Food for Fort: Aluminium and high-acid foods, plus cookery courses for beginners

Last month you said 'there's no problem using aluminium pans… unless you're using vinegar'. I make chutney in an aluminium preserving pan, and you've got me worried. The Food Standards Agency 's advice is to avoid cooking or keeping highly acidic food in aluminium pans or containers, not because of any damage they may do to you, but because aluminium can affect the taste; the FSA adds that studies show that "using aluminium cookware adds little to the amount of aluminium we take in through our food." And, to reiterate, a 1997 World Health Organisation study found no evidence aluminium was a primary cause of Alzheimer's. At 42, it's time I learned to cook. I've tried Learn To Cook books, but what I need is a good course where I can learn (and eat) with others. I learned to cook by working my way through Mastering The Art Of French Cookery, by Louise Bertholde, Julia Child and Simone Beck, the greatest cookery book written. Sadly, I didn't go on to write a bestseller about it, but there you go. There are all manner of courses that cater for the beginner, of which Leiths and Ballymaloe are probably the best known. For a rural retreat, try Newlyns Cookery School , or out west there's Bristol's Bordeaux Quay Cookery School . Shop around for one you fancy and can afford, but remember, the vital ingredient is to have someone to cook for. • Got a culinary query for Matthew? Email [email protected]