Surgery and Sautéing

An essay called ‘Michelin-Starred Theatres,’ by R. Newton, et al, draws attention to the parallels between fine dining and surgical practice. Some of the similarities between the chef and the surgeon’s working day include long hours, top standards, intensive training and an emphasis on teamwork.

Cooking and surgery are both related to the promotion of good health. Though restaurant food can be full of unhealthy ingredients like fat, sugar, and salt, chefs play a key role in nourishing the nation’s body. Similarly, surgeons are specially trained to help the body if something goes wrong.

Though we may not all be Michelin chefs, each individual needs to learn vital cooking skills in order to feed him or herself. Everyone must go through the process of learning how to boil an egg, make pasta and maybe eventually sauté potatoes.

Unpronounceable ingredients and difficult recipes on cooking programs can scare the average cook out of the kitchen, but cooking doesn’t have to be complicated or fancy. There is a need to get back to basics, and just have some fun in the kitchen.

Here are some easy recipes to get you started:

• Spicy Salami and Tomato Pasta Sauce

• Easy Oven Frittata

• Black Beans and Rice

On the other hand, surgical practice is quite a bit more difficult, and should only be performed by qualified professionals! Happy cooking.

The Mini Cooking Club runs a variety of cooking workshops aimed at families and children, teaching members practical skills and essential nutrition knowledge. If you are interested in booking a free place for you or your children, please visit our website for more course information. 

By Catherine Heath

Camberwell Arts Festival Fundraiser

Saturday’s fundraiser at Camberwell Arts Festival was a big success! There was live music, craft stalls and art workshops. The Mini Cooking Club was in the middle of it all selling homemade cakes, breads and biscuits to raise funds for our organisation. 

It took a little while to build up momentum but by mid-afternoon there was quite a crowd. The most popular item was the rich chocolate and guinness cake, baked by one of our members, followed closely by the banana bread. 

When we finally packed away the marquee – which was threatening to blow away in the gale - all the cakes left on the table had been sold. We received a number of enquiries about our work and even an offer to volunteer or two.

The donations have not been counted yet but the support was overwhelming, despite adverse weather conditions. More pictures will be uploaded to Facebook soon! 

We’d like to thank Kelly O’Reilly (Camberwell Arts Festival) for giving us this opportunity. We also thank all the Mini Cooking Club volunteers who lent their time and baking skills to help us raise money for our vital work in the community. 

The festival continues until June 23rd with many more events to come! It would be great if everyone showed their support for the local area by attending. 

By Catherine Heath

The Mini Cooking Club Fundraiser: Camberwell Art Festival Bake Sale

The Mini Cooking Club is pleased to announce our latest fundraising event. We are running a charity bake sale in partnership with Camberwell Arts Festival (15^th-23^rd June). It is a yearly celebration of all things cultural in the area. 

 The Mini Cooking Club stall will be on 15^th June, run by Cecilia, Catherine and Jessica.

We are looking for volunteers who want to contribute their baking skills. If you enjoy making cakes, biscuits, flapjacks, meringues, scones or anything delicious we would appreciate the help. Please deliver them from 11am onwards to Camberwell Green, SE5 7AN. Look for The Mini Cooking Club stall.

Join us for the Art Picnic to kick off the festival, involving art, cake and conversation.  Come with friends or get to know other members of the community. Maybe you’ll find a great piece of local artwork to take home.

We will also provide a cake and biscuit decorating service run by Elizabeth Heath, an illustration student at Camberwell School of Arts. You can decorate edible gifts for Father’s Day, keep the kids occupied for half an hour, or indulge your creative side just for fun. The theme of the festival is “travel” so we want to see lots of ships and aeroplanes!

Cutty Sark - by Catherine Heath

All proceeds will go towards running costs for The Mini Cooking Club charity, which provides free educational cooking workshops for people in South London. We hope to see you there, and fingers crossed for good weather!

Please email Catherine to confirm that you will be donating goods, if you want to find out how else you can help or have any questions at all.  

The Mini Cooking Club is registered charity number 1146783. Camberwell Arts Festival is Registered Charity Number 1138225. 

By Catherine Heath

The Best Start To Life: Healthy Eating Week 2013

The British Nutrition Foundation is launching Healthy Eating Week in order to promote healthy eating habits and exercise in all schools and nurseries. Part of the focus will also be the origins of the food we eat and practical cooking skills. Over 3,000 schools have registered to take part (that’s over one million children and young people). 

Research shows a strong correlation between diet and academic performance. It was shown that children who eat balanced meals are far more likely to do well than children who eat more consume more processed foods and higher levels of fat, sugar and salt. (Aldridge et al, 2008).

The key is not low calorie intake or eating large amounts of fruit and vegetables, but actually to consume enough types of food from each dietary group (fats, dairy, carbohydrate, protein and vitamins and minerals) to fulfil each quota. The focus is on diversity of diet throughout the school day. 

Britain still needs to improve standards of nutrition knowledge and cooking abilities. As processed food and ready meals become ever more widely and cheaply available, children can grow up without managing to learn these essential life skills. 

Academic performance in school influences future educational achievement and therefore adult income levels. It is our responsibility to make sure every child gets the best start possible in life. This may seem obvious, but the amount of money spent on advertising by companies that promote unhealthy food like Nestle and Cadbury is ten times as much as the government spends on healthy eating campaigns.

Parents can try their best to feed their children nutritious food and still lose out to clever marketing campaigns targeted at kids, and too many snacks available in school. Instead of giving children money to spend on chips, try making them a healthy salad or tortilla wrap. If they are hungry in between meals, replace crisps or sweets with fruit or sliced vegetables. Involve children in the preparation of the evening meal to encourage confidence in the kitchen.

Show your support for Healthy Eating Week 2013 by eating your homemade food and tweeting us pictures @EatinCampaign or post on Facebook. 

Ref:

‘Diet Quality and Academic Performance,’ Aldridge, et al. (2008)

By Catherine Heath

The Nutrition During Pregnancy Programme: Week One

It’s been a busy week for the Mini Cooking Club since the launch of our brand new Nutrition During Pregnancy Programme, which started on Monday 13^th May at East Dulwich Community Centre. I went down there to check it out.

It was off to a bit of a wobbly start when we discovered that the community centre put locks on their equipment cupboards for safety, leaving us with no key. Off I popped to the local Co-op to see if they could help.

The first class was a success! The programme was created and is run by our certified nutritionist, Karen Buckley ANutr. On the menu this week was a delicious and surprisingly simple mango and lettuce salad, homemade chips and homemade burgers, both veggie and meat. Dessert was to be Karen’s signature mouth watering banana and carrot muffins.

One of our attendees

It was off to a bit of a wobbly start when we discovered that the community centre put locks on their equipment cupboards for safety, leaving us with no key. Off I popped to the local Co-op to see if they could help.

We started off baking the muffins first, much to the dismay of the weight watchers group in the next room. Next, we prepared the burger mixtures, chopping and blending to create coriander and butterbean for the veggies, and onion and minced beef patties for the meat eaters. We sliced up large baking potatoes for chips, and baked them in the oven along with the burgers.

We had a break for the nutrition class, during which Karen taught the students about the stages of pregnancy and associated physical changes, weight change, The Eat Well Plate, and the necessary nutrients to stay healthy.

After our work was done, we sat down to eat and get to know one another. Thankfully we had cutlery, as the salad covered in lemon juice would have been impossible to pick up with our hands! Sitting down to eat together at the end is one of the key elements of the programme, because it encourages the attendees to discuss their experiences. According to all involved, the first class was a success! You can view more photos here. We headed for home, tired but happy.

As a brand new programme, Nutrition During Pregnancy holds much promise and is the first of its kind. Our aim is to reach out to people who might not otherwise have taken an interest in the food they eat and teach them useful information at such a crucial stage of their baby’s development. It’s also an important way for mums-to-be to network with one another, and make friends.
 

If you are pregnant and looking to learn about the best nutrition for you and your baby, or know someone who is, please email Karen, or call 07779129371. Places are still available.

Our two nutritionists and an attendee

By Catherine Heath

St Paul’s Cake Sale, 12 May 2013, Covent Garden

HIV remains one of the most significant public healthy challenges today. At the end of 2011, an estimated 96,000 people were living with HIV in the UK (National Aids Trust, 2011). These include about 73,400 people diagnosed with HIV, and 22,600 who were infected but undiagnosed. Treatment for the condition has significantly improved since the 1950s, with life expectancy increasing from a few years to near normal. And with an early diagnosis, a person’s life can be just as happy and fulfilling as anyone else’s.

There are numerous charities dedicated to helping those with HIV. The Food Chain is an innovative charity seeking to promote nutrition education and cookery skills to those living with the condition in London. They have lots of reliable information for those seeking to understand HIV and offer many practical solutions for people living with the condition. The organisation seeks to provide people with access to the nutrition they need to get well, remain well and lead healthy, independent lives. They also deliver meals and other food to people at home, hold cooking and nutrition classes, and offer communal eating opportunities to people living with HIV and their dependents.

Charities like The Food Chain always need more funds, and this Sunday 12^th May, The Mini Cooking Club is teaming up with them to host St Paul’s Cake Sale at Covent Garden, part of the ‘Covent Garden May Fayre and Puppet Festival.’ We will be offering delicious homemade banana bread, cupcakes, carrot cake and bread rolls in exchange for a donation. Our day will start at 10am, in time for the colourful procession at 11am. We hope to see you all there. Find out where we’ll be.

To find out more about The Food Chain initiative or get involved, go to their website.

By Catherine Heath

Help is Here: The Nutrition During Pregnancy Programme

Our nutritionist, Karen, and one of our volunteers

Are you expecting a baby, and concerned about the health of you and your child? The Mini Cooking Club is here to help. 

Pregnancy is both an exciting and stressful time, during which hormones can seem out of control and the body is craving all sorts of food. Diet can seem like a minefield, and reading dozens of lengthy nutrition books can be the last thing you want to do. 

That’s why our nutritionist, Karen Buckley, has designed the Nutrition During Pregnancy Programme. On this free six week course, you will learn about the different stages of pregnancy and associated physical changes. 

Karen will teach expecting mothers about the best eating practices to prepare body and mind for childbirth, and ensure your baby has the best start to life. This opportunity involves learning about the best food provision pre and post-birth, for you and your child. 

You will also learn about weight change, the Eat Well Plate and in-depth information about essential nutrition, danger foods, and religious or meat-free diets. You will learn about the benefits of exercise, what to avoid, post-birth nutrition and breastfeeding. 

The Mini Cooking Club welcomes people into the kitchen for hands-on cooking classes, and attendees have the opportunity to participate fully in the food preparation process under the supervision of our chefs. These classes are designed to be fun, creative and above all informative about food products and different cooking methods.

The classes provide people living in the London community with opportunities to learn nutrition and cooking skills. The Nutrition During Pregnancy Programme is the first of its kind, and completely free. The course is open to all pregnant women, starts Monday 13th May and runs for six weeks at East Dulwich Community Centre. We're excited to see you there!

Places are still available, so book yours now. Email Karen, or call 07779129371.

Our founder, Cecilia (far left)

By Catherine Heath