Bringing the Culinary Classroom Into the Comfort of Your Home
Class Names and Descriptions
Quick and Easy Dinners
Time is definitely of the essence these days. Learn how to make healthy, quick meals that your whole family will enjoy. I will not simply give you a few recipes that will get played out. I will give you the tools to create your own fabulous dishes! Learn what flavors go together and how to fix a dish if something happens to go wrong. Don’t let recipes rule your kitchen.
Everyday Vegetarian
Have you recently become a vegetarian or simply hope to incorporate more vegetables in your diet? You have come to the right place. Do vegetarians get enough proteins and vitamins? Are all these soy products really good for us or have we made healthy food unsafe for ourselves? Learn the answer to these and many more of your own questions. We will explore everything from main dishes to side dishes to desserts. You will leave this class with a knowledge that you didn’t even know you were missing.
Five Course Dining to Impress
What does it mean to make a five course meal? What are all the courses? This has got to be complicated. I know these are the things that are running through your head, but I am here to show you how easy making five courses can be. You will learn what the five courses are, how to serve each one of them, how to make them flow, and above all how to make it easy on yourself. Impress your friends at your next dinner party. How could they not be?
Classic Barbecue
Don’t be intimidated by the summer phenom. Learn about what types of meats to BBQ. Should you marinate ahead, brush the marinade on before cooking, boil the ribs, brine the meat? So many questions and yes they will all be answered. The most important part of the BBQ is not the grill it happens to be the BBQ sauce. We will make some homemade BBQ sauce that will knock your socks off. But what is a BBQ without all the fixin’s, you won’t have to find out. **Hosts please make sure the house that we will be attending has a BBQ Grill.
Mexican Siesta
Did I say siesta? I meant fiesta. Grab your sombreros and your ponchos because we are going south of the boarder. So many spices and so many techniques. We will be exploring the complexities of certain regions and why food differs from region to region. Ever thought of making your own enchilada sauce? Tamales? Ceviche? Take this class and you will find out. And of course what is a fiesta without the perfect margarita!!
Tapas
In Spain where dinner isn’t served until nine or ten at night what is a person to do? This is where the tapas tradition comes in. Learn how the tradition started, the significance of this tradition and some of the most common tapas served all over Spain. This class is great for those who throw cocktail parties. Tapas will spice up the regular hor d’oeuvres and bring more life to your palate.
Mediterranean
Onions, garlic, tomatoes, olive oil. These ingredients are the core to the rich, fresh food that comes out of the Mediterranean. Other ingredients that are quintessential to this region are eggplants, squash, peppers, mushrooms, cucumbers, artichokes, okra, a variety of legumes and a plethora of fresh herbs. Explore this region and the differences that come with it.
Holiday Treats
Martha, Martha, Martha!!! It’s always about Martha. Martha has a talent with making beautiful sugar cookies with the perfect decorations to top them off. If she can do it so can we!! Let’s tackle the art of making the most beautiful holiday cookies possible. Let’s rally together troops.
Ethnic Food Your Way
What do you want to learn? Indian? Thai? Chinese? Sushi? You pick it and I will teach it. Along with great recipes, a brief history of their food will be included. Think outside the box.
Basic Knife Skills
The importance of a sharp and well made knife is often overlooked by the home chef and yet it is what is going to make your time in the kitchen quicker as well as, potentially, less painful. Learn the best way to pick a knife and what are some of the better brands. Along with learning what knife to have you will also be taught how to properly hold and use it. Because we will be doing some heavy cutting in this class each person will have to bring their own knife and a small portable cutting board. Once you know how to properly cut, your time in the kitchen will be “cut” in half.
**I will be more than willing to meet the class at a knife shop in order to help you choose the perfect knife before the class. All I need is the notice.
Classic French Cooking and Techniques
Explore one of the most documented ways of cooking as well as the most influential. Modern day cooking is almost completely based on classic French techniques. What are these and how can they be applied to your everyday cooking? Learn the secrets of the French.
**The French have much knowledge to offer in the area of cooking. With so much to learn I would recommend that this class be taken as a series either once a week, for a month, or twice a month, for two months. This class is for serious cooks.
Sauces for All Occasions
Have you ever been cooking a great piece of meat and realize that you don’t know what sauce to put with it? This class is the answer to your problems. You will be taught the art of making the perfect sauce. From a simple pan reduction to the ever dreadful and daunting hollandaise, ahhh! By the end of this class you will be confident in your sauce making abilities.
Seasonal Flair
Learn how to pick and use seasonal produce in recipes that enhance their natural essence. I will take you through the seasons freshest produce, the best ways to prepare them and let you enjoy their flavor at the peak of their harvest.
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What can you come up with? What interests you? Tea parties? Cakes? Ice cream? Creme Brulee? You let me know what you want to learn. Be creative.
