters. See you soon at the Banbury Food Show, where our stand will be even bigger!

Pudding Pie Cookery School, cooking up a storm!

On Sunday 22nd April from 9.30 – 4.30pm we will be at the Brackley Festival of Food.

So if you are in the area, pop along and try some of our delicious food samples.

You cannot miss us, we are in the main square outside the Town Hall in the Pudding Pie tent.

We will also have some special offers just for the event!

We have just added some new dates for Thermomix Demo’s.

These demo classes are FREE to attend, if you would like to see what these amazing machines can help you achieve in the kitchen, call us to book your place now.

You wont be disappointed!

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

30g butter
Sunflower oil for frying
3 large aubergines (800g) cut into 5mm thick slices
Flour for coating
1 litre passata
250g buffalo mozzarella
100g parmesan, grated
3 tbsp oil
1 onion, finely chopped
200g Arborio rice
5g saffron
150ml white wine
1200ml vegetable/chicken stock
Salt & pepper

Method

•    Butter an oven proof dish (approx 20x30cm) set aside.
•     To make the rice first, heat the olive oil in a pan and gently fry the onions until soft, about 7 minutes, stir in the rice and when it is glossy add the saffron, stir briefly and then add the wine.
•    Allow it to be absorbed by the rice and then start adding the stock gradually. When the rice is doubled in size and cooked through, remove from the heat and allow to cool.
•    Pre heat the oven 180 degrees C.
•    Heat a deep fat fryer (or large pan with at least 3cm oil) until 170 degrees C.
•    Coat the aubergine in flour and shake off any excess, fry in batches until golden brown on both sides. Drain on kitchen paper.
•    Coat the base of the ovenproof dish with a ¼ of the passata and scatter a ¼ of the mozzarella and the parmesan on top followed by the aubergine.
•    Cover with all of the rice and then repeat with the passata and cheese.
•    Bake until golden for about 30 minutes and bubbling around the edges.