ACE Cooking Class – Cooking Basics 101 concludes; Next ACE Class – Off the Beaten Track in Provence – Recipe Testing; Summer Catalogue Out.

Post Date: 16 May 2018

 

Well, it looks like April showers have arrived a month late, but historically May is wetter than April in our area.  We’ll be pushing the envelope a bit in this week’s final session of Cooking Basics 101, making both a soup and a salad and baking small pound cakes, in addition to a main course and vegetable.  I made 1 of the 2 mussels recipes my friend sent from France; it was quick and easy to make. Details are below.

 

 

ACE Class – Cooking Basics 101

 

This class concludes with session 3 this Saturday morning, May 19.  Pictured above is a student dish from session 2 – Roasted Lemon Thyme Carrots with a Balsamic Glaze.  We also made Orange Couscous Salad and Citrus Salmon.  To finish we made a no bake dessert with Marscapone Cheese, Strawberries, and Chocolate Wafers.

 

For this week’s final session, we will be baking instead of doing a no bake dessert.  We will be making individual size Lemon Olive Oil Pound Cakes, which are great when topped with fresh summer berries. We will cover the basics of making a classic French Vinaigrette; we will also see how to build a soup from scratch, then make a quick vegetable soup.  Our main dish will be Salisbury Steak.  We will start them on the stove top, then finish in the oven while we use the pan juices to make a reduction sauce.  Our vegetable will have a Japanese twist, sautéed asparagus with sesame oil and seeds and soy sauce.

 

Next ACE Class – Provence off the Beaten Track

 

I wrote in my last post that I had received 2 new mussels recipe possibilities for this class from my friend in Provence.  I tried out one of them for our Mother’s Day dinner, and it was excellent. (I also made a Lasagne, but that’s another story.)

 

For the recipe I selected, you start by sautéing onion and garlic in olive oil, then add to the pan 2 chopped tomatoes.  Next is dry white wine.  After that reduces, you add the mussels, cover, and cook for about 5-6 minutes, until they are open.  It is quite easy to make, and the result was delicious, and what I found surprising was how sweet the mussels were.

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 rest of the spring and summer terms.

 

June 1 and 8 – Friday Evening – Off the Beaten Track in Provence – Plum Center

 

June 23 and 30 – Saturday Morning – Dolci Italiani II/Italian Desserts – Woodson High School

 

July 7, 13, and 20 – Friday Evening – Cooking Basics 101 – Plum Center

 

July 21 and 28 – Saturday Morning – Summer Soups - Plum Center

 

August 1, 2, and 3 – Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday Evening – Cooking Basics for Young Adults – Plum Center

 

August 8 and 15 – Wednesday Evening – Japanese Cooking in Your American Kitchen v2.0 – 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