Cooking Basics 101, Session 3; Easy Cannoli Shells; Have My Eggs Gone Bad?

Post Date: 23 April 2016

Cooking Basics 101 continues with Session 3 on Tuesday April 26; an easy way to make Cannoli Shells; and a quick way to check if an egg has gone bad.

Cooking Basics 101 – Session 3

Session 3 of this class meets on Tuesday, April 26, at 6:30 PM at the Plum Center in Springfield.  The first 2 weeks we did no bake desserts, but this week we will be baking, a Lemon Olive Oil pound cake.  We will return to salads, preparing either a Tuscan White Bean Salad or a healthy take on a Waldorf Salad.  Our main course will feature Salisbury Steak and a Vegetable Medley cooked in parchment paper.  For the steak, we will be stating it on the stovetop and then finishing it in the oven.

Easy Cannoli Shells

If you have ever tried to make your own cannoli shells you know how labor intensive and time consuming a task it is.  So I was excited to try a recipe I found that did not call for a high degree of mixing and then deep frying.  My wife gave me a new cookbook entitled Flavors of Sicily by Ursula Ferrigno (Ryland, Peters, and Small, London and New York, 2016).  As Cannoli are native to Sicily, I did expect to find a recipe for them in the book, and I was not disappointed.  However, the recipe does not involve any frying.  You simply mix together the ingredients (egg white, cocoa powder, “00” Flour. Sugar, and melted butter), then spread the mixture out in one tablespoon increments on a parchment lined baking sheet, spread out to a diameter of 4 inches, and cook at 375 for about 7 minutes. (see photo above).  You then lift them from the parchment paper with a spatula and wrap around cannoli tubes (or anything you can improvise), and let cool and harden.

Have My Eggs Gone Bad?

One way to tell if your egg has gone bad is to crack it open. But if it has, then you have the smell of Hydrogen Sulfide filling your kitchen and your nostrils.  But there is another, easy way that will not assault your olfactory sense.  Simply fill a glass with water and gently drop the egg in.  If it sinks, it is good.  If it floats, it is bad.  This is because the Hydrogen Sulfide gas has built up inside and causes the rotten egg to float.  An egg has about 7000 pores through which bacteria can enter the egg and cause decay, which produces the Hydrogen Sulfide.

Here is a link to a very short video demonstrating this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNOko9I6aso

 Reminder – A.C.E. 60^th Anniversary Party on Sunday May 22.

I hope to see you at this event on May 22^nd.  I will be performing a demonstration of a Quick Fire Chicken Parmesan, cooked entirely on the stovetop (sorry, no flames are involved).  There will be other cooking demos as well from other A.C.E. chefs.

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 classes for the rest spring term.  The summer schedule will be out soon.

May 10 – Tuesday Evening – Holiday in Sicily – Woodson High School

May 19, 26, June 2 – Thursday Evening – Cooking Basics 101 – Herndon High School

May 22 – Sunday Afternoon – Cooking Demo at A.C.E. 60^th Anniversary Celebration – Plum Center

May 27 – Friday Evening – Date Night Cooking for Novice Cooks – 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 Basics 101, Session 2; Blanched Broccoli Florets; No Bake Cheesecake

Post Date: 17 April 2016

 Cooking Basics 101 – Session 2

Session 2 of this class meets on Tuesday, April 19, at 6:30 PM at the Plum Center in Springfield.  We will be getting a lot of knife skills practice when we hull strawberries for our Strawberry Marscapone Dessert and our Vegetable Soup.  For the main course we be using the oven this week making Baked Salmon with Mustard Sauce.  Our vegetable dish will be Sautéed Broccoli Florets.

Blanched Balsamic Broccoli

I cut up the broccoli florets into small pieces so they would cook more quickly and evenly.  The rest of the blanching was the usual procedure – 4 minutes in boiling water, then into an ice bath for about 20 minutes, then into a skillet with olive oil over medium heat for 7-8 minutes.  For the last 2 minutes I added 2 tablespoons of Balsamic Vinegar to the pan so it formed a glaze on the bottom, coating the florets.

No Bake Cheesecake

I usually use fruit preserves in this recipe, but for this iteration I decided to use fresh strawberries.  After hulling the berries, I put them in a bowl, poured some sugar on top, then covered and left in the fridge for 90 minutes to draw out some juice.  I made the usual Graham Cracker crust.  For the filling, I whipped a cup of heavy cream until soft peaks formed, then folded the cream into the cream cheese and poured the strawberry juice into the mix.  For the strawberries on top, I mixed some in a bowl of Balsamic Vinegar.  They are the darker ones in the photo above.

Reminder - Instagam

Follow me on Instagram at #senseichef.  I look forward to your comments on my posts, culinary and otherwise.

Upcoming Classes

Spring schedule and catalogue is out.  Here are my classes for the spring term.  Summer schedule will be out soon.

May 10 – Tuesday Evening – Holiday in Sicily – Woodson High School

May 19, 26, June 2 – Thursday Evening – Cooking Basics 101 – Herndon High School

May 22 – Sunday Afternoon – Cooking Demo at A.C.E. 60^th Anniversary Celebration – Plum Center

May 27 – Friday Evening – Date Night Cooking for Novice Cooks – 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 Basics 101 and No Bake Desserts Classes in Springfield; Brussels Sprouts; Strawberry Tiramisu

Post Date: 10 April 2016

 

The above picture really has nothing to do with cooking, just something I took during a bike ride along the C & O Canal last week.  I have 2 classes the week of April 11, both at the Plum Center in Springfield, Cooking Basics 101 and No Bake Desserts.  Blanched Brussels Sprouts have been on my menus this spring, and I discuss my technique for preparing them below.  I made a Strawberry Tiramisu to take to a friend's on Saturday.  Also, I have decided what to do in my demo at the A.C.E. 60^th Anniversary Party on Sunday May 22 (see below). 

 Cooking Basics 101

This 3 session class has it first meeting on Tuesday, April12, at 6:30 PM at the Plum Center in Springfield.  Dishes to be prepared in class are a Caprese Salad, Pan Fried Chicken Italiano with Blanched Asparagus, and a no bake dessert with blueberries and ricotta cheese.  Each week we will also be covering knife skills and safe food handling techniques.  In week 1 we will cook on the stove top, week 2 in the oven, and week 3 start on the stove top and finish in the oven, three basic and essential cooking methods.

No Bake Desserts

This one session class meets on Friday morning, April 15, at 10 AM at the Plum Center in Springfield.  I promise that it will not be too taxing.  Right now I am planning on making cannoli (we’ll make the filling in class, I will bring the shells), a non-traditional Tiramisu, perhaps featuring lemon instead of chocolate and espresso, and a cheesecake.  There will also be some supplemental recipes to try on your own at home.

Brussels Sprouts

 

I have been cooking Brussels Sprouts this spring and have really been enjoying them.  I will be adding the recipe to my repertoire soon.  After trimming the sprouts, I place them in vigorously boiling water for 4 minutes, then remove from the pot quickly and place in an ice water bath for 15 to 20 minutes.  When ready to finish them, I heat olive oil in a pan, drain the sprouts, then add to the pan and cook for 5 to 8 minutes, moving the sprouts around frequently.  At this point I add 2 tablespoons of thick Balsamic Vinegar, which forms a glaze on the bottom of the pan.  Shaking the pan coats the sprouts with the balsamic glaze, and you are ready to serve.

Strawberry Tiramisu

 

I made this to take to a friend’s house on the weekend.  Although it is still pretty early in the season, I did find some good strawberries.  On previous versions of this dessert I had dipped the lady fingers in a strawberry liqueur and the taste of the alcohol was a bit too strong.  So I researched some other recipes for this dish and found a consensus where they lady fingers were not dipped in anything, but a mixture of strawberry preserves and an orange liqueur like Triple Sec was layered on top of the lady fingers.  The final vote was an excellent dessert.

 

A.C.E. 60^th Anniversary Party - Reminder

On Sunday afternoon May 22, A.C.E. will be hosting a 60^th anniversary celebration at the Plum Center in Springfield.  There will be presentations and demonstrations by instructors in the various A.C.E. programs.  I will be doing a cooking demo, featuring an easy Marinara Sauce and a quick Stove Top Chicken Parmesan. So, please mark your calendars for May 22.  I hope to see you there.

 

Reminder - Instagam

Follow me on Instagram at #senseichef.  I look forward to your comments on my posts, culinary and otherwise.

 

Upcoming Classes

Spring schedule and catalogue is out.  Here are my classes for the spring term.  Summer schedule will be out soon.

April 12, 19, and 26 – Tuesday Evening – Cooking Basics 101 – Plum Center

April 15 – Friday Morning – No Bake Desserts – Plum Center

May 10 – Tuesday Evening – Holiday in Sicily – Woodson High School

May 19, 26, June 2 – Thursday Evening – Cooking Basics 101 – Herndon High School

May 22 – Sunday Afternoon – Cooking Demo at A.C.E. 60^th Anniversary Celebration – Plum Center

May 27 – Friday Evening – Date Night Cooking for Novice Cooks – 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                                                           

 

 

50th Blog Post; Our Easter Dinner; My Classes in April; A.C.E. 60th Anniversary Celebration.

Post Date: 1 April 2016

This is the 50^th edition of this blog. I hope you enjoy reading it and find it helpful and informative.  We had 16 people for Easter dinner; it was a fun challenge to get the various dishes ready at the same time. And we did it!  I have no A.C.E. classes this week, but have 2 starting the week of April 11.  And in late May I will be doing a cooking demo at the A.C.E. 60^th anniversary celebration.

Easter Sunday Dinner

 

We went outside of the box this year, with nothing that one would consider part of a traditional Easter meal.  We had Tuscan White Bean Salad and a Fruit Salad, the latter courtesy of my sister-in-law, to start.  The main courses were roasted Panko-Mustard Chicken Breasts and Poached Salmon with a Soy, Sesame Oil, and Lemon sauce.  The salmon was served cold.  We also had Spaghetti with Broccoli, courtesy of my daughter, and baked Red Skin potatoes, one of my wife’s go-to dishes for large gatherings.  We also had Carrots roasted with Lemon Slices and fresh Thyme Sprigs (pictured above).  Dessert was a mélange of cake, cupcakes, and brownies made by another sister-in-law. 

A.C.E. 60^th Anniversary Party

On Sunday afternoon May 22, A.C.E. will be hosting a 60^th anniversary celebration at the Plum Center in Springfield.  There will be presentations and demonstrations by instructors in the various A.C.E. programs.  I will be doing a cooking demo, and will provide more details on what I will be doing in a future post.  In the meantime, mark your calendars for May 22.  I hope to see you there.

Upcoming Classes

I have two classes coming up in April, Cooking Basics 101 on Tuesdays April 12, 19 and 26; and No Bake Desserts on Friday April 15.  The Friday one is a morning class.

 

Reminder - Instagam

Follow me on Instagram at #senseichef.  I look forward to your comments on my posts, culinary and otherwise.

 

Upcoming Classes

Spring schedule and catalogue is out.  Here are my classes for the spring term.

April 12, 19, and 26 – Tuesday Evening – Cooking Basics 101 – Plum Center

April 15 – Friday Morning – No Bake Desserts – Plum Center

May 10 – Tuesday Evening – Holiday in Sicily – Woodson High School

May 19, 26, June 2 – Thursday Evening – Cooking Basics 101 – Herndon High School

May 22 – Sunday Afternoon – Cooking Demo at A.C.E. 60^th Anniversary Celebration – Plum Center

May 27 – Friday Evening – Date Night Cooking for Novice Cooks – 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                                                           

 

St. Patrick’s Day Meal, Artichokes, Fruit Kabobs, and Easily Peeling Garlic

Post Date: 22 March 2016

Spring is here, at least according to the calendar.  I’m looking forward to the fresh fruits and vegetables, but in the meantime I got a jump on things with some fruit kabobs, artichokes, and Brussels sprouts this past week, and combined my Irish and Italian heritages in our St. Patrick’s Day dinner.

St. Patrick's Day Dinner

 

Well, there were no potatoes or corned beef and cabbage, but there was plenty of green.  I had Spinach Pesto form a cooking class earlier in the week, so I used it on some thin whole grain spaghetti.  For the side, Brussels Sprouts, I blanched them in boiling water for 4 minutes, then placed them in a bath of ice water for about 30 minutes, then finished in olive oil in a skillet, 10-15 minutes.

Artichokes

Artichokes were big in my house when I was a kid, but I never really cared for them, perhaps it was my innate laziness, so much effort with so little return.  However, we used artichoke hearts in a salad we made in class a few weeks ago, and we got into a discussion about them.  And this in turn lead me to try them with dinner the other night.  I boiled the artichoke in 1 quart of water into which I had placed 2 whole peeled garlic cloves and cooked covered for 25 minutes.  For dip for the leaves, I mixed 2 tablespoons of melted butter and 1 teaspoon of lemon juice.

Fruit Kabobs

This was also for a recent class I did on side dishes. They could also serve as a nice spring/summer appetizer.  It is a bit early in the season, but the fruit I was able to find was pretty good.  To save time, instead of cutting up a whole pineapple, I bought the pineapple slices in the refrigerated case.  As you can see from the picture, I used Blueberries, Blackberries, Strawberries, Kiwi, Seedless White Grapes, and Pineapple Chunks, then refrigerated before serving.  But you have many choices to pick from.

Easy Garlic Peeler

We were peeling garlic in a recent A.C.E. class, and one of the students had a silicone garlic peeling tube.  I had not seen this before, so she demonstrated.  It is a flexible tube about 5 inches long.  You insert a clove of garlic and rub the tube back and forth between your palms.  You hear the familiar crunch, and when you tip out the garlic it is peeled.  Here is a link to information about it on Amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=e+z+roll+garlic+peeler&tag=googhydr-20&index=aps&hvadid=77830354851&hvpos=1t1&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=10138189173098008411&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=b&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_18uobok84o_b

 

Reminder - Instagam

Follow me on Instagram at #senseichef.  I look forward to your comments on my posts.

Upcoming Classes

Spring schedule and catalogue is out.  Here are my classes for the spring term.

April 12, 19, and 26 – Tuesday Evening – Cooking Basics 101 – Plum Center

April 15 – Friday Morning – No Bake Desserts – Plum Center

May 10 – Tuesday Evening – Holiday in Sicily – Woodson High School

May 19, 26, June 2 – Thursday Evening – Cooking Basics 101 – Herndon High School

May 27 – Friday Evening – Date Night Cooking for Novice Cooks – 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                                                           

 

 

 

 

Sessioin 3 of Quick Weeknight Dinners; Special Edition of Cooking Basics 101 in July; and the Wienermobile

Post Date: 13 March 2016

Just thought I’d throw this picture in, it is about food after all.  I was in downtown McLean last week and saw the Wienermobile parked in the Holiday Inn parking lot. 

Quick Weeknight Dinners – Session 3

The third and final session of this class will meet on Tuesday evening March 15^th.   This week we will be cooking vegetables in parchment paper in the oven.  We will also be doing a little different, and more economical, take on pesto.  We will be using spinach instead of basil and walnuts instead of pine nuts, then sampling it with penne.  We will finish off with the classic Roman dish, Cacio e Pepe, Spaghetti in a butter, cheese, and black pepper sauce, quick and delicious.

Special Edition of Cooking Basics 101 in July

This A.C.E. course is geared specifically to young adults (millennials, college students, and recent high school grads off to college) who want to improve their overall kitchen skills.  It will be given in a “bootcamp” format, three straight nights of 3 hours each, July 19, 20, 1nd 21, a Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday night.

Reminder - Instagam

Follow me on Instagram at #senseichef.  I look forward to your comments on my posts.

 

Upcoming Classes

Spring schedule and catalogue is out.  Here are my classes for the spring term.

April 12, 19, and 26 – Tuesday Evening – Cooking Basics 101 – Plum Center

April 15 – Friday Morning – No Bake Desserts – Plum Center

May 10 – Tuesday Evening – Holiday in Sicily – Woodson High School

May 19, 26, June 2 – Thursday Evening – Cooking Basics 101 – Herndon High School

May 27 – Friday Evening – Date Night Cooking for Novice Cooks – 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                                                           

Session 3 Cooking Basics 101 Class at the Plum Center, Session 2 of Quick Weeknight Dinners at the Plum Center, Quick Vegetable Soup

Post Date: 2 March 2016

I have two classes coming up, Session 3 of Cooking Basics 101 at the Plum Center in Springfield on Friday evening March 4, and Session 2 of Quick Weeknight Dinners on Tuesday, March 8, also at the Plum Center.  In prepping for the Cooking Basics 101 class I went through a Vegetable Soup recipe we will be doing.

Cooking Basics 101 at the Plum Center – Session 3

The final session of this class meets Friday evening, March 4^th. This week we will be working on expanding our skills even further.  Instead of a salad, we will be making a Quick Vegetable soup (see below for details) which will give us plenty of opportunity to practice knife skills.  And instead of a no bake dessert, we will be baking a Lemon Olive Oil Pound Cake.  For our vegetable, we will be making Baked Stuffed Zucchini, and the entrée will be a Salisbury Steak with a reduction sauce.

Quick Weeknight Dinners – Session 2

The second session of this class will meet on Tuesday evening March 8^th.  The main dish for this session will be a Quick Fire Chicken Parmesan, which is made exclusively on the stove top in about 30 minutes.  We will need a sauce for this, so we will start off with a basic Marinara Sauce which can also be used in a variety of recipes.  We will also be making a Tuscan White Bean Salad and possibly a Baked Stuffed Zucchini.

Quick Vegetable Soup

This is a good soup for the windy March days.  It is rather easy to make and can be used as the starting point for more elaborate dishes.  For instance, if you have any leftover chicken, you can add it and make chicken soup.  It starts with a mirepoix (onion, celery and carrot) cooked in olive oil, then add minced garlic, then add and wilt baby spinach.  To this I added low sodium chicken broth.  In a separate pot, I cooked a cup of Orzo pasta until it was almost al dente – the inside was still “raw.”  I then drained the Orzo and added it to the soup pot for10 minutes where it finished cooking and picked up some of the broth.   Had I cooked the Orzo entirely in the soup broth it would have absorbed so much of the liquid that just a porridge-like dish would have remained.

Reminder - Instagam

Follow me on Instagram at #senseichef.  I look forward to your comments on my posts.

 

Upcoming Classes

Spring schedule and catalogue is out.  Here are my classes for the spring term.

April 12, 19, and 26 – Tuesday Evening – Cooking Basics 101 – Plum Center

April 15 – Friday Morning – No Bake Desserts – Plum Center

May 10 – Tuesday Evening – Holiday in Sicily – Woodson High School

May 19, 26, June 2 – Thursday Evening – Cooking Basics 101 – Herndon High School

May 27 – Friday Evening – Date Night Cooking for Novice Cooks – 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