Pi(e) Day, A Beer and Dessert Pairing, and Upcoming A.C.E. Classes

Post Date: 23 March 2015

 

This week I will begin with what I made for Pi(e) Day (3-14-15) and then discuss a unique beer and dessert pairing and my classes scheduled for April.

Pi(e) Day Recap

For Pi(e) Day, I made a straightforward Blueberry Pie, pictured above.  I used a recipe I found in The Complete Book of Pies by Julie Hasson (Robert Rose, Inc., 2008).  This is an excellent book, with recipes for both sweet and savory pies and may different types of crust.  I plan to return to it many times over the next few months as we start getting fresh fruits available.

 

An Interesting Beer and Dessert Pairing

A while ago my son Dan brought over a six pack of Sweet Baby Jesus Beer which is a porter flavored with Chocolate and Peanut Butter.  I liked it and put a few bottles in the fridge.  Over the next few weeks, when preparing dinner and thinking I might prefer a beer rather than wine with the meal, I would open the fridge, see the bottle of Sweet Baby Jesus, and think, “No, that taste is not going to work with this meal.” 

Then, the other day, when hiking with my friend John Treacy, the conversation turned to beer, as it inevitably does.  I mentioned my quandary about what to pair this beer with and he had a brilliant suggestion, “Tiramisu!”  Now it just so happened that I had a tiramisu in the fridge that I had made as a demo in a recent cooking class.  John further suggested that it be just a small glass of the beer, no more than a third of the bottle (picture below).  Well, I tried it for dessert that night and the pairing was perfect. 

But wait, there is more.  I had a box of cannoli shells I had ordered for a class, so I made a batch of cannoli filling and tried pairing cannoli with the beer.  Once again, excellent.  We have dessert wine,  why not have dessert beers as well?

Next A.C.E. Classes on My Spring Schedule

My next class in entitled “Dinner in Dublin” on Saturday April 4^th.  No corned beef and cabbage or boiled potatoes here though.  I am still finalizing the menu, but the main dish will probably be salmon.

On Thursday, April 9, we have “Date Night Cooking for Novice Cooks” in which we will prepare a simple yet romantic 3 course meal – salad, main course with vegetable, and dessert.

On April 13, 20 and 27 we have “Quick Weeknight Dinners.”  The class will feature nutritious meals that are easy to get to the table quickly after returning home from work.  We will focus on salads and main courses while looking at the most efficient ways to manage your cooking time.  Details about registering are below.

Upcoming Classes

The A.C.E. Spring Schedule is out.  Here are the classes I will be teaching:

April 4 – Saturday Morning – Dinner in Dublin - Plum Center

April 9 – Thursday Evening - Date Night Cooking for Novice Cooks – Woodson High School

April 13, 20, and 27 – Monday Evening – Quick Weeknight Dinners – Plum Center

May 7, 14, and 21 – Thursday Evening – Cooking Basics 101 – Plum Center

May 31 and June 6 – Sunday Afternoon – Beyond Biscotti – 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

Dinner in Rome Class vs WInter, Pavlovas, and Pi(e) Day

Post Date: 8 March 2015

Dinner in Rome Class vs Winter

Winter is currently winning, 2-0.  Class was cancelled due to snow on the original date, February 26^th, and moved ahead a week to March 5^th.  An even bigger snow storm on March 5^th has moved the class to the following week, Thursday, March 12^th. Here’s hoping the third time is the charm.  Fortunately I was holding off on buying the perishables until the morning of the class, so I did not have any ahead of time to worry about.  Menu remains the same, Minestrone, Fettuccine Chicken Alfredo, and Tiramisu.

Pavlovas

I made this dessert for the first time last week.  A photo of it leads off this post.  It is named for the Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova and it was created in Australia or New Zealand in honor of one of her tours there (or at least according to Wikipedia). 

It is basically a baked meringue ring topped with whipped cream and strawberries.  I got the recipe from Food Network Magazine for January/February 2015.  Here is the link:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/chocolate-pavlova-with-strawberries-and-cream.html

You need a lot of time to make this, as the meringue bakes in the oven at a very low temperature for 2 hours, then cools off in the oven for 3 more hours, with the door slightly ajar.  The low temperature is needed so that the meringue does not burn while the moisture is slowly baked out.

Happy Pi(e) Day

My mathematician friends tell me they celebrate March 14^th (3-14) by eating pie.  And this year is a very special one, as the date is 3-14-15, and 3.1415 represents the first five digits of Pi, so it is being called the “Pi Day of the Century.”  To celebrate I plan to make a Shepherd’s Pie, a fruit pie, and maybe a quiche (I know, not technically a pie, but it has a crust, so what the heck.)  And in case you really want to get your geek on, here is a link to Pi carried out to 1 million digits:

www.piday.org/million/

 

Upcoming Classes

I have one more class in the winter session, in March.

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

Making Beignets and This Week’s A.C.E.Class – Dinner in Rome

Post Date: 24 February 2015

This week I will begin by discussing Beignets and then what we will be preparing in the Thursday’s Dinner in Rome A.C.E. class.  

Making Beignets

I had not made these in a long time, but with the snow starting on Presidents’ Day, I decided to try out my new deep fryer and make a batch.  I had a recipe I had received from L’Academie de Cuisine but decided to try one I got from a French culinary newsletter, 750 Grammes.  It made quite a lot of dough, so I only used half of it, then froze the rest to see if it could still be used.  The next day I thawed it out on the counter for a while, and made another batch which was just as good as the original one.  An interesting fact about French recipes, which you may have already observed.  The measurements are given by weight not by volume; e.g., 500 grams of flour vs 1 cup, or 10 centiliters of liquid vs 1 teaspoon.  This should not present a problem, though, as there are plenty of websites where you can perform the conversions easily.

A.C.E. Cooking Class - Dinner in Rome

We will be will be spending an evening at a trattoria on Rome’s Via Veneto to prepare and enjoy a three course meal.  Dress is casual, and I promise not to sing any opera.  We will be making a Minestrone, Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo, and a traditional Tiramisu.  The Minestrone will be vegetable based, but we will discuss ways to add meat to the soup.  On the flip side, the chicken can be omitted from the Fettuccine dish to make a meatless Fettuccine Alfredo.  We will divide into teams and each team will make the soup and the fettuccine.  However, each participant will make their own tiramisu.

 Upcoming Classes

I have one more class in the winter session, in March.

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

Cooking in Packets and This Week's A.C.E. Class

Post Date: 11 February 2015

This week I will begin by discussing cooking in aluminum or parchment paper packets and then what we will be preparing in the final session of my Cooking Basics 101 class this coming weekend.  

 Cooking in Parchment Paper or Aluminum Packets

This is a technique I use on occasion.  It is easy to prepare, what with the vegetables and protein all cooked together in the packet; easy to clean up;  and makes a nice presentation as guests open the packets on their plates and get a whiff of what is inside.  There are many recipes, both in cookbooks and online, that use this technique.  I have used it with salmon and with chicken.  Food Network Magazine for April 2014 had a recipe for Packet Chicken Putanesca which I have made on two occasions and it was very well received.   I have also modified a recipe I have for Orange Balsamic Chicken into a packet version and hope to do it in a future class.  The chicken breasts are brushed with balsamic vinegar and the orange slices are placed against the chicken, and at the end you get a nice sauce at the bottom.

A.C.E. Cooking Basics 101 – Session 3

After making no bake desserts with ricotta and marscapone cheeses the first two sessions, this week we will be doing some baking.  We will make an Olive Oil pound cake with citrus flavoring.  Olive oil may not sound like the best ingredient for a dessert cake, but it is really nice.  We will be macerating some raspberries to serve over the cake.  We will also be getting back to salad as the first course, making a healthy take on the traditional Waldorf Salad, using plain nonfat Greek yogurt to replace mayonnaise and making it into a wrap with Bibb Lettuce, so it can also be served as finger food.  For the main event, we will be making a Salisbury Steak with onions and then a reduction sauce to go with it.

Upcoming Classes

The winter classes have begun, and I have one more class in February and one in March.

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

This Week's A.C.E. Class

Post Date: 5 February 2015

Welcome to the latest edition of my blog.  This week I will be discussing what we will be preparing in my Cooking Basics 101 class this coming weekend.  We will also take up the topic of wet vs dry measuring cups.

 

Wet vs Dry Measuring Cups

This question came up in the last Cooking Basics 101 session, so I figured it may warrant a mention here.  What’s the difference?  Actually, none?  So why have them?  It basically has to do with handling your ingredients.

The dry measuring cups are designed to be filled to the top then leveled off with a knife.   They hold the exact amount specified.  Wet cups, on the other hand, are not.  There is some space above the top measurement line to allow for any jostling when carrying the cup, which you would not have with dry ingredients in a dry cup.

A.C.E. Cooking Basics 101

This week, instead of a salad we will be making a Minestrone soup, which is fitting for our winter weather and will give ample opportunity to practice knife skills.  On the dessert side, we will stay with no bake, creating a dessert with marscapone cheese and strawberries.  For the main event, we will be making pesto and baked Tilapia served on a bed of Quinoa.  For the Pesto, instead of basil and pine nuts we’ll be using baby spinach and walnuts, then spreading on the cooked tilapia before serving.  For the vegetable, we will be doing Broccoli with a Mustard Sauce.

Upcoming Classes

The winter classes have begun, and I have one more class in February and one in March.

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

 

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