IN MY BACKYARD ~ COOKING CLASS IS NOW IN SESSION

(Image from www.bloomberg.com)

I live in an area that regularly offers free hands-on cooking claseses, or cooking demonstration classes.  Most of the times they’re offered at a public library, and sometimes, at local retail stores.  No matter how many of these sessions I’ve attended, I always try learning something new, even if it’s as simple as hearing about a new technique, or hearing about one I already knew that gets clarified, or hearing about a new combination of seasonings.  Following are my takes on a two recent cooking classes I attended; one was at a local public library, and the other was at a meditation center.  Each attendee got a chance to taste the prepared dishes, as well as receiving recipe sheets to take home.  Home cooks love trying new recipes out, and these recipes were simple and clearly spelled out. 

~ FALL FOR DESSERTS ~

This cooking demonstration class was offered at the Indian Prairie Public Library in Darien, IL.  Chef Mary Gail Bennett, a frequent instructor at various library programs throughout the area, conducted the demonstration; she’s also the permanent culinary instructor for the Burr Ridge Park District.  This particular session focused on easy to make seasonal desserts.  Featured were “The Perfect Fruit Crisp”, and “Pumpkin Mousse Pie”.  Both desserts tasted delicious!

The Perfect Fruit Crisp

(Image from www.startcooking.com) 

Fruit Filling

5 C fruit (peeled and sliced tart apples, blueberries, peaches, etc.; fruit can be fresh or frozen)

¼ C sugar

¼ C all purpose flour

½ t cinnamon

Oatmeal Crisp Topping

1 C rolled oats (not quick or instant)

½ C all purpose flour

½ C brown sugar

½ C white sugar

1/8 t salt

½ C cold butter (1 stick), cut into small pieces

½ C chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Method

Preheat oven to 350 deg. F

Gently combine fruit with sugar, flour, and cinnamon, and place in a deep 9” glass-baking dish.

In a medium-sized bowl, combine oats, flour, both sugars, and salt.  Cut in the butter until topping resembles coarse meal.  Add chopped nuts, if using.  Sprinkle oatmeal topping evenly over the fruit.

Bake until fruit is tender and bubbles around the edge.  Topping should be golden brown after baking for 45 to 50 minutes.  Cool slightly, and serve warm with whipped cream or ice cream.

Pumpkin Mousse Pie

(Image from blog.foodnetwork.com)

Crust

1-1/3 C gingersnap cookie crumbs

5 T butter, melted

3 T brown sugar

½ t cinnamon

Filling

1-1/2 C pure canned pumpkin puree

4 oz cream cheese, softened

½ C packed brown sugar

¼ t cinnamon

¼ t nutmeg, freshly grated (preferred)

½ C pure maple syrup

1 C cold heavy whipping cream

Topping

1 C cold heavy whipping cream

1 T confectioner’s sugar

Method

Preheat oven to 350 deg. F

Combine crumbs, butter, sugar, and cinnamon in mixing bowl.  In a 9" glass-baking dish, press mixture into bottom and up the sides.  Bake until crust is set, but not browned, about 6 minutes.  Let cool.

In medium mixing bowl, using an electric mixer, beat pumpkin puree, cream cheese, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg until smooth.   Beat in maple syrup in slow steady stream.  In a separate bowl with clean beaters, beat heavy whipping cream on high until stiff peaks form.  Fold whipped cream into pumpkin mixture.  Spoon into cooked crust and refrigerate until set, several hours, or overnight.

Before serving, make topping.  In a medium bowl, using electric mixer, beat the heavy cream and confectioner’s sugar on high until stiff peaks form.  Mound topping over pie, and serve.

~ AUTUMN SUPPER ~

This cooking demonstration class took place at the Science of Spirituality (SOS) in Wheaton, IL.  This organization is “committed to a spiritual way of life based on meditation and service to others”; practitioners are vegan or vegetarian.  (SOS is also the originator and sponsor of "Veggie Fest", the largest vegetarian lifestyle gathering in the U.S.; held each August, this year's event drew some 35,000 attendees.)  Before the demonstration began, we were led in a seven-minute personal mediation.  The demonstration was then led by Chef Gaetan Charest, a well-respected culinary expert in the U.S. and Canada.  On the menu was a “Mixed Green Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing” and “Veggie Shepherd’s Pie”.  Both dishes were delicious!

Mixed Green Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing

(Image from www.nytimes.com)

1 pkg. mixed green salad leaves

2 scallions, chopped

¼ C Kalamata olives, pitted

¼ C white vinegar

¼ C water

½ C EVOO

2 T dry mustard

1 T honey

S & P

Method

In a large salad bowl, mix the salad greens with the scallions and olives.

In a glass jar, combine vinegar, oil, dry mustard, and honey; shake very well.

Mix the dressing with the salad, adding S & P to taste.  Serves 4 to 6.

Veggie Shepherd’s Pie

(Image from www.vegkitchen.com)

¼ C dry lentils

4 medium Russet potatoes

1 carrot, finely sliced

1 onion, diced

3 ribs of celery, died

8 oz Seitan, diced

1 clove garlic, smashed

Basil leaves

Bay leaves

1 C water

EVOO

 S & P

Method

Preheat over to 375 deg. F

Wash and soak the lentils for at least one hour; drain.

Peel potatoes, boil in salted water, 10-12 minutes, or until tender.  Drain, reserving the cooking water.

In a high heat sauté pan, add EVOO, and then sauté carrots, onion, and celery until they sweat.

Add diced Seitan to this veggie mixture, stirring constantly. 

Add garlic, basil leaves, bay leaves, and water and cook for 4 minutes on low boil, covered. Remove from heat and cool.

Mash the potatoes in a bowl or mixer.  Add S & P and EVOO to taste.  Add some of the potato cooking water if this is too thick.

In a 9x9” baking pan, add the veggie mixture, then cover with the mashed potatoes; brush with EVOO.

Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, or until the top of the potatoes become golden brown.

~ In Closing ~

Make sure to look into similar experiences being offered in your area; if you notice similar cooking demonstration classes, register for them.  From my experience, these types of cooking demonstrations have a limited number of slots and fill up fast, leaving many interested folks unable to register and disappointed.

That’s it for this edition.  Until the next one, remember to always celebrate yourself and your culinary curiosity.  Happy cooking…happy eating!

By Terry Herman

TERRY HERMAN continues perfecting her passion for food and wine.  She has been covering culinary related for many years as it relates to wellness and a healthy lifestyle.  Her popular blog, Terry's Spa, Beauty and Wellness Go-To has featured formidable reviews of cookbooks, restaurants, wine and food, food prep and tools, chef interviews, and coverage of prestigious events such as the International Home+Housewares Show, the National Restaurant Show and the Sweets and Snacks Expo.  She has been published since the mid-1990s in both consumer and trade publications, and is regarded as an expert in spa, beauty, wellness, travel and lifestyle, and is frequently interviewed by publications for her expert content.  She has also presented at major industry conferences, and has served with distinction on numerous governing and advisory boards.  She has a background in strategic and qualitative management, consulting, and motivational speaking.  In addition to her blogs, her social media outreach also includes Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.  Don’t forget to “Like” her Facebook Page, “Terry’s Second Helpings”.  Please note that the “Comment Section” has been disabled.  For additional information, email her at terry.herman@gmail.com.

ALL MATERIALS COPYRIGHT PROTECTED

(Photo credits as indicated.)

CHEF HAPPENINGS ~ IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD

I’m inspired by the culinary wizardry of chefs.  I love watching and learning from them, even if the topic is something I think I’m well-versed on…I can always, always, learn something new through a reiteration or gain clarity.  I also love interviewing chefs and have always managed to learn something from them, just by talking with them. Their passion and exuberance for their craft shines through with their every word, much the same as one of their well-orchestrated culinary masterpiece they’ve created…. after all, their creations are a piece of themselves!  Following are a few recent memorable chef events I was fortunate enough to experience.

Hilton Chicago/Oak Brook Hills Resort ~ Executive Chef Sean Patrick Curry

From Bees to Gardens to All That’s Sustainable

A veteran in the hospitality industry, Chef Curry is on a mission to go beyond the buzzword rhetoric of sustainability, farm to table, traceability, etc. by living and breathing it each and everyday.  Since becoming a part of the Oak Brook Hills Resort, he’s added several Chefs’ Gardens where the fruits of his labor are regularly harvested and used in menu preparations; the gardens include vegetables, herbs, and flowers; the latter also functioning as a butterfly habitat.  He’s also proud of the hives of honey bees he set-up along the open hilly areas of the Resort’s Willow Crest Golf Course this past April.  Hundreds of thousands of industrious honeybees have busily pollinated the nearby vegetable and herb gardens, while producing pure and delicious honey.  As of this writing, Chef Curry has already harvested over eighty pounds of honey, with hopes by October for another one hundred and twenty pounds, or more.  That’s very impressive to have a target harvest of some two hundred pounds of honey in approximately six months time.  He’s also hoping for a significant increase in the bee population…the more bees, the more honey, and the more pure wax.

Chef Curry is deeply committed to doing as much as possible to be a good steward of the environment and giving back to the community.  Not only does he live it at work, but as a father, he’s a strong influence on educating his two kids on the merits of sustainability and related topics, not just in words, but in deeds as well.  He admits that his kids also strongly influence him when it comes to being proactive with these issues.  Chef Curry is also in the process of developing menu options that will include a greater variety of sustainable and organic food choices for guests; I wouldn’t be surprised if he also doesn’t eventually offer special themed farm to table dinners for guests and possibly locals.  And, under his leadership, a recent change at the Resort includes the exclusive use of Columbia Street Roastery coffee, an organic and free trade coffee that’s roasted by an Illinois company; the roasting company also provides jobs to residents of Misericordia, Heart of Mercy; Misericordia, Heart of Mercy is a home for children and adults with disabilities. 

Guests can savor the sweet, delicate, and pure liquid gold right from the honeycomb when it’s served as part of a breakfast dish, or fruit and cheese platter.  Guests can also savor specialty drinks made with fresh grown herbs; of course, some of the menu items served also include freshly harvested salad greens, vegetables, and herbs from the gardens. 

It’s an exciting time at Oak Brook Hills Resort, and much of that has to do with Executive Chef Sean Patrick Curry’s passion and commitment to being a good steward of the earth and having that passion and commitment touch each and every guest who experiences the Resort.

http://www3.hilton.com/en/hotels/illinois/hilton-chicago-oak-brook-hills-resort-and-conference-center-CHIBHHH/index.html

Chef David Esau ~ From Soup to Nuts and Everything In-Between

Clarendon Hills Public Library is one of several public libraries in my area that regularly offers cooking demonstrations led by accomplished and established chefs.  I recently attended Chef David’s “Cooking from Your Garden” demonstration, and had a lot of fun watching this animated chef carefully prepare his menu items, while adding informative and thought-provoking commentary about aspects of sustainability and planet stewardship.  On the menu was Polenta with Asiago and Sage, Tomato Caponata on fresh made baguette bread, and Cherry Clafoutis.  Each menu item was delicious, and the recipe sheets received were simple and uncomplicated, and definitely something that was doable in our own home kitchens.

Chef David’s Polenta with Asiago and Sage

(Image from www.mccormick.com)

INGREDIENTS ~ 1 medium onion, diced; 2 T butter; 1 Qt. milk; 1 C corn meal; S&P; ¼ C Asiago cheese, grated; herbs are optional, but on this go around, fresh grown sage leaves were chopped and added to the finished product. 

METHOD ~ Melt butter in 2-quart saucepan over high heat.  Add onions and sauté until light brown.  Immediately add the milk, and season with S&P.  Bring to boil and reduce flame to a simmer.  Begin slowly adding corn meal, while whisking constantly.  Mixture will thicken.  When all the corn meal has been added, stop whisking; turn heat to lowest setting, and cook for ten minutes.  (This cooks the corn meal grains, so the polenta will be smooth.)  Stir in Asiago and sage.  Serve immediately. 

Chef David is an accomplished chef, instructor, caterer, and entrepreneur.  For more information, visit http://davesspecialtyfoods.com

Pirch Chicago ~ Where There’s Always Something Cooking

(Image from www.recipe.com)

For the weekly “Sourcing Saturday” hands-on cooking experience I participated in, Chefs Susan and Brian guided a group of about ten on the finer aspects of preparing a seasonal menu in their high-end kitchen.  The seasonal menu included fresh, organic, and locally sourced items. 

The menu recipes included a Summer Salad of Apples, Caramelized Pecans, and Greens, dressed with Cinnamon Vinaigrette, Salmon Croquettes, Vegetable Medley Risotto, and Strawberry Whipped Cream Pie.  We all split up into groups and headed for our prepping stations to begin working on the steps for each of the recipes under the watchful eyes of both chefs. 

Since I had never tried making risotto, I volunteered with one of the young men for that portion of the menu; I figured this would be a great opportunity to learn how to make it.  Key ingredients included Arborio rice, butter, olive oil, zucchini, leak, carrots, orange bell pepper, peas, garlic, porcini mushrooms, grated Parmesan cheese, and Chardonnay.  A lot of effort went into slicing, dicing, chopping, and then churning the seasonal mixture.  After nearly a half-hour later, the dish was cooked, and was a hit with all workshop participants; in fact, all of the carefully prepared dishes by the home cooks were delicious.  These cooking experiences are always enjoyable; we all learn something new at each session, whether that’s from our wonderful chefs, or from other home cooks.  Another plus is the fact that we get to cook our menu items on high-end equipment, that most of us can only dream of having in our kitchens, myself included.  For more information, visit http://www.pirch.com/location/chicago/

~ In Closing ~

Sometimes all one has to do is to research goings-on in their own backyard.  Check your local library, or community special events, or cooking and other specialty stores that might be offering cooking classes, demonstrations, or lectures.  No matter your age, or level of culinary proficiency, there’s always room for absorbing new knowledge.

That’s it for this edition.  Until the next one, remember to always celebrate yourself and your culinary curiosity.  Happy cooking…happy eating!

By Terry Herman

TERRY HERMAN continues perfecting her passion for food and wine.  She has been covering culinary related for many years as it relates to wellness and a healthy lifestyle.  Her popular blog, Terry's Spa, Beauty and Wellness Go-To has featured formidable reviews of cookbooks, restaurants, wine and food, food prep and tools, chef interviews, and coverage of prestigious events such as the International Home+Housewares Show, the National Restaurant Show and the Sweets and Snacks Expo.  She has been published since the mid-1990s in both consumer and trade publications, and is regarded as an expert in spa, beauty, wellness, travel and lifestyle, and is frequently interviewed by publications for her expert content.  She has also presented at major industry conferences, and has served with distinction on numerous governing and advisory boards.  She has a background in strategic and qualitative management, consulting, and motivational speaking.  In addition to her blogs, her social media outreach also includes Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.  Don’t forget to “Like” her Facebook Page, “Terry’s Second Helpings”.  Please note that the “Comment Section” has been disabled.  For additional information, email her at terry.herman@gmail.com.

ALL MATERIALS COPYRIGHT PROTECTED

(Photo credits as represented by the specific brand.)