The Cooking School

The Green Grocer has over the years formed a strong and direct bond with our fresh produce suppliers and celebrate the seasonality of their produce. Our cooking school has evolved to provide an essential link between the farm and the table and offers seasonal programs of classes designed to suit all levels of cooking proficiency from the novice to the experienced chef.

Our cooking classes are conducted in our fully equipped commercial kitchen and feature guest presenters from all areas of our vibrant organic industry. Classes are informal, practical hands on format with all recipes and notes provided. After the class sit back with a glass or two of organic wine and feast on the days creations.

Bookings

Telephone (03) 9489 1747 or alternately download a booking form and return the completed form by fax (03) 9486 7737 or mail with your credit card details or with a cooking school gift voucher to 217 St Georges Rd North Fitzroy Vic 3068. Bookings can also be made in person during shop hours.

Booking Form

Class placement is only confirmed with full payment, otherwise bookings will not be held. Classes once booked are transferable to another person but not transferable to any other class or refundable. Class size of 10 - 12 people.

Gift vouchers are available and are valid for 12 months from date of purchase.

2010 Sessions

Welcome to the 2010 sessions at the Green Grocer cooking school. Over the coming months our team of chefs and their guests will present a series of classes that will highlight the wonderful seasonal flavours organic produce has to offer. As the program develops classes will be posted below, so keep an eye on this listing or send your email details so we can notify you.

Vietnamese Street Food On the banks of Hanoi’s largest lake, Tay Ho, little sweet potato and prawn cakes are cooked to order for the families that gather for an afternoon snack. In this class you will see, taste and discover an array of authentic flavours from Vietnams’ famous street stalls as you cook and eat you way around the menu. Take home some of the hustle and bustle of Vietnam’s unique street life by learning how to make some of the most popular food in Vietnam. Thursday 12 August 6.00pm - 9.00pm Presenter: Tracey Lister Cost: $140
Chilli and Spice You’re invited to come and waken to the fragrant aromas of a freshly pounded curry paste. Experience the magic and excitement as you learn the secrets of how to make fresh Indian, Malaysian, Indonesian and Thai curry pastes. We’ll dive in and touch, taste and feel our way through the myriad of fresh and dry spices as we cook up a hot and steamy storm. We’ll begin with a Thai green vegetable and tofu curry, then sample a fiery Thai red chicken curry, Indian slow cooked lamb curry, a Malaysian curry laksa and an Indonesian fish curry. Saturday 14 August 11.00am - 2.00pm SOLD OUT Presenter: Tony Chiodo Cost: $140
Food from Hanoi Confucianism is about harmony and balance and the five elements thought to be the origin of all things: water, fire, metal, earth and wood. From the idea of the five elements flows one of the most important principles of Vietnamese cooking, the concept of the five flavours. To be truly complete, every meal needs to have a balance of bitter, sweet, sour, spicy and salty tastes. Many visitors to Vietnam are surprised to learn that Hanoi has a winter similar to Melbourne, and the cuisine reflects the chillier climate. In this class we will explore some of Hanoi’s winter dishes such as caramel pork and a sweet soup of black sesame seeds and peanuts. Saturday 14 August 5.00pm - 8.00pm Presenter: Tracey Lister Cost: $140
Basque to Galicia An arduous trek through the mountains builds an appetite for hearty peasant food and so can trekking around Melbourne in the depths of winter. Walk a culinary path across the varied regions of Northern Spain, beginning with tuna and potato stew from the Basque Country of the Pyrenees. Then continue west to Navarra and cook rabbit with a touch of chocolate; the wine region on La Rioja offers a superb potato stew and the misty mountains of Galicia call for a warming soup of ham, white beans and leafy greens. Saturday 28 August 11.00am - 2.00pm SOLD OUT Presenter: Angela Nicolettou Cost: $140
Greek Island Seafood Transport yourself to the Greek Islands for a few hours with the taste of classic seafood dishes such as baked fish plaki, grilled octopus, stuffed calamari, vine wrapped sardines and marinated bonito. Accompanied by seasonal salads and side dishes just perfect for springtime entertaining. A glass of chilled white wine or ouzo will complete your escape to the Aegean . Saturday 18 September 11.00am - 2.00pm Presenter: Angela Nicolettou Cost: $140
Iberian Spice The fire of piri piri prawns from Portugal followed by the smokiness of chorizo and chicken paella from Spain, capture some of the classic spicy flavours of the Iberian Peninsula. Chilli and jerez vinegar cutlets and panfried chard with almonds add to this Iberian delight, while the pears poached in Rioja wine bring this spicy feast to a gentle close.   Saturday 25 September 11.00am - 2.00pm Presenter: Angela Nicolettou Cost: $140
In Search of the Moors For 700 years the Moors carved out a world that spread throughout the North of Africa, into Spain and onto the South of Europe. The legacy is a myriad of essential spices that influenced the cuisines of Spain , southern Mediterranean and not to forget Morocco itself. Explore the treasure trove of exotic spices that make up the many simple and aromatic dishes of these culinary cultures. Saturday 2 October 11.00am - 2.00pm Presenter: Joe Trinchi Cost: $140
Spring into Mediterranean Veg Vegetarian food dominates the cuisines of the Mediterranean, and with the abundance of spring’s bounty, this class is set to make the most of what’s on offer.   Fragrant dishes using fresh herbs, green beans, peas, zucchini and asparagus, to a twist on the classic with vegetarian moussaka. If that’s not enough, we’ll finish with a watermelon and berry dessert. Saturday 9 October 11.00am - 2.00pm Presenter: Angela Nicolettou Cost: $125
Organic Seasonal Masterclass Come and explore the wonderful world of natural and whole cuisine as we learn how to build a rich and varied wholefoods pantry with sumptuous, flavourful food. See, touch and taste a variety of organic and bio-dynamic ingredients as we prepare a seasonal menu from Tony’s latest book: Feel Good Food. We will brunch on a refreshing bowl full of lemon and lime linguini, citrus baked salmon on a raw slaw, broad bean, fennel and artichoke sauté, marinated tempeh and asparagus with roasted capsicum and olive sauce and finish with a slice of silky chocolate and orange tart. Saturday 23 October 11.00am - 2.00pm Presenter: Tony Chiodo Cost: $125
A Sri Lankan Curry Experiance Recently returned from a 'trip of a lifetime' back to Sri Lanka to reconnect with her origins, Jeni will introduce you to a traditional Sri Lankan curry meal.  Every meal includes vegetable and meat curries of which you will explore both wet and dry versions.  Accompaniments to these dishes are as important as the curries themselves. You will make an aromatic turmeric and rampé (pandan) yellow rice, a mallung of vegetable leaves with coconut and lemon, the customary red lentil dhall and a date and lime chutney.    Saturday 6 November 11.00am - 2.00pm Presenter: Jeni Nathanielsz Cost: $125
Chilli and Spice You’re invited to come and waken to the fragrant aromas of a freshly pounded curry paste. Experience the magic and excitement as you learn the secrets of how to make fresh Indian, Malaysian, Indonesian and Thai curry pastes. We’ll dive in and touch, taste and feel our way through the myriad of fresh and dry spices as we cook up a hot and steamy storm. We’ll begin with a Thai green vegetable and tofu curry, then sample a fiery Thai red chicken curry, Indian slow cooked lamb curry, a Malaysian curry laksa and an Indonesian fish curry. Saturday 13 November 11.00am - 2.00pm Presenter: Tony Chiodo Cost: $140
'Feel Good' Vegetarian Welcome summer with some fresh ideas for a vegetarian feast. In this tapas style class we'll learn to prepare some little masterpieces that will have your summer guests coming back for more! Begin with a spicy chilled gazpacho shooter followed with a small cornmeal tortilla topped with refried black beans and more, then get our mouths around some green tea noodle and avocado sushi, pan fried dumplings with sweet and sour dipping sauce, crunch on a baked fetta and haloumi kaitaifi ball and finish with a refreshing hazelnut and mocha budino. Saturday 27 November 11.00am - 2.00pm Presenter: Tony Chiodo Cost: $125
Toothpicks and Swizzle Sticks Entertaining in the festive season doesn't have to mean laborious roast and pudding or cooking yourself in the summer sun along with the BBQ. Join Nick Lepp as he digs out some crowd pleasing canapes and cocktails from his fifteen years of catering experience. You will learn to make an array of delicious morsels great for any party platter. And when that’s all done you will get stuck into some lipsmaking cocktails to complete the afternoons celebrations! Sunday 28 November 2.00pm - 5.00pm Presenter: Nick Lepp Cost: $125
Babylonian Festive Table If you can’t stand the sight of another roast turkey then let us give your Christmas table a new twist. With a menu compiled of ingredients available to the ancient Mediterranean’s, discover just what was in the kitchen pantry at a time when frankincense and myrrh were found under the Christmas tree! Learn how to make labna, fava bean and bitter greens salad, barbequed sardines, quail stuffed with farro, raisins and almonds and goat with dates, pistachio and pomegranate molasses. Saturday 4 December 11.00am - 2.00pm Presenter: Joe Trinchi Cost: $140

Our Presenters

Joe Trinchi head chef The Green Grocer.

Angela Nicolettou has always had food and cooking at the centre of her life, from her earliest memories of cooking with her mother, grandmothers and aunties in Greece and Cyprus to later working in the food industry with family in Greece and Australia, as well as working working as a cook at Melbourne's Journal Canteen. In recent years, Angela has travelled back to Greece and Cyprus where she has had the opportunity to research and refine her recepies. Angela is also an experienced teacher of adults and brings this to her classes by focusing on participation and learning.

Cath Claringbold is renowned for her fresh, modern approach to Mediterranean , Moroccan and Middle Eastern cuisine. She has owned and operated many successful restaurants’ including mecca and the hugely popular Mecca Bah. Cath currently consults to the restaurant industry and regularly demonstrates her much loved dishes at classes and events nationally, she is also a regular contributor to The Age Good Weekend magazine.

Nick Lepp wine buyer for The Green Grocer

Samantha Gowing is a product of the 60s who grew up at restaurant tables around Melbourne, Australia. She studied Japanese language throughout her school days and at Melbourne University and went on to run a Japanese restaurant adorning a kimino twice a day to cook sukiyaki and delight local and Japanese diners. Later she was recruited into the Gowing family restaurant businesses where she began an informal apprenticeship and spent fifteen years operating multi-award winning fine dining establishments. Sam took a fork in the road and re-trained in health science graduating as a clinical nutritionist in 2002. She has run a successful corporate health business and cooking school for ten years, hosted weekly radio segments and is a passionate, informed and entertaining keynote speaker who has turned her lifetime experience of food and health into business coaching and motivational mentoring. 

Terri Mercieca is a young and energetic pastry chef and chocolatier having trained in Sydney at places such as Bennelong Restaurant under Janni Kyritsis and Gay Bilson. Over the past 15 years she has built on her experience at multiple prestigious restaurants including Head Pastry Chef at Tabou restaurant in Sydney and Head Pastry Chef at Stokehouse in Melbourne. Since 2006, with her own venture Fraise Sauvage, Terri has been creating fine handmade chocolates from organic and fair trade chocolate. In her new position as Chocolatier at Kennedy & Wilson Chocolates, Terri is combining her training from some of Australia’s finest foodies and her own expertise to create sophisticated and delicious chocolates.

Tony Chiodo was apprenticed at Mietta’s in Melbourne before studying at La Guida Italiana di Cucina in Milano and working in some of Italy ’s top restaurants. After returning to Australia he was soon traveling again, this time to study Ayurveda, meditation and yoga in Japan and India . And so began his journey into natural health and natural foods, along with a stint at Wild Rice Wholefoods Café, before embarking on his own adventure with Café Angelica in Kew . He went on to qualify as a macrobiotic and Wholefoods teacher at the Kushi Institute, Boston , and through his Eating Well programs, and regular articles in The Age’s Epicure and Australian Natural Health Magazine inspires others to integrate natural foods into their daily lives. His recipes have also appeared in Vogue Entertaining and Travel, Vogue Living and Australian Gourmet Traveler, The Age Vegetarian Book, The Age Seafood Book and his recently released title ‘Eating Well’. View recipes and health tips on his website. www.eatingwelldaily.com.au

Tracey Lister knows how to shop, cook and eat in Vietnam. After 15 years in the Melbourne restaurant scene, Tracey took a two-year sabbatical in Ha Noi, and was determined to put her extensive hospitality experience to good use. Her opportunity came in the form of KOTO, a grass-roots charity that helps street kids to free themselves from the poverty cycle through vocational training. As the project’s first chef/trainer, Tracey’s contribution to the KOTO training project was to transform disadvantaged young people into sought after hospitality professionals. In October 2008, Tracey and her husband released KOTO, a culinary journey through Vietnam. It has since sold over 6000 copies in Australia, Japan, U.S.A. and Vietnam. Her latest project is the Hanoi Cooking Centre which she opened in March 2009.

Jeni Nathanielsz Sri Lankan by birth, has lived in Melbourne for 50 years. An impassioned foodie who commenced cooking at the age of 8, she is committed to the producing the finest in cuisine of all countries and kinds - however, her major love is the cooking related to her birthplace. She is the 'vintage vollie', that is the very first to volunteer for Stephanie Alexander's Kitchen Garden programme 10 years ago, and has seen it flourish, from a basic pilot at Collingwood College, to the Australia-wide service to primary school children it has become. Her business, CUISINE D' AMOUR, concentrates on catering, nutrition consulting and culinary coaching.