QI.

The last practical cookery room I worked in was tiny, so every inch of available space had to be utilised. It was designed to accommodate ten pupils and they worked happily cheek-by-jowl creating dishes to take home. Often the window sill became a useful storage area for their food to cool off before wrapping, so I had a roller bug screen fitted to the window which was brilliant for preventing any insects getting in. The microwave was a bit of a pest, taking up valuable work surface, rarely used, as it’s the one gadget most young people are familiar with. The top of it became a great place for a display entitled “QI” (Quite Interesting) which would change frequently. Sometimes there might be a persimmon, then maybe an apple segmenter or avocado slicer but one of my favourites to display was the medlar. Our tree produces a bucket of them each year and I’m happy to share them with anyone who wants to make jelly – already claimed this year! The pupils giggled at their French name “cul de chien” (dog’s bottom) and were happy to dip their teaspoons into the ripe flesh – stewed apple with a hint of cinnamon was the usual response. What a great way to learn!