I recently spent a weekend in London with a friend of mine. We had a nice weekend of sight seeing and taking photographs. But the cherry on the cake was in Notting Hill, where we accidentally stumbled into a foodie's version of HEAVEN...
Who knew this place existed? Well, I guess if you are from London, you knew...but I didn't!! We walked in and were immediately greeted by delectable smells and amazing sights. We were lucky enough to happen into Recipease when a class was going on, and while these students sipped wine and chatted, magic was happening at their fingertips! Homemade pasta was being produced with ease. No frantic looks on their faces, no flour being wiped across a their brow as they succumb to the pressure of cooking. No, it was nothing but ease and fun that was happening in this amazing kitchen!
Now, I love me some Jamie Oliver! I am all about his cookbooks and his show, and I have to admit that I LOVE it when he says "give it a waz" when he uses his food processor! We have adopted his use of wood boards as serving plates and I look forward to his Christmas cooking shows, so you can understand my excitement as I took it all in.
When you walk into Recipease the next thing you notice after the smell, the laughter and the ease at which these students are cooking is the layout! Genius, pure genius. The store/school/cafe/foodie amusement park, has cooking stations as its focal point. This is where the students cook, sip wine and apparently, have a grand old time! The cooking stations are surrounded by food, products and a cafe.
There is everything you could ever want. Fresh breads, meringues, bright colored sodas and the cafe...oh the cafe. Fresh food is available for take out or to eat right there while you browse the products.
Piles of wood boards, cookbooks and serving bowls filled the tables in a way that makes you stop for minutes just to soak it all in. It is the personality that is Jaime Oliver and his cooking show all wrapped into a Notting Hill storefront!
We could have spent the day in this little slice of heaven, however, there were tours to be taken of London. Walking out onto the street after being in Recipease was a bit of a let down. The colors were a bit more dull, the smells not so tantalizing and the laughter was not filling the air. If you are ever in the UK, find one of the Recipease locations and go fill your senses with the sights, sounds and tastes of this amazing place. I have made a promise to myself that I will be taking the short 40 minute flight back to London and I too will be one of the lucky one's, learning to cook fresh pasta with the ease of a pro, a glass of wine and laughter!
