Caribbean Curacao and Cookery Courses...

 

A short stop over to Caribbean Food and a look at British Cookery Courses...

Thank you so much to everybody for your very encouraging comments on my last post. I am so very grateful to all those who take the time to post a comment on my fledgling blog and an extra thank you to those who sign up to be a ‘follower’ of my blog-to those-a very big thank you indeed!!

Thanks to you all and I will keep posting...

Following onto my last post, the next island we visited was the beautiful island of Curacao. 

This island is again, part of the Caribbean Lesser or Leeward Antilles islands just off the South American, Venezuelan coastline.

 

Very much Dutch influenced with delightful old tall Dutch colonial houses painted in gentle, pastel colours. 

 

I was excited to visit this pretty island not least because I had signed up in anticipation to participate on a cookery course actually run on the island itself...

 

I love Caribbean food with its mixture of vibrant colours and exotic flavours and was eager to learn more.

The Caribbean has so much to offer in terms of abundant food.

Curacao is a delightful island and full of colour with an abundance of fruit and vegetables...

There is a wonderful floating market with boats tied up at the key side and selling directly to the customers...

However, the cookery course was indeed a huge, huge disappointment to me... 

I’m not going to mention any details as to where it was, who ran it, etc and will just say these are my own personal thoughts...

When I sign up for a course I do expect it to be well run i.e. participants  are met in a timely and friendly and hospitable manner and not left to stand for an hour in the exposed sun whilst the people involved in the course argue as to who is to transport you...

If, like myself, despite that you have given advance notice that you don’t cook or eat meat that you are not then made out to look awkward and difficult by the host in front of the others...

You are not then ‘told’ to cook certain dishes without any consideration of your own personal preferences or desires...

 The actual, so called recipes, involve readymade pastry, tinned fish and meat and shop brought spice mixes...

Very little is actually taught and you don’t come away with any sense of having learnt more about Caribbean cooking...

The whole event was being filmed to promote the person running the course...When I saw the rushes following the course it was ‘amazing’  how all mine and the other participants who were equally unhappy and had made adverse comments, had miraculously disappeared...

I did write a detailed letter of complaint, however, just received the standard letter of receipt back and nothing more...

Oh well, you live and learn...

Next time I visit, I will explore more of this colourful and picturesque island.

And now on the more positive and upbeat side, I am very much looking forward to attending various cookery courses here in Britain this year.

These include,

The Vegetarian Cookery Course at Raymond Blanc’s Le Manoir,  Cookery School http://www.manoir.com/web/olem/le_manoir.jsp

The Summer Preserves and Liquor Making at The Artisan School of Food.

http://www.schoolofartisanfood.org/

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall River Cottage- Veg at the River Cottage

http://www.rivercottage.net/

And finally a chocolate making course with the charismatic Jules James at the wonderful Black Mountain Gold in Wales.

www.blackmountainchocolate.co.uk

 

I will, of course, let you all know how each one goes...

Here’s hoping for a positive and enjoyable experience at each...