Cooking Club

Cooking Club
Delicious and Nutritious!

Thursday 20 March 2014

Our Love Truffles- made with love for all CoolTan Arts users on Valentine's day by The Cooking Club

Arabian Nights

(Almond, Lemon, cardamom and Rose)

(gluten-free)


3 cups ground almonds
1 cup dried fruits (dessicated coconut/apricots/cranberries/dates)
2 teaspoons ground cardamons
2 tablespoons runny honey
Zest of 2 lemons
dessicated coconut to sprinkle
Pinch of salt
1 tablespoon rose syrup/rose water or 2 drops rose essence



Blend almonds, fruit or coconut, in a food processor until mixed and ground well.

Add into the bowl all the other ingredients, except the dessicated coconut (saved for sprinkling).

Wet your hands (to prevent sticking) and mix together.

Form into small balls and roll in the dessicated coconut.


Refridgerate or freeze to harden and set.



Thursday 13 March 2014


Cooking Club Trip to Maloko, 4th March 2014

As it was Pancake Tuesday the Cooking Club went to have a demonstration of making Galettes (buckwheat pancakes) at Maloko Restaurant in Camberwell Church Street.
Maloko has nice artistic décor with cosy nooks and easy chairs, and menus are scattered around the place. We studied the options and made our choice. Our hosts, who originate from Cameroun and  Ethiopia, were very welcoming, warm and friendly and were generous in spending time explaining to us how every thing worked. 
The kitchen is open to the restaurant and we were delighted to see the way the chefs there prepare the galettes on an open griddle - the pancake mixture is poured on and cooked for just the right length of time and then fresh ingredients are added like chestnut mushrooms, sweet potatoes, asparagus, Emmental cheese, with lots of other options, including vegan ones. Then when all is ready the pancake is folded over, garnished with balsamic glaze and a tasty side salad is added before serving.
All the galettes are made with buckwheat flour* which gives them a nice taste and texture. There are also sweet options with crêpes, which are made with wheat flour.
Everyone had a great time and we are going to make our own galettes in Cooking Club!

Maloko is a great place and is proving to be very popular (lots of people there when we went) and it is a really exciting new restaurant for Camberwell.

 “Very chilled atmosphere, nice to have vegetarian food, they were very accommodating, they made sure we were comfortable and we enjoyed the food very much” - Victoria.
(images coming soon!)
You can find Maloko on facebook:   https://www.facebook.com/mymaloko






*Buckwheat's beneficial effects are due in part to its rich supply of flavonoids, particularly rutin. Flavonoids are phytonutrients that protect against disease by extending the action of vitamin C and acting as antioxidants. Buckwheat's lipid-lowering activity is largely due to rutin and other flavonoid compounds. These compounds help maintain blood flow, keep platelets from clotting excessively (platelets are compounds in blood that, when triggered, clump together, thus preventing excessive blood loss, and protect LDL from free radical oxidation into potentially harmful cholesterol oxides. All these actions help to protect against heart disease.
Buckwheat is also a good source of magnesium. This mineral relaxes blood vessels, improving blood flow and nutrient delivery while lowering blood pressure—the perfect combination for a healthy cardiovascular system

Thursday 6 March 2014

Talks and Masterclass in March

Following on the heels of our French Galette Pancake-making masterclass at the wonderful Maloko, Camberwell Church St.......(more about that coming soon)......we are proud to announce........

On Tuesday 11th March 10.30 - 2pm at CoolTan Arts Community Kitchen our special guest, Mahesh Sharma will be treating us to a lesson in "The 6 tastes of authentic Indian Cuisine" (the secrets to using spices and flavours) and  making delicious Indian food using these. Places have to be limited due to kitchen space but we are offering 3 lucky CoolTan users the chance to join in with The Cooking Club. If you fancy this just let us know.

Then we have 2 talks on nutrition by professional nutritionists/dietitions which are open to ALL CoolTan Arts users and staff and are free to attend. No booking neccessary: Just turn up at the CoolTan Community Kitchen at the time given. Please come!

Tuesday 25th March 1pm-2.30  Steve Desborough, an experienced free-lance nutrition advisor will be telling us about foods which affect our mood, both positively and negatively. We will learn what to eat to support our mental health and nervous systems.
Thursday April 3rd 1pm - 2.30pm , Susan Burry, a qualified Dietition who has a lot of experience helping her clients manage their weight will be talking about healthy weight and emotional eating and providing practical exercises. 

Tuesday April 8th 1pm-2.30pm  Amanda Rew, a local herbalist and educator will be taking us on a Walk and Talk around Walworth Garden farm to look at culinary herbs and their medicinal values. meet at 1pm at CoolTan Community Kitchen.