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

 

 

 

 

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.

 Upcoming Classes

The winter classes start in January, and I have one class in January and three in February.

January 22 - Thursday Evening – Dinner in New York – Woodson High

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

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

 

Happy Holidays and Getting Past Pasta Class – Session 3

Post Date: 18 December 2014

Season’s Greetings to all.  I hope everyone has a great holiday season.  This will be the last blog post of the year.  I will be back in early January to report on what dishes we made over the holidays and to provide a preview of the “Dinner in Rome” class which runs on January 22 (please see below for more information).

Getting Past Pasta – Session 3

The third and final session of Getting Past Pasta is this Saturday, December 20, from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM at the Plum Center.  This week, in preparation for the upcoming winter cold, we will be starting off with a Minestrone.   There are many different ways to make this; we will be doing it just with vegetables.  But like other recipes done in class, it can be used as a starting point to add meat, like pancetta, or different vegetables as desired.

We will also be making Spicy Meatballs, or not so spicy, depending on your taste preferences.  Now when we hear the word “meatballs,” we automatically place the words “spaghetti and” in front of it, which of course makes a fine dish.  However, what I am going for here is to prepare meatballs that can be enjoyed on their own, without any sauce.  They can be cooked in a frying pan or the oven.  We will be doing them in a frying pan.

Since we already did a pesto, and the technique is the same, instead of doing another one, one of the supplemental recipes will a bit outside of the box, an Asparagus Pesto.

 

Upcoming Classes

The winter classes start in January, and I have one class in January and two in February.

January 22 - Thursday Evening – Dinner in New York – Woodson High

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

February 26 – Thursday Evening – Dinner in Rome – 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

Recent Beta Test and Getting Past Pasta Class – Session 2

Post Date: 10 December 2014

Recent Beta Test

Last Sunday I conducted a final test of the Frittata recipe we will be doing this week (please see section below for more information).  The two testers each made one.  Picture above is one of the finished products.  The test was particularly helpful in getting the exact measurements of the ingredients set and in finalizing the final printed copy of the recipe.  The testers had a few twists and good ideas which have been incorporated into the final version.

Getting Past Pasta – Session 2

Second session of Getting Past Pasta is this Saturday, December 13, from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM at the Plum Center.  This week we will be doing a Frittata and two fish dishes, one with salmon and one with tilapia.  The Tilapia dish is baked with Italian seasonings, and I’ve found that it works best if it is done in two steps.  In the first step we will season the fish then let it sit in the refrigerator for about 90 minutes while we prepare the other two dishes. This wait time allows the seasoning to sink in and really enhances the flavor of the finished product.

We will be doing a Vegetable Frittata.  A Frittata is an Italian dish that differs from an omelet in several ways.  Like an omelet, a frittata is started on the stove in a skillet, but the frittata is then finished in the oven.  An omelet is folded over whereas a frittata is not.  And an omelet is usually a single serving, whereas a frittata is cut into wedges and served to several people

In a previous blog I had referred to my recipe as a “Kitchen Sink Frittata,” and basically I put in whatever vegetables I had on hand; e.g., asparagus, broccoli, squash, onion, marinated artichoke hearts, etc.  However, in order to give some structure to the class recipe, we will be using specific items and measurements and it has been renamed to a “Vegetable Frittata.”  But the recipe can also be used as a starting point to add whatever other ingredients you wish, including sausage, pancetta, or other meats.

For the final dish, we will be doing a Sicilian Style Salmon with Citrus (Lemon and Orange), substituting White Grape Juice for White Wine due to school rules.  It will also have a little red pepper to give it a little kick.

 Upcoming Classes

The winter classes start in January, and I have one class in January and two in February.

January 22 - Thursday Evening – Dinner in New York – Woodson High

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

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

To register for thess 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

 

 

A.C.E. Cooking Classes This Week and Thanksgiving Recap

Post Date: 2 December 2014

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving.  In this post I will be discussing the two A.C.E. classes I am scheduled for this week and one of the dishes we had for Thanksgiving

 Two A.C.E. Classes This Week

On Thursday evening, December 4^th, I will be teaching a No Bake Desserts class at 7:00 PM at Woodson High.  On Saturday morning, December 6^th at 10:00 AM at the Plum Center, I will have the first of 3 sessions (6, 13, 20 December) of Getting Past Pasta, a class featuring Italian main dishes, and some sides and sauces as well.

For the No Bake Desserts, we will be making an Apricot Cheese Cake, Tiramisu, and Cannoli.  For the cannoli, I will be providing the shells and the class will make the filling. For the ricotta cheese in the filling, we will be using both store bought ricotta and ricotta I will make for the class so we can compare the two.  One of the supplemental recipes will be how to make ricotta.

For Getting Past Pasta, we will be doing a Quick Fire Chicken Parmesan made entirely on the stove top.  We will also make a Marinara Sauce to accompany it, as well as a Pesto to take home.

Thanksgiving Recap

I am not going to bore you by presenting a litany of the dishes we had last Thursday; they are most likely the same as what you had.  Instead, I’m going to discuss just one dish which not only tastes great but is an excellent choice for serving with a large, complex meal – Asparagus in Mustard Sauce.  Now I cannot take credit for this; it is from the cookbook Essential Pepin by Jacques Pepin (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Boston and New York, 2011, page 411).  What is especially appealing about this recipe is how it relates to timing your dishes for serving.  Things can get pretty hectic when you have dishes going in the oven and on all the burners and trying to get the timing right so everything is done at the same time.  This dish is served at room temperature, so it can be made 60 minutes or so ahead and allowed to cool.  The asparagus are blanched, then drained.  The mustard sauce consists of Dijon Mustard, Canola Oil, Olive Oil, White Wine Vinegar, and salt and pepper.  The sauce can be made ahead as well and then spread on your asparagus when ready to serve.

Upcoming Classes

The winter classes start in January, and I have one class in January

January 22 - Thursday Evening – Dinner in New York – Woodson High

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

 

Buche de Noel and Recipe Beta Testing

Post Date: 19 November 2014

BUCHE DE NOEL

In preparation for the holidays, I made a Buche de Noel last week.  This traditional French Christmas dessert, dating from the late 19^th century, is the culinary successor to the Yule Log whose burning at the time of the winter solstice dates back to pre-Christian times.  To keep the ancient tradition alive, one faces a challenge in making the “buche” look like a real log.  This can be accomplished by covering the rolled cake with a chocolate icing or ganache, cutting off each end and placing them on the “log” to represent cut off branches, and dragging fork along it to simulate bark.   It is then decorated with such items as meringue mushrooms or small Christmas figurines.

As you can see, mine looks pretty plain in the photo.  On Veterans Day we took a trip to Shepherdstown, West Virginia, and hiked along the C & O Canal.  While walking we observed fallen logs with lichen and ferns around them, which gave me inspiration for decorating the logs.  I will be taking a limited number of orders for these for delivery a few days before Christmas.

BETA TESTING

 

 

The first beta test of the fall took place on Saturday, November 15^th.  In preparation for my A.C.E. No Bake Desserts class at Woodson High School on December 4^th, we made a Tiramisu.  Now a Tiramisu is traditionally made with alcohol.  I use dark rum and orange liqueur.  However, as Fairfax County does not allow alcoholic beverages in the school, we substituted orange and vanilla extracts. And the results were excellent.  The recipes given in class will include both alcohol and extracts.  In addition, the beta test helped me with time management for the classroom, as there are some preparations which I will need to be sure to do ahead of time for the students.

CHRISTMAS BAZAAR PARTICIPATION

This coming Saturday, November 22, 2014, I will be taking part in a Christmas Bazaar at St. John’s Catholic Church, 6420 Linway Terrace, McLean, VA.  It runs from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, in the gym.  I will be offering cups of one of my signature dishes, Chicken Spezzatino (an Italian chicken stew) for sale, as well as cookies and cakes, with plenty of samples.  I will also be taking orders for holiday desserts and a limited number of Buche de Noel.  If you are in the area, please drop in to say “Hi.”

UPCOMING CLASSES

 

 December 4 - Thursday Evening - No Bake Desserts – Woodson High

December 6, 13, and 20 - Saturday Mornings - Getting Past Pasta - Italian Meat, Fish, and Egg  Meals – Plum Center

To register for these, 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

A.C.E. Class Date Night Cooking for Novice Cooks - 6 November 2014

Post Date: 4 November 2014

Greetings, and welcome to the latest post of my cooking classes blog.  This post will focus primarily on the subject class which meets Thursday evening, November 6, at Woodson High School at 6:30 PM.

THIS WEEK’S DATE NIGHT COOKING CLASS

The menu for Thursday evening’s class will have an Italian flair and consist of a Caprese Salad, Baked Salmon with Pesto and Blanched Asparagus, and a Strawberry Marscapone Parfait.  The Supplemental Menu to try at home will have a Tomato/Basil/Avocado Salad, Pan Fried Chicken with Italian Spices and Sauteed Broccoli, and a Blueberry Ricotta dessert.  Please see the sections below for more information on the pesto and the desserts.

As this class is billed as for “Novices,” in addition to just cooking the recipes, I will be introducing my P.O.F. (Preparation, Organization, Focus) method of preparation and cooking which is designed to help build skill and confidence in the kitchen.  We will also be touching on knife skills and food safety topics.

PESTO

You may already be familiar with this Italian no cook sauce.  Traditionally it is made with basil, pine nuts, garlic, parmesan cheese, and olive oil. However, there are many variations out there, and cooks are free to use other ingredients.  For instance, baby spinach, arugula, or cilantro may be substituted for the basil.  Other nuts, like almonds or walnuts, can replace the pine nuts (and they are cheaper too).  Other “salty” cheeses like Romano can replace the Parmesan.  For our pesto, we will go outside the lines just a bit and use baby spinach and walnuts.

DESSERTS

In my cooking classes I like to make no bake desserts using soft Italian cheeses.  The dessert we will make in class this week will use marscapone, which is usually used in tiramisu (another no bake dessert), while the supplemental menu has one using ricotta.  In December I will be doing a one session class exclusively on no bake desserts (please see schedule below).

UPCOMING CLASSES

I have 2 A.C.E. classes coming up in December.

December 4 - Thursday Evening - No Bake Desserts – Woodson High

December 6, 13, and 20 - Saturday Mornings - Getting Past Pasta - Italian Meat and Fish Meals – Plum Center

To register for these, 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