Belated Thanksgiving Greetings; A.C.E. Cooking Class Italian Desserts Concludes; Next A.C.E. Class - Classic Italian Sauces; Christmas Bazaar Participation on November 18; Baked Salmon and Dill Recipe.

Post Date: 30 November 2017

 

Belated Happy Thanksgiving.  I hope everyone had a great holiday. 

 

We had 10 at people Thanksgiving table.  Besides the turkey and dressing, our sides included Roasted Acorn Squash, Broiled Green Beans with Cherry Tomatoes, Gratin Dauphinois (a potato dish I learned in France this summer), Baked Rigatoni with Tomato Sauce and Ricotta, and of course Corn Bread.  For the gravy I used a recipe I came up with a few years ago which includes some white wine.  I used Kung Fu Girl Riesling from Charles Smith Wines in Washington State.   Now it is time to start planning the menus for Christmas and my New Year’s Day party.  I hope everyone has a great holiday season.

Salmon and Dill Sauce

After several days of turkey and leftovers, I was ready for a change.  I found this recipe in the November Cooking Light magazine.  It is close to a Salmon, Mustard, and Panko dish I already make, but the Dill Sauce was something else. It is made with fresh Dill, Milk, Greek Yogurt, and Red Wine Vinegar, and will work with other fish dishes.

Here is the link to the recipe:

http://www.cookinglight.com/recipes/dijon-herb-crusted-salmon-creamy-dill-sauce

 

 

ACE Class Italian Desserts Concluded November 11

 

 

In this final class we began with a demo on making Ricotta Cheese.  One of the dishes we made was a no bake one, a Ricotta Blueberry Parfait, which is very popular in my Cooking Basics 101 class.  I brought in some store bought ricotta, but I invited the class to use the batch I made.

 

We also made Krumiri, a type of Italian shortbread cookie from Northern Italy and Brutti Ma Buoni Cookies (Ugly But Good, pictured above).  Interestingly enough, these are made without flour.

My Next ACE Class – Classic Italian Sauces

 

I have no more A.C.E. classes in 2017.  My next class is in January, Classic Italian Sauces.  This 2 session class meets in Saturday mornings January 20 and 27 at the Plum Center in Springfield.  We will be making some of the familiar ones, like Alfreddo, Pesto, and Bolognese, plus a couple of surprises.  There will not be any time in the class to make pasta, but I plan to make some ahead of time and bring in to try with some of the sauces.  My full winter schedule is listed below.

Christmas Bazaar on November 18

 

 

On Saturday, November 18, I will had a table at the Christmas Bazaar in the gym of St. John’s Catholic Church on Linway Terrace in McLean, VA.  In previous years I have always sold out of my Chicken Spezzatino, an Italian Chicken Stew, so this year I made more than last year and sold the last cupful just before closing, so I think I have the amount right at last.  I also made more Lemon Olive Oil Pound Cakes (11 as opposed to 6 last year) and also sold all of them.  For the Cannoli, I ordered a box of Bellino Cannoli Shells from Amazon; for the filling I made the Ricotta Cheese and added the usual suspects, Sugar, Orange Zest, Vanilla Extract, and Mini Chocolate Chips.  As the picture above shows, I filled several piping bags with the mixture and filled the Cannoli shells to order.

 

Reminder – Instagam

 

Follow me on Instagram at #senseichef.  I look forward to your comments on my posts, culinary and otherwise.

 

Upcoming Classes

 

Here is my schedule for the winter term.  The catalogue will be out December 1

 

January 20 and 27 – Saturday Morning – Classic Italian Sauces – Plum Center

 

February 7 and 14 – Wednesday Evening – Japanese Cooking in an American Kitchen – Plum Center

 

February 17 and 24 – Saturday Morning - Soup and Stew for a Snowy Day – Plum Center.

 

March 3, 9, and 23 – Friday Evening – Cooing Basics 101 – Plum Center

 

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

 

http://www.fcps.edu/is/ace/

 

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                          

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A.C.E. Cooking Class – Italian Desserts Concludes This Weekend; Christmas Bazaar Participation on November 18.

Post Date: 9 November 2017

 

Well, the leaves around my house were starting to get some color and things were finally starting to look like fall for sure, but then the rain has left most of the tress almost completely bare.  One more good rain should finish things off.

ACE Class Italian Desserts Concludes This Weekend

 

The second and final session of this class meets this Saturday morning November 11 at 10:00 AM at Woodson High School. 

 

In session 1 we made Cannoli (pictured above), Tiramisu, and Lemon Olive Oil Pound Cakes.

 

In class this Saturday we will begin with a demo on making Ricotta Cheese.  We will also be making Krumiri, a type of Italian shortbread cookie from Northern Italy and Brutti Ma Buoni Cookies (Ugly But Good, pictured below).  Interestingly enough, these are made without flour.  We will also make a no bake dessert, a Ricotta Blueberry Parfait.

 

 

Christmas Bazaar on November 18

On Saturday, November 18, I will have a table at the Christmas Bazaar in the gym of St. John’s Catholic Church on Linway Terrace in McLean, VA.  If you are in the area, I hope you will drop by and say hello.  I will be selling cups of Chicken Spezzatino and Sweet Chili, Lemon Olive Oil Pound Cakes, and Cannoli with home made artisanal ricotta cheese.  There is also a large selection of Christmas items for sale at various tables.

Reminder – Instagam

Follow me on Instagram at #senseichef.  I look forward to your comments on my posts, culinary and otherwise.

Upcoming Classes

Here is my schedule for the winter term.  The catalogue will be out soon.

January 20 and 27 – Saturday Morning – Classic Italian Sauces – Woodson High School.

February 7 and 14 – Wednesday Evening – Japanese Cooing in an American Kitchen – Plum Center

February 17 and 24 – Saturday Morning - Soup and Stew for a Snowy Day – Plum Center.

March 3, 9, and 23 – Friday Evening – Cooing Basics 101 – Plum Center

 

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

http://www.fcps.edu/is/ace/

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                          

Biking and Restaurants on Cape Cod; Next A.C.E. Cooking Class – Italian Desserts; Cooking Basics 101 Concludes.

Post Date: 2 November 2017

 

Last week my friends and I did our annual biking trip, this year on Cape Cod, and I wanted to share some information about some of the great places we ate at.  Pictured above is the Talkative Pig in South Chatham. This was an excellent casual dining place (all of the places were visited were actually) with a mostly Italian Menu.  I had a mushroom risotto with a chicken breast on top, which was wonderful, but of the locals seemed to be ordering pizza.  After the meal we asked our server for a recommendation for breakfast and were directed to the Chatham Airport for a great breakfast at a place called Hangar B.  They had Lemon Ricotta Pancakes on the menu, and since I make them in one of my breakfast classes, I ordered them and was not disappointed.  When leaving I spoke to the chef and he gave me some tips on making them better.

 

While in Chatham we also ate at the Long Shore Restaurant for dinner and Larry’s PX for breakfast, both of which seem to be popular with local residents with great food at reasonable prices.

 

 

ACE Class Cooking Basics 101 Concludes

 

 

This class ended on Sunday, October 29. Pictured above is an Orange Couscous Salad we made Sunday in the final session.  The first 2 sessions we mad no bake desserts with Italian cheeses, Ricotta and Marscapone, but in the last class we baked min Lemon Olive Oil Pound Cakes.  Our main course was Salisbury Steak, started on the stove top and finished in the oven.  While it was finishing we used the pan to make a reduction sauce with Beef Broth and Onions.  Our vegetable was Broiled Zucchini.

Upcoming ACE Class: Italian Desserts

 

This 2 session class meets on Saturday mornings November 4 and 11 at 10:00 AM at Woodson High School.  In the first class we will be making baked and no baked desserts.  Items to be made are Cannoli, Tiramisu, and Olive Oil Pound Cake.

 

Reminder – Instagam

 

Follow me on Instagram at #senseichef.  I look forward to your comments on my posts, culinary and otherwise.

 

Upcoming Classes

 

Here is my schedule for the winter term.  The catalogue will be out soon.

 

January 20 and 27 – Saturday Morning – Classic Italian Sauces – Woodson High School.

 

February 7 and 14 – Wednesday Evening – Japanese Cooking in an American Kitchen – Plum Center

 

February 17 and 24 – Saturday Morning - Soup and Stew for a Snowy Day – Plum Center.

 

March 3, 9, and 23 – Friday Evening – Cooing Basics 101 – Plum Center

 

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

 

http://www.fcps.edu/is/ace/

 

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                          

 

 

 

Cooking in France Continued – Chickpea Salad; Upcoming A.C.E. Cooking Class – Italian Desserts; Cooking Basics 101 Continues.

Post Date: 18 October 2018

                                                     Evening in the village Square in Uzes

Continuing the discussion of my recent culinary adventures in France, in this post I will be discussing a delicious, easy to make Chickpea Salad from my friend Marie-Christine Blight.

Chickpea Salad

 

 

This salad is best if assembled before making dinner so the ingredients have a chance to sit before serving.  You start with salt, pepper, and red wine vinegar, then add Olive Oil, chopped Shallots, cut up Tomato, Kalamata Olives and drained and rinsed canned Chickpeas, then mix to combine.  In addition, you can include Anchovies (packed in oil, not in salt) and a broken up hard-boiled egg.

 Any leftovers can be stored I the fridge for lunch the next day.

 

Cacio e Pepe with Peas

 

I was looking for something quick last Friday night, so I decided on a Cacio e Pepe with frozen Peas, which I put in boiling water, then drained before adding to the Cacio e Pepe.  I used thin spaghetti, which did not take long to get to al dente, or just below it, since you want to finish the spaghetti in the pan with some of the reserved spaghetti water.  I used Parmesan Cheese, and the addition of the Peas made a nice complement to the pepper and saltiness of the Parmesan.

ACE Class Cooking Basics 101 Continues

 

 

Pictured above is Pan Fried Chicken Italiano with Blanched Broccoli, the main dish from Session 1.

 
The second session of this class meets this Sunday afternoon Sunday, October 22, at the Plum Center in Springfield.  This week we will make a traditional French Vinaigrette and a no bake dessert featuring strawberries.  The main course will be cooked in the oven, Baked Salmon, while the vegetable dish will be Sautéed Asparagus.

We will also be discussing the spice profiles from several popular cuisines, how long to store spices, and the most common types of salt.

Upcoming ACE Class: Italian Desserts

 

This 2 session class meets on Saturday mornings November 4 and 11 at 10:00 AM at Woodson High School.  In this class we will be making baked and no baked desserts.  Items to be made include Cannoli, Tiramisu, Brutti Ma Buoni (ugly but good) Cookies and Olive Oil Pound Cake.

 

 

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 remaining class for the fall term.  Winter catalogue will be out soon.

November 4, 11 – Saturday Morning – Italian Desserts – Woodson High School

 

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

 

http://www.fcps.edu/is/ace/

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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Cooking in France Continued – Leek and Salmon Quiche; Upcoming A.C.E. Cooking Classes; Preview of my Winter ACE Classes

Post Date: 4 October 2017

                                                                  Sunset near Marseille

Continuing the discussion of my recent culinary adventures in France, in this post I will be discussing an excellent, easy to make Leek and Salon Quiche which I have made twice since returning.

Leek and Salmon Quiche

 

Pictured above is the Leek and Salmon Quiche which my friend Christine Blight taught me how to make while visiting in Provence.  For the crust, we both used store ought ones. Three leeks were chopped then sautéed in vegetable oil.  Two eggs were beaten with a fork, the grated Emmenthaler Cheese and 3 tablespoons of Crème Fraiche (see note below) were added to the eggs and mixed to combine.  For the Salmon, a 4-5 ounce fillet was cut into small pieces. 

Before assembling the quiche, the crust was poked with a fork, the heated in a 375 degree oven for 5–7 minutes.  It was then removed from the oven and the Leeks and Salmon were added.  The egg mixture was poured in, the more grated Emmenthaler was sprinkled on top.

 It was cooked in a 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes.  For the last 2-3 minutes, I turned the broiled to get some browning on the top.

 NOTE on Crème Fraiche:  If you cannot find Crème Fraiche at your store, here is an easy recipe from epicurious.com.  You simply combine 1 cup of whipping cream with 2 tablespoons of buttermilk and let sit until thick.

 https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/creme-fraiche-106036

 

Upcoming ACE Class: Cooking Basics 101

The next iteration of this popular 3 session class starts on Sunday, October 15, at the Plum Center in Springfield. Each class will feature a salad, a main course with vegetables, and a dessert.  Each session we will use a different cooking method for the main course- the first week on the stove top, the second in the oven, and the third started on the stovetop and finished in the oven. 

 

The first 2 sessions we will be making no bake desserts, then bake in the third.

 

We will also be covering knife skills and safe food handling in each session with the ultimate goal of building confidence in the kitchen.

 

Upcoming ACE Class: Middle Eastern Cooking

 

This 1 session class meets on Thursday evening October 12 at the Plum Center in Springfield.  In class we will make a Tabbouleh, Hummus, Shakshuka, an Israeli breakfast dish, and Lebanese Shortbread Cookies.

 

 

ACE Class: Winter Classes Preview

 

I have 4 classes scheduled for the winter 2018 term.  In January I will be doing a 2 session class on Italian Sauces and the best pasta to serve with them.  In February we will be going to Japan for a 2 session class on Japanese Cooking in an American Kitchen (no sushi though).  Also in February is a reprise of last winter’s Soups and Stews for a Snowy Day class with all new recipes.  And in March I will be doing another Cooking Basics 101 class.

 

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 for the fall terms.  Winter catalogue will be out soon.

 

October 12 – Thursday Evening – Intro to Middle Eastern Cooking - Plum Center

 

October 15, 22, 29 – Sunday Afternoon – Cooking Basics 101 – Plum Center

 

November 4, 11 – Saturday Morning – Italian Desserts – Woodson High School

 

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

 

http://www.fcps.edu/is/ace/

 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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Cooking in France and Jardinière; A.C.E. Cooking Class Dinner in Milan

Post Date: 20 September 2017

 

We just returned from a 2 ½ week vacation in the south of France where I had the opportunity to cook with my good friend Marie-Christine Blight. I learned a lot of new recipes and tried some dishes that got me out of my comfort zone, like a Sardine Tatin.  I will begin incorporating some of them in my next classes.  I will also be writing more about our culinary adventures in future posts, starting with Jardinière below.

 

Jardinière

 

Pictured above is Jardinière, a vegetable side dish that is quite easy to make. It is prepared on the stove top with Butter, Ham, Shallots, Potato, Carrots, a Bouquet Garni of Bay Leaf, Rosemary, and Thyme, and Small Peas (Petits Pois).  I also added a small eggplant from my garden.

 

ACE Class: Dinner in Milan

This one session class meets on Saturday morning, September 30, at the Plum Center in Springfield.  As mentioned in a previous post, the featured item will be the traditional Milanese dish, Cotoletta (pictured above).  This is a sautéed veal cutlet which we will be serving atop a small salad made from Baby Spinach, Tomato, Basil, and Red Onion. Risotto is another classis Milanese dish; in class we will be making a Sweet Corn Risotto.  The dessert still to be decided.

 

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 for the fall terms.

September 30 – Saturday Morning – Dinner in Milano – Plum Center

 

October 12 – Thursday Evening – Intro to Middle Eastern Cooking - Plum Center

 

October 15, 22, 29 – Sunday Afternoon – Cooking Basics 101 – Plum Center (almost full)

 

November 4, 11 – Saturday Morning – Italian Desserts – Woodson High School (almost full)

 

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

 

http://www.fcps.edu/is/ace/

 

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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