Tag Archives: class

Modern Calligraphy Workshop

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I have always been a lover of stationery and handwriting, so when I discovered Lamplighter London (Chiara Lisa) on Instagram I was fascinated by her creative cursive writing. When I learnt of her modern calligraphy classes at the Town Hall Hotel I had to sign up to find out more.

A self-taught artist Chiara noticed a lack of calligraphy lessons in London so started up her class to introduce people to her hobby, and teach others how to master modern calligraphy. On a rainy friday morning in July I joined a group of eager Londoners in the photogenic Corner room restaurant at the Town Hall Hotel in Bethnal Green. After snapping the mandatory hanging lights photo (see above) we sat in our labelled seats for the class.

Chiara guided us through the basics of modern calligraphy, from ink flow and pen pressure, to mark making and shapes, and learning the modern alphabet. By the end of class we were practising free form words and developing our own individual style. Despite being a room of beginners we were all confidently writing words and phrases in beautiful (and complicated) curly handwriting. After the class a delicious set lunch was served, I was ravenous after concentrating so carefully for the class, so was extremely grateful for the pretty plates of food.

Thanks to popular demand Chiara is running classes in September and October, and if you can’t make these dates keep checking the website or her Instagram page for details on workshops in the future.

What you’ll get in the class:

  • A personalised modern calligraphy kit, ideal for beginners, including inks, nib, paper and other stationery treats
  • 2.5 hours of calligraphy instruction, including 1 on 1 help where needed
  • Loads of tips, ideas and insider info from a practising calligrapher
  • A glorious gift from a surprise East London maker
  • Plus loads of inspiration to bring handwritten notes back into your life!
  • Two course set lunch

I can’t recommend this class highly enough. Since attending I have used my new calligraphy skills on numerous occasions, and find that this style of handwriting brings great joy to otherwise monotonous jobs.

More information and sign up to a workshop here.

THOROUGHLY MODERN MAN, Gelato making class at Snowflake, Soho

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“So it’s ice cream, then”, said a friend of mine, nonplussed, as I told him what my next write-up was. “I don’t know why they insist on calling it gelato, just call it ice cream”. After my latest experience at Snowflake Gelato, I know now why “they” insist on the separation of ice cream and gelato, and why from now on I shall insist on it too.

Snowflake’s proprietor Asad set out to make gelato with one guiding principle: the best of everything. When one’ product consists of milk, sugar, cream, and then one or two all natural ingredients, from strawberries to caramel to rich pistachio or spiky mint, there is nowhere to hide if they aren’t absolutely top notch quality. You won’t find any fluorescent green mint chocolate chip in Snowflake, because the mint flavour is made from freshly blitzed mint leaves; if you order the strawberry or blood orange (and I advise you to do so), strawberry and blood orange is exactly what you’re getting, and nothing else. All of this wonderful produce is lovingly crafted by energetic head chef Paolo, to deliver the stunning spectrum of flavours available from the tortuously inviting glass display case in Snowflake’s Soho store.

There is some science that goes into the taste sensation that blows “ice cream” clean out of the water. Less air in the mixture gives a much denser flavour on the palate, and the process of blast chilling the freshly made gelati and sorbetti stops the ice crystals from forming too large, preserving the impossibly silky smooth texture. There’s even less fat compared to normal ice cream, which compensates with extra cream to achieve that desired smoothness. So – and I think this is the first time I’ve ever said this, as those who know my diet will attest – the tastier option really is the healthier option. That extra scoop wasn’t that bad after all, then.

As a privileged member of the press, I was even allowed into the inner sanctum to try my hand at making my own sorbetto and gelato. Under the watchful eye of Paolo and Asad, we sliced and diced and blended and churned, and in a matter of two hours we had four flavours done, dusted, and thoroughly sampled. But fear not, you too can see behind the curtain, and chance your arm in Snowflake’s laboratory. For groups of up to ten, Paolo will whisk you around the world in a chilled culinary adventure, with the added bonus of eating what you produce. The opportunity to see the passion that goes into making truly great gelato is to be missed, so get in before the summer rush truly takes off in earnest. For you West London purists not keen on venturing into the maelstrom of summertime Soho, fear not, your friendly neighbourhood gelateria’s original location is situated in lovely Westbourne Grove, so there are no excuses for not getting yourself down to dig in to the frozen treats that await.

More information on Snowflake here.

Written by a Thoroughly Modern Man, James Bomford.

Cookery School, Pastry Class

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An ability to make pastry is surely one the most useful skills an amateur cook can learn. With a family of expert chefs I have always loved food, enjoyed cooking but never quite possessed the skills to whip up complicated cuisine, which include puff and choux pastry in my opinion.

Attending a class at the reputable Cookery School, I felt I was in good hands. This petite cooking school just off Oxford Street hold regular day and evening classes teaching every category of cooking. I was tempted by the cupcakes class, but realising that it was probably the only recipe I knew off by heart, decided on something a little more challenging, so Pastry it was. Our teacher for the evening Ghalid, was approachable, clear and friendly. From snippets of conversation I gathered… he was born and bred in Morocco, studied cheffing in France, helped set up the original Ottolenghi in Islington with the man himself and now finds himself teaching the tricks of the trade to eager hopefuls.

We focused on puff, shortcrust and choux pastry, learning the jist of the techniques before customising the basic pastry recipes to create dishes we could use at home for dinner parties or delicious snacks. The menu for the evening consisted of choux eclairs, cheese straws, palmiers, quiches, apple pies and beef pasties all made in a mere two hours, leaving an hour for scoffing and chatting at the end.

After watching a demonstration from Ghalid, we were left to our own devices. With a few easy steps our bowls of flour, salt, butter and water had transformed into golden yellow pastry, ready to be rolled and blind cooked. Ghalid taught us all the tricks to ensure our dishes turn out perfectly, little details that make all the difference. I made a mushroom quiche, which, having now eaten it, I can say was delicious. Good homemade pastry makes an enormous difference to the taste of a dish, plus you can freeze it for up to three months to use another time.

The puff pastry was more challenging and time consuming. The process of rolling out the pastry and folding into three must be repeated until the dough has sufficient layers. Choux pastry is unique as it is created in a saucepan carefully beating the ingredients together until it drops easily off the spoon. Then it can be dolloped onto a tray, cooked and transformed into scrumptious chocolate eclairs.

Within a few hours I had learnt all the basics of pastry making, and thanks to Ghalid felt confident to go home and bake them by myself. The Cookery School is a wonderful establishment, if only I cook take every class I would be a master in the kitchen.

For more information about the Cookery School visit the website here.