Quick Weeknight Dinners Class Starts April 13, Easter Dinner and Chocolate Stout Cake

Post Date: 11 April 2015

This week I will be discussing my upcoming Quick Weeknight Dinners class, our Easter Dinner menu, and a new twist on Chocolate Stout Layer Cake.

Quick Weeknight Dinners

This class meets for three Monday evening sessions, starting April 13^th, at 6:30 at the Plum Center in Springfield.  For the first session we will focus on salads and main courses.  For the salads, we will be doing a Caprese and my take on a Waldorf Salad which can double as a healthy appetizer.  The main courses will be Sauteed Beef Cubes in a Mustard Sauce and an all-in-one Balsamic Citrus Chicken Breast roasted with vegetables.

Easter Dinner 2015

I just wanted to share with you what we had on the menu for our Easter Dinner.  We started off with a Carrot and Ginger Soup. I got the recipe from the New England Soup Factory Cookbook by Majorie Druker and Clara Silverstein (Thomas Nelson Inc., Nashville, Tennessee, 2007).  We had 2 salads, fruit and panzanella.  The main course was pork tenderloin roasted with a red miso/apricot preserve glaze (from Bon Appetit magazine, January 2011).  For sides we had lemon lime risotto with asparagus and green beans with a mustard sauce, served at room temperature.  Dessert was an Easter Egg shaped cake and assorted cupcakes and cookies provided by my sister-in-law.

 Chocolate Stout Cake

I have made this many times before for family birthdays and it is always a hit.  I usually use Rogue brand chocolate stout.  Besides having a great chocolate taste, it comes in a big bottle, so after you add what you need to the cake there is always plenty left over for sampling.  This time I decided to use some Sweet Baby Jesus, the chocolate and peanut butter porter I discussed in an earlier post as being a great dessert beer.  Well, it works very well in the cake too, as well as an accompaniment.

Upcoming Classes

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

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 Dublin Class on April 4

Post Date: 1 April 2015

This week I will be discussing my upcoming class "Dinner in Dublin" and the dishes we will be preparing.

Dinner in Dublin

This class would have been more appropriate around St. Patrick’s Day, but the schedule did not work out.  For this class I was looking to come up with recipes that are rooted in Irish traditions yet have a more contemporary feel.  So cheeses, cream, fresh vegetables, and salmon will play a large part here.   The picture at the top of this post is our vegetable dish, sautéed asparagus and carrot in a shallot cream reduction sauce.  Our potato soup, pictured below, begins with a mirepoix and we use a roux to thicken it at the end, along with some Irish cheese.  Our salad will feature baby spinach with a mustard and maple syrup vinaigrette.  The main dish is baked salmon with mustard, garlic and thyme.  To finish the meal, we will enjoy a Crème de Menthe parfait.

I had a lot of fun (and good eating) putting the recipes for this class together and look forward to sharing them with the class.

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

My next class after “Dinner in Dublin” will be on Thursday, April 9, “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 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

 

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