Saturday, December 3, 2016

A.C.E. Class Quick Weeknight Dinners begins; Steak Diane; Christmas Bazaar Wrap Up; Winter Class Schedule Published.

Post Date: 3 December 2016


I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and is getting ready for some delicious culinary treats for the rest of the holiday season.  Our Thanksgiving had all the usual suspects, turkey, dressing, pumpkin pie, etc.  The one exception was a Fig/Wine/Cranberry Sauce which I made from a recipe that had been published in the Washington Post.  It also has orange Liqueur.  Below is the link to find it.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/food/give-cranberry-sauce-the-respect--and-recipe--it-deserves-at-thanksgiving/2016/11/13/94c63c62-9d30-11e6-b3c9-f662adaa0048_story.html?utm_term=.8745bc7d4f23

Quick Weeknight Dinners

The first meeting of this three session class will be on Tuesday night, December 6, at 6:30 PM at the Plum Center in Springfield. In this class we will be focusing on salads, vegetables, and main courses that can be made quickly upon returning home from work.  We usually do not do desserts unless the class decides they would like some included.  In the first session we will be making 2 salads, a Waldorf Salad and a Spinach Salad with Stilton Cheese.  The vegetable will be quickly Blanched Asparagus.  The main courses will be Orange Tarragon Chicken Breasts and Tilapia Italiana.  I will also be including a recipe for a quick Vegetable Soup which can be made on the weekend to be served throughout the week or taken for lunch, or both.
 
Steak Diane
 
 
 
I made this mid-twentieth century classic for the first time last week from a recipe in the December Cooking Light magazine.  The link to it is below.  The preparation of the steak itself is quite simple, salt and pepper on a strip steak and into the frying pan, then a 10 minute rest while you make the sauce, which is what makes the dish jump.  It starts with Shallots, Mushrooms, and Garlic in the pan the steak was cooked in, then Dijon Mustard, Brandy, Worcestershire Sauce, and Half & Half are added.  The steak is then sliced and topped with the sauce.  I served it with Blanched Asparagus.
Christmas Bazaar Recap
 
 
The Christmas Bazaar I took part in on November 19 was a great success.  I sold out all 3 items I had for sale, 7 double batches of Spezzatino, an Italian Chicken Stew; 9 Lemon Olive Oil Pound Cakes; and Cannoli whose filling was made from 6 batches of homemade Ricotta Cheese.  The Spezzatino had sold out by 1:00 PM, so next year I will make even more.
My Winter Classes
The A.C.E. Winter Catalogue is out. I have quite a variety of classes on my plate for this term, starting on Sunday, January 22 with a 2 session class called Soups and Stews for a Snowy Day.  Also on my schedule is Just Desserts (2 sessions), Dinner in Normandy (1 session), Cooking Basics 101, and two iterations on the 1 session class Introduction to Middle Eastern Cooking.  I hope to see you in one of these classes.
Reminder – Instagam
Follow me on Instagram at #senseichef.  I look forward to your comments on my posts, culinary and otherwise.
 
Upcoming Classes
Here are my classes and dates for the rest of the winter term. 
January 22, 29 – Sunday Afternoon – Soup and Stew for a Snowy Day – Plum Center
February 3, 10 – Friday Evening - Just Desserts – Plum Center
February 23 – Thursday Evening – Introduction to Middle Eastern Cooking – Plum Center
February 25 – Saturday Morning – Dinner in Normandy – Plum Center
March 4, 11, 18 – Saturday Morning – Cooking Basics 101 – Lake Braddock Secondary School
March 10 – Friday Evening – Introduction to Middle Eastern Cooking – Plum Center
 
To register for these or any 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                                                           
 
 
 

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