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Chez Pok Cooking School

By Madelyn Miller

Imagine a beautiful country inn in a romantic setting. Where you can spend idyllic days and nights relaxing, staring at the stars and pinching yourself because you were lucky enough to end up in this wonderful place called Peppers Guest House.

I was almost this lucky.

Actually, I attended a gourmet cooking class at Chez Pork (the whimsical name for the cooking school at Peppers Guest House) and drooled over the cuisine. The next thing I want to do is stay there.

If cooking schools are your thing, you will love this one.

Recognised throughout Australia for its excellence, Chez Pok has been the recipient of many awards. Chez Pok took out 3 major awards at the 1999-2000 Restaurant & Catering Association Awards for Excellence, including the all important Overall Restaurant of the Year.

Chef  Jamie Hartcher, Executive Chef, Peppers Guest House has been at with Peppers now for a little over ten years and continues to enjoy the prospect of creating exciting and innovative cuisine from regional Hunter produce.

He takes great pleasure in sharing some of his favorite dinner party recipes. Chef Jamie says,  “I hope that you enjoy your brief stint in the kitchens of Peppers Guest House & develop a further understanding of the importance of cuisine in our everyday lives.   Happy Cooking!!”

The day consists of a morning session (approx 9am to 1 pm) or afternoon session (approx. 1pm to 5pm) spanning for approximately 3-4 hours depending upon the topic that is covered & the amount of dishes etc to be done. It is a fully hands on program where the participants get the “real” feel of the food preparation eg, pastry making, bread doughs etc. According to Jamie Hartcher, Executive Chef, Peppers Guest House, “We have found this to be the greatest way as the recipes & menus can then be reproduced at home knowing that they can actually do it themselves from first hand experience.”

The recipes and demos were easy to follow and scrumptious.

But I would rather just go there and let Jamie do the cooking.

Inclusions are:

• Cooking School

• Full recipe booklet including the dishes of the day, history of Peppers Guest House & lots of room for taking notes

• Embroider Chez Pok Restaurant apron to use on the day & then taken home
  Chefs hat, also to wear on the day

• Morning or afternoon tea

• Lunch or Dinner

Personalized chefs jackets can also be organized for an additional cost of $55 per person & accommodation is of coarse obtainable on availability.

These days have always been a success, as when the guests begin to relax, it turns into a very informal chat where everyone gives their own culinary stories, experiences & philosophies, all of which are very interesting & some rather humorous.

Dress code for the day is casual ie. long trousers & leather shoes , just in case of spillage.

Here are just a few of the classes offered

PEPPERS GUEST HOUSE COOKING SCHOOL

Chocoholic
Sweet treats
Vegetarian that non vegetarians will love
Pies, cakes & pastries
Summer Berries
Risottos & pasta
Cooking with wine
Preserves & Pickles
Hearty country harvest
Big soups & Winter Puddings
Stone fruit delights
Painless patisserie
After dinner treats
Dinner party for 8
Eat to live & live to eat
Asian creations
Taste of the Hunter Valley
Country outdoor entertaining
Sorbets, sherbets & Ice creams
Super summer of salads
Stocks, soups & stews
French cookery  the old & the new
Teen cuisine

Peppers Guest House Hunter Valley
Ekerts Road
Pokolbin  NSW  2320

Phone:         +61 2 4998 7596
Fax:      +61 2 4998 7739
Email:         pghres@peppers.com.au
Web:      www.peppers.com.au

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