I recently enrolled in a professional cookery course, the NVQ Level 1 at Westminster Kingsway College. This particular course is a one day a week course over 30 weeks. I have no desire to be a professional chef for the hours are too gruelling. I know as I had first hand experience of this growing up in my family’s Chinese restaurant. But I love food, and I want to further pursue my passion for it which is why I have decided to do this course.

Day one was highly anticipated and hugely enjoyable. We had a short day and there was no cooking involved. That will come on day two. Day one was introductions (everyone is lovely) and vegetable theory (potatoes are tubers, courgettes are fruit, etc). Excitedly, I was the only one in my class that recognised salsify which I attribute to watching Jun Tanaka on Market Kitchen.

The library at Westminster Kingsway College contains an amazingly extensive collection of cookbooks and food reference materials. Some of these are antique cookbooks and date back to the turn of the century which is unsurprising given that the cooking school at the college is about 100 years old. I cannot wait to explore the library further when I have more time to slowly meander and lose myself in the wonders of the knowledge that lie within those books.

Tomorrow we will cover potatoes, but the best bit will be the tasting. Yum.

Westminster Kingsway College:
Web: http://www.westking.ac.uk