And in the beginning ….
And so it is with Kilzers Kitchen the firm belief is that good foundations must be layed in order to acquire the necessary basic skills to become a good cook!
The Basic Course
- embraces the complete foundation of cooking, i.e the acquiring of basic skills such as
- correct knife handling techniques
- chicken de-boning
- preparation of stocks, sauces, soups
- different preparation methods e.g blanching, poaching, oven-baked method, braising, pot roasting etc.
Whoever is able to master basic preparation methods, is then also in the enviable position of being able to produce more creative and complicated dishes – we take you by the hand and in the end, you are flying on your own – the sky is the limit, to use a cliché.
Food, like sleep, has remained a basic, daily human requirement since the advent of man. Life is more satisfying when good, simple food is in regular supply.
The aim of Kilzers Kitchen is to teach students to prepare good, simple wholesome and satisfying meals. We would like to emphasize however, that this is not a professional cookery course as would be designed for those persons interested in qualifying as professional chefs or caterers. At the same time it must be added that the skills taught are based on the City and Guilds cookery approach. Once one has been taught the correct methods and approach to cooking, one is provided with a fine foundation which is the springboard to successful, creative and enjoyable food preparation.
Indeed, the philosophy of the cookery school is reflected in the words of cooking guru, Anton Mosimann:
“The words ‘to cook’ are often misused in the kitchen. There are only a few raw materials which are cooked. I always say “whoever is fully conversant with the basic methods of preparation has the whole world of cooking at his feet, because these are the multiplication tables of cooking”. Whether he is cooking in London, Paris or Berne is of no importance. The basis always remains the same.”
“It is the understanding, command and correct use of the basic methods of preparation which allow for the perfect accomplishment of the cooking process. Whoever is able to do that is also in a position to produce the more complicated dishes”.
At Kilzers Kitchen we are in total agreement with the above-mentioned philosophy – once the basic cooking methods have been mastered, and by “mastered” we mean that at the end of a course the students must demonstrate that they have developed competence in a new skill, rather than merely understanding the theory of an activity. Only then does cooking reach new heights, where one can invent and create new dishes at leisure – and Oh, what a pleasure – and the pleasure is all ours !!
However there is far more than the foundations of cooking to be taught – the foundations are only the beginning.
At Kilzers Kitchen we encourage students to become creative cooks as well as innovative cooks – after all, many great recipes evolved as a matter of course – dishes were concocted hand –in-hand with the current availability of fresh obtainable ingredients – these ingredients then formed a recipe, which was passed on initially by word of mouth, froom one generation to the next. For example, the queen of ingredients in Italy is undoubtedly the humble tomato, because of its excellent quality and ready availability in that country.
Advanced Food Preperation Methods
A follow up to the Basic course, here students under the guidance of Albin and Jenny are taught to prepare individual dishes for advanced, creative cooking, as well as the importance of presentation.
Courses by Specific Request
Training of individuals employed to cook on a luxury yachts; B&B and Guest house owners; various restaurant and hotel staff.
Pudding and Pastry Classes
Encouraging students to improvise and make good use of locally available ingredients, as well as the abundance and variety of fresh fruits available.
One Day Workshops
Covering anything from pasta to parma ham, to the handling of fresh fish, meat and poultry. vegetarians are not neglected either, neither are men – we run a monthly Men’s Only workshop – no nagging wives in the background!!
Vacation Education
Classes are run in a relaxed informal manner, thre is a glass of wine on hand as husband/wife learns the finer art of cooking, while their spouse sweats it out on the golf course!! These vacation education classes are run on a one or two week basis – from Saturday to Sunday. Besides cookery classes, there are various Gourmet Events arranged when students are taken to several restaurants for meals, including a visit to a goat cheese farmer along with a tasting session of the various handcrafted cheeses; not forgetting a stop at the Knysna Oyster Company!
Kiddies Cookery Classes
Kilzers Kitchen offers an outstanding Kiddies Cookery Class where your child will be taught the basics in a hands-on environment without you having to worry about your home being set alight. Classes are limited to a small group of students at a time enabling individual attention to your child ensuring that your budding “Jamie” comes away from Kilzers Kitchen armed with the necessary basic cooking skills to take him/her to the next level of advanced cooking.
Entertainment Classes/Kitchen Theatre
Now affectionately known as Cook ‘n Look this is a laugh a minute as Albin & Jenny present a united front in the kitchen where they prepare a three course meal in front of an audience of live guinea pigs – wine in hand. The crunch comes when the guinea pigs have to sit down and eat the prepared meal themselves.
Customised Cooking Classes
We create a custom cookery class for you. Contact us with your wishlist and we’ll customise your very own cookery class just for you.