Currying New Town flavours and whisky wisdom
by Juliet Lawrence Wilson
Home economics lessons at my school were rather uninspiring affairs, leading me to be an early adopter of the Keith Floyd ‘chuck it in and down a glass of vino’ cooking style. However there’s a lot to be said for some proper tuition and Fiona Burrell, Founder and Principal of the Edinburgh
New Town Cookery School, is just the woman to whip a more careless chef into shape.
Kindly, but one fears a no nonsense teacher, Fiona is celebrating the ten year anniversary of her impressive York Place establishment. Offering both fun amateur day courses and a six month professional course, the school can be a place for serious food lovers or a fun day out. Previous students include the owners of East Pizzas and 12 Triangles Bakery.
I was invited with a bunch of Edinburgh’s finest food writers for a lesson in cooking Panaeng Chicken Curry. Although my stove mates’ curries all came out different shades of cream to caramel, they tasted equally fabulous.
The ten year anniversary events programme is online entcs.co.uk
If, like me, you bemoan Edinburgh’s Christmas and Festival celebrations as too big and brash and would like to see your cultural events a little more charming, thank you very much, then the Burns and Beyond Festival is the right thing for you. The Culture Trail was an absolute steal at £25 a ticket which admitted you to multiple events within a stone’s throw from each other. I was invited to the Johnnie Walker tasting at Merchants Hall and although it was a swift half hour, tasting four whiskies, it was made informative and entertaining by our host, brand ambassador, Nigel Robertson. Continually comparing characteristics from four Johnnie Walker labels to rubbing Double Black whisky into our hands to release the aroma of bonfire, it really was a fun experience.
With these kinds of events and Diageo investing £150 million in a fabulous visitor centre in the former Fraser's deparment store, there are exciting times ahead. So often people declare they don’t like whisky yet have only ever tried one. Like gin, whisky is a broad church, and not just for Sundays either.