Cooking Techniques I - Basic
This class was designed for the beginning cook with ambition to learn the practical kitchen fundamentals of organization, appliance skills, menu planning, and the logic in all styles of fine cooking. Basic pantry and equipment lists will be discussed. Each week will focus on a new and important culinary technique and subsequent classes will build on the one before it. Diploma awarded for series.
Catherine St. John
7:00-9:30pm
$175 Series/$45 Single Class
Tues. Feb. 5: INTRO TO THE KITCHEN - A Simple Menu for Four
Become comfortable with the equipment in the kitchen and learn how to prepare a simple yet elegant meal for family and friends to enjoy. Tomato, Basil Bruschetta with Fresh Mozzarella. and Balsamic Glaze; Tossed Green Salad with Goat Cheese Croutons, Toasted Pecans and Sherry Vinaigrette; Roast Pork Tenderloin with Dried Fruit Chutney; Baked Rice Pilaf; Vegetable Spaghetti (very thin strips of Carrots, Zucchini, and Yellow Squash sautéed with Olive Oil); Chocolate Mousse Pie.
Tues. Feb 12: THE ART OF SAUTE
Learn how easy it is to sauté your way to a great meal. We’ll cover proper heat, oils, method for sauté, the right types of foods to use when sautéing, when to use a non-stick pan, cast iron or stainless steal lined pan. Shrimp with Lemon Caper Butter; Breast of Chicken with Balsamic Orange Sauce; Yukon Gold Potatoes with Caramelized Onions; Green Beans with Garlic and Fresh Herbs; Sautéed Apples with Brandy over Ice Cream.
Tues. Feb. 19: WORLD OF SOUPS
Catherine’s Leek and Potato Soup; Easy Black Bean Soup with Cumin Cream; Home Style Chicken Soup with Noodles; Roasted Tomato Soup with Basil Oil; Spicy Sausage and Kale Soup; Double Ginger Cookies.
Tues. Feb. 26: PASTA
Learn how to prepare these recipes for 2 people or for a crowd. We will discuss how to cook and hold pasta ahead of time and how to prepare these recipes for easy cooking when it’s time to serve. Pasta: Fettuccine with Meat Ragout; Linguini with White Clam Sauce; Penne with Salmon, Leeks and Wild Mushrooms in a Light Cream Sauce; Orzo Pasta Salad with Roasted Vegetables; Classic Crème Brulee.
Cooking Techniques II - Intermediate
A good cook can take a minimum number of ingredients, achieve maximum flavors, and accomplish it using simple techniques. Although this series builds on the skills learned in Basic Cooking Techniques I, it is not a prerequisite. Diploma awarded for series.
Catherine St. John
7:00-9:30pm
$175 Series/$45 Single Class
Tues. Mar. 4: ROASTING & BAKING
This is a classic cooking technique every cook needs to know. Roasting and Baking (Dry heat cooking): Roast Loin of Pork with a Dried Fruit Compote; Twice Baked Potatoes; Baked Breast of Chicken with Spinach and Ricotta Stuffing with Lemon Rosemary Oil); Roasted Vegetable Medley; Ultimate Baked Macaroni and Cheese; Orange Almond Biscotti Dipped in Chocolate.
Tues. Mar. 11: BRAISING & POACHING
Take the mystery out of these two useful cooking methods. Braising and Poaching (Moist heat cooking): Braised Pork Shoulder for Pulled Pork Sandwiches; Braised Chicken Thighs with Onions, Bacon and Beer; Poached Chicken; Chicken Salad with Apples and Walnuts; Oven Poached Sole Stuffed with Crab; Poached Pears in Port Wine.
Tues. Mar. 25: UNDERSTANDING SEAFOOD
Using the right seafood for the right cooking method. Broiled Orange Roughy with Soy Ginger Glaze; Braised Cod Fish in Coconut Curry (served over steamed brown rice); Seafood Chowder; Sauté of Salmon with Lemon Caper Sauce (intro into a Beurre Blanc Sauce), Homemade Chocolate Pudding.
Tues. Apr. 8: CHICKEN, CHICKEN, & MORE CHICKEN
Chicken is a very versatile part of our diet. Learn how to properly handle, cut, and prepare. Brined Roast Chicken with Dried Cherry Sauce; Chicken Satay with Spicy Peanut Sauce; Sauté of Chicken with Champagne Cream Sauce, Mushrooms and Roasted Shallots; Chicken Salad with Roasted Tomato Vinaigrette; Lemon Bars with Shortbread Crust.
Cooking Techniques III - Master
This series takes Cooking Techniques I and II one-step farther. Here, important subjects that may have been just touched upon in previous classes are delved into more deeply. If you have thought about taking the Professional Level classes but have not been able to find time in your schedule, this could be the perfect opportunity to learn some of those more advanced techniques.
Tom Johnson
6:30-9:30pm
$195 Series/$50 Single Class
Tues. Apr. 15: STOCKS
Stocks are the foundation of all classic cooking. They are straightforward, complexly flavorful, yet reasonably simple to make. They elevate good cooking to great cooking. We will prepare and set basic brown and poultry stocks, pointing out the major do’s and don’ts along the way. Classic French Onion Soup with Cognac and Port Wine; a simple sauté of Chicken Breast with a Mushroom-Madeira Sauce; a Milanese Risotto with Chicken Stock, Parmesan Cheese, and Saffron; a Szechwan Chinese Hot Pot of Lamb, Hot Chilies, Garlic,
and other amazing ingredients.
Tues. Apr. 22: MODERN SAUCES AND THEIR ANTECEDENTS
Fine cooking is composed of innumerable superb sauces, some very simple, some quite elaborate, all stemming from specific families such as white, brown, tomato, egg, and butter, and their forerunners now today’s very trendy reduction sauces; not to mention a whole second division of dessert sauces which are based on sugar. We will learn the mother sauces including two basic types of White Sauce, the basic Brown Sauce, the Hollandaise and Mayonnaise group, a basic Tomato Coulis, the Gastrique, and Sauce Caramel.
Tues. Apr. 29: ADVANCED TECHNIQUES FOR MEATS
Turning the spotlight on today’s meats and poultry, how to choose and what to do with them. The whole spectrum is vastly changed from a generation ago; fats have diminished along with traditional flavors; even health issues play a major role. This class will give the cook a wide range of technical options and which cuts are best prepared using them. Roasted Brined Turkey Breast served with a hearty Poultry Sauce; Roasted Chicken with built-in moisturizing and flavor enhancements; dry rubbed Grilled Pork Tenderloin Medallions with Fresh Raspberries and a Port Wine-Deglazing Sauce; stove-top Stew of Veal and Fresh Vegetables in White Wine; Lamb Shoulder Chops braised with Potatoes, Onions, and Carrots à la boulangère; Tuscan Steak, lightly rubbed with Salt and Garlic, brushed with Olive Oil, and grilled over wood embers. The sauce...a miraculous drizzle of Fresh Lemon Juice.
Tues. May 6: THE EGG REALLY IS INCREDIBLE!
Where does one begin? I suppose with superb hard-cooked eggs, which we will devil and by which we will be bedeviled as we begin a broad sweep which will include 2 Soufflés, one savoury with Lobster, the other a Grand Marnier soufflé for dessert. In between we will examine the ease with which eggs can be turned into speedy, economical, diverse Omelettes and Sauces, and the eggs continuing role as a baking enrichment and leaven in a spectacular Chocolate Cake and Butter Cream Icing.
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