Yolanda, my daughter, spent a week with me in January, here at On the Ridge, during which time our friend Cameron Matthews, very kindly invited us to join his cooking classes at his new cooking school. The cooking school was formerly housed at his restaurant, The Long Apron, and now has its new home in a free standing, purpose built kitchen nearby. With a record temperature of 43°C, we learnt some good techniques, chopped, cooked and enjoyed Cameron’s amusing stories. By lunchtime, we were happy to sit at the table to enjoy the dishes we had prepared. All delicious dishes made from those wonderfully fresh Italian ingredients. and prepared by a great Italian chef.
Cameron teaches both Italian and French programs and on our day, it was an Italian class. It is always enjoyable for me to attend colleagues’ classes, as there are always things to learn and I love observing how others operate their classes.
We cooked the Tagliata di Manzo, a salad of marinated beef, rocket, potato and parmesan, Potato gnocchi with a Napoli sauce, Trofie Genovese, had rolled pasta with pesto, green beans and kifler potatoes, the Tuscan bread and tomato salad, Panzanella and finally the Vanilla bean pannacotta with fresh berries.
Cooking on the Bay will soon be hosting culinary weeks here on the Sunshine Coast. These weeks will include a cooking class with Cameron, visiting local Farmers’ Markets at Noosa, Yandina and the famous Eumundi Market, lunches at some of the Coasts’s highly acclaimed restaurants, discovering the local providores’ sensational ingredients and a cooking class at On the Ridge! More details to be announced shortly.
If you are ever up this way in the Sunshine Coast hinterland, near Montville, book into one of Cameron’s classes and you will have a wonderful day.
Cameron Matthews at The Long Apron Restaurant and Cooking School, Spicers Clovelly Estate, Montville.
