The Cooking Society
Mitchell Debrabant gives us a flavour of their club (sandwich)
“One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.” – Virginia Woolf.
We at the Cooking society came to the same conclusion. After all, these three things are what we’re here for, right? I’d like to add “party well” to the list, but us Imperial students know better...
It all started three years ago in Pembridge Halls, when the founding committee members were but young Freshers. Whether upon returning from a gruelling day at university, or stumbling home after a good night out, a hearty meal was always in order. Fortunately, most people in our halls were enthusiastic cooks. At least once a week, ten of us or so would each cook a dish that could easily feed four, then squeeze into one of the tiny kitchens and eat enough to feed a small village. Our love for food grew and grew, as did our waistlines, but let’s not err on that.
It soon came to our attention that there was a need, indeed a hunger, for a Cooking Society at Imperial College. Our mission? To end the student’s stereotypical diet of overcooked pasta and dodgy kebabs, to help cooking virgins learn the basics and to further the expertise of accomplished cooks, and last but not least to promote healthy eating in a world overrun by processed gunk.
To this end, we hold fortnightly cooking events, each pertaining to a specific theme which changes every session. Events in the past have included a Christmas dinner, a cake sale for RAG week and an Empanadas-themed (South American pasties) fund raiser for the Chilean earthquake victims this year.
This year we will be holding many more such events, with a planned shared session with the Chocolate society making truffles and raw chocolates and another one of our popular Invention sessions where members must make do with a random selection of ingredients. We also offer delectable social events, including subsidized restaurant outings and visits to local Farmer’s markets and food fairs. We are also hoping to secure tickets to the MasterChef Live event on the 12-14th November, featuring acclaimed celebrity chefs such as Michel Roux Jr. and the iconic TV show presenters John Torode and Greg Wallace.
A fortnight ago, we held a very successful Pastry session where the members made their own pastry which they filled with ingredients of their choice, chosen from a wide variety of fresh produce. Everyone walked away happily with either a delicious home-made tart for the flat mates or a full belly.
