Maxine Pancaldi

Hi there, I’m Maxine, but I mostly get called Max or Cookie! I live in a small Sussex village called Mark Cross, not far from Tunbridge Wells.

Our house is right next to a farmer’s field, so we are kept company by sheep or cows, depending on where the farmer wants them to nibble (plus the odd naughty deer).

I am married to Matthew and we have two children, James and Isobella. We have a few pets: Dillon the cat, Skipper and Donnie the bunnies, chickens called Margo, Tilly, Lottie Dottie and Pickles, our ever growing family of ducks and finally Woody the mad bouncy Labrador puppy.

I was born and brought up in: Liverpool and I support Everton. My mum is the most fantastic person I know – she makes all of our aprons, hats and gift bags.

My favourite place in the world to visit is: Vancouver in Canada (and the bottom of my garden).

My favourite meal is: Sunday Roast, especially with roast parsnips. (And I love cream too – any kind, sour, whipped, single, double and ice-cream).

I hate: coconut and peppers – even though the latter look lovely we just don’t get on very well.

Most unusual food eaten: I’m pretty sure I ate toad in China – I didn’t mean to, honest.

Favourite chef: I can’t do just one! Michel Roux (both senior and junior!), Valentine Warner (I love that he loves food so much), Mary Berry (so sensible), Mrs. Beaton (so practical), Gino D’Acampo (I did a TV show with him!) – but if I had to pick one, then I think it will have to be Raymond Blanc, who I completely love (don’t tell my husband!)  

Favourite Cook Book: Sentimentally, it has to be my old copy of the Dairy Book of Home Cookery, which has loose pages and lots of handwritten recipes shoved inside from my mum and Aunties.  I have to confess to having a bit of an obsession with cookbooks, but at least they do all get used.

Favourite things to do: (when I am not experimenting in the kitchen) is when we all work in the garden together as a family, cutting back the brambles and picking the apples, followed by a big bonfire and lots of campfire songs.

Food tip: Grow It. Cook It. Eat It!

Mandy Cohen (Our nutritionist!)

My name is Mandy, I’m married to Peter and we live on a working farm with our faithful black Labrador, Millie.  I live next door to three triplet girls, Rosie, Izzie and Hattie and their brother George who often pop round to help me cook and have fun in the kitchen. 

My favourite recipe is homemade spaghetti bolognaise (whole-wheat pasta) made using leftovers from a lamb joint, onions, tin of tomatoes, chopped mushrooms, grated carrot, and a touch of tomato sauce and some garlic, Mediterranean herbs and red wine and served with parmesan cheese. Yummy!

Favourite drink: Elderflower cordial - (I love picking the flowers from the hedgerow in June and then making the cordial ourselves).

I hate: Rice pudding (oh, Mandy how can you?)

I Love: Roast vegetables - especially sweet potato, squash, parsnip and carrot.

Favourite cookery book: The most used one is my grandmother's old Good Housekeeping Cookery Book. I have also started to use Mary Berry’s book, “Cook Now Eat Later”, which has some great recipes in it.

Most unusual food eaten: Pigeon Pie in Morocco, which included the bones and even the beak too!

Nutrition tip - enjoy creating your food and make time to sit and share the meal with others.  Balance springs to mind - enjoy a range of foods that will give you a variety of nutrients.

Amy Thompson

Hi, I'm Amy.  I haven't been very good at staying in one place for very long, so no husband, no children and no pets.  However, I'm a primary school teacher, so in reality there are lots of children in my life.  I have been teaching for 9 years, in London, in Dubai and in China and more recently back in Sussex.  I grew up on a farm in Sussex and spent a lot of time in the kitchen, where my mum was always making something tasty to eat.  Now, when I'm not working, I love coming home and making something fresh and yummy or being out in the garden growing lots of vegetables. 

My favourite place in the World: This is really hard, as I've done a lot of travelling.  Possibly some of the islands in the Philippines.  My favourite holiday was to Burma.  Anywhere unspoilt by humans.

Favourite recipe book: Growing up my favourite recipe book was 'The Pooh Cookbook' and I still use some of the recipes from there even now.  I love Elizabeth David recipe books as they are also like a history lesson.

Favourite Chef:This is tricky! Madhur Jaffrey as I've learnt loads about different spices from her books.  I also love Claudia Roden for her fresh Middle Eastern recipes.

Most unusual food eaten:Somehow, I've managed to avoid a lot of weird stuff.  I declined the bus stop snack of fried tarantulas in Cambodia and also managed to avoid the delicacy of dried rat in Southern China.  One of the best things in a great duck restaurant in Beijing though is the crispy duck skin (not so unusual) dipped in sugar.  Not very healthy but amazingly delicious.

I hate:bananas (and I've really tried to like them as they are useful when travelling)

I Love:fresh simple food

Cooking Influence: My mum and my aunt.  We have spent many hours talking about food.

Kathy Clark  (Admin Support)

Hi I am Kathy - I live near Groombridge near Tunbridge Wells, in an idyllic spot surrounded by fields with horses.  I live with my two dobermanns Ama and Tye and three cats, Teddy, Toby and new addition Kizi.  I work behind the scenes at Cookies, booking venues and making sure everyone (instructors and children!) knows which class to attend and when, though I have helped out at the occasional class. 

My favourite place in the World: Probably any Greek Island, mostly Corfu, not just for the sun but for the food too!

Favourite recipe: The Cookies Kitchen recipe for Sticky Toffee Pudding has become a firm favourite.

I hate:Turnips, celery, cockles and whelks.  Yuck!

I Love:Greek and Italian food is probably my favourite.  And my home-made lasagne takes some beating.  I like to come home from holiday try and re-create the dishes I've had while away.

Favourite cookery book and Chef: I was given a European Cookbook many years ago which is now very well worn, together with Marguerite Patten's Every Day Cook Book for the classic recipes.  I met James Martin not so long ago but I do love watching John Torode and Greg Wallace on Master Chef.

Cooking Influence: My mum... as a child I always watched her making the gravy, or a custard, or pastry, so I learnt the basics at a young age.