Chef Kevin's Cooking Classes: October 2017

Wednesday, October 18, 2017

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

‑

Wednesday, October 4, 2017

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.