Chef Kevin's Cooking Classes: January 2015

Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Recent Dishes and Next A.C.E. Class

Post Date: 28 January 2015

Welcome to the latest edition of my cooking classes blog. I will be discussing some recipes I have been working on in my kitchen the last few weeks and will preview the February 1, 8, 15 A.C.E. class, Cooking Basics for Novices.

Manhattan Clam Chowder

This is latest recipe I have been working on and plan to incorporate it into one of my classes soon. Unlike New England Clam Chowder, which is cream based, the Manhattan version is tomato based. I use diced tomatoes (no salt added) and an 8 ounce can of tomato sauce. In researching this and reviewing lots of other recipes, I noticed that most used bacon or pancetta (Italian bacon). However, I decided to leave out the bacon so it can be a vegetarian dish. The entire dish is built on a traditional Mirepoix of onion, carrot, and celery. As regards the clams, to save time in class we will use canned chopped clams and their juice and a small bottle of clam juice. But of course fresh clams can be used instead.

Waldorf Salad Wraps

Staying with the New York theme, I have a little different take on this classic dish. I use plain non-fat Greek yogurt in place of the mayonnaise and chopped hazelnuts instead of walnuts. But the celery and apple are still used. For the greens, I use 2 pieces of Bibb lettuce, spread the ingredients down the middle lengthwise, then fold into a wrap, making it a “finger food” salad.

A.C.E. Cooking Basics for Novice Cooks Class – February 1, 8, 15

In this class participants will prepare a three course meal each session: a salad or soup, a main course with vegetable, and a dessert (both no bake and bake) using my P.O.F. method (Preparation, Organization, Focus). We will also be discussing safe food handling and preparation and practicing knife skills throughout the three sessions. The first session will have an Itailan flavor – Caprese Salad, Sauteed Chicken Italiano, and a fruit dessert with Ricotta Cheese.

Upcoming Classes

The winter classes have begun, and I have three classes in February and one in March.

February 1, 8, and 15 – Sunday Afternoons – Cooking Basics for Novices – Plum Center

February 7 – Saturday Morning – Romantic Valentine’s Dinner for Novices – Woodson High

February 26 – Thursday Evening – Dinner in Rome – Plum Center

March 21 – Saturday Morning - No Bake Desserts- Plum Center

To register for this class, or any ACE cooking classes, please go to:

http://www.fcps.edu/is/ace/specialinterest.shtml and scroll down to the Culinary section

While there, be sure to check out the other culinary courses offered by ACE’s excellent chef instructors.

Till next time, keep cooking.

Contact Chef Kevin at: KJBrady@fcps.edu

Wednesday, January 14, 2015

Happy New Year 2015

Post Date: 14 January 2015

Happy New Year to all. I hope 2015 brings you all exciting and delicious culinary experiences. This posting will discuss some of the dishes I made over the holidays and will also preview the January 22 A.C.E. class, Dinner in New York.

Holiday Cooking

On December 24^th I made our traditional Christmas Eve meal, Pasta e Fagioli, AKA Pasta Fazool. This is a recipe from the Italian side of my family and as you can see from the picture it is much thicker than what is usually served in restaurants, which tend to be in a light thin-ish broth. I used home made marinara sauce and then thinned it just a bit with water.

Pasta e Fagioli

For Christmas dinner, the main dish was roast beef. For sides I made an Orange Couscous Salad (pictured below) as well as roasted Acorn Squash (also pictured below). For the Acorn Squash, after scooping out the seeds, I cut them into individual slices and filled the cavities with maple syrup and some red pepper flakes. Before placing the slices in the oven, I placed about ¼ inch of water in the pan, making a Bain Marie. This was the first time I tried this with the squash and found it reduced the cooking time by about 30 minutes.

Orange Couscous Salad

Acorn Squash

I also made two kinds of pesto, one with spinach and one with asparagus. I baked Tilapia filets with just salt, pepper, and olive oil, then spread one of the two pestos on each of the filets before serving, so that there were half of each type. For a football game viewing party on the weekend between the holidays I made Chicken Spezzatino, an Italian Chicken Stew, and, in a salute to my Irish side, A Guinness Stout Chocolate Cake.

For a New Year’s Day afternoon party, among other items, I made and served Spicy Meatballs, Panzanella Salad, Jumbo Pasta Shells stuffed with Ricotta Cheese, Asparagus with Mustard Sauce, and a Lemon Apple Cake. But the one item that guests talked about the most was my take on the Italian cookies called Brutti Ma Buoni (Ugly but Good), made with sugar, hazelnuts, egg whites, orange zest, and melted chocolate chips. They disappeared in about a minute of their plate was put out.

A.C.E. Dinner in New York Class – January 22

I have begun to put together the menu for the class and to run through the recipes. We will do a lighter take on the traditional Waldorf Salad, followed by a Manhattan Clam Chowder. I am still deciding on the main dish, but the dessert will be a no-bake New York Cheesecake. The allocated class time will probably not give the cheesecake enough time to set in the fridge, so this will be a dish that the students take home to enjoy later. Registration information for this class is below.