A.C.E. Class Soups and Stews for a Snowy Day Concludes; A Dinner Party Menu; Desserts Class Coming Up; Some Soup Cookbooks

Post Date: 26 January 2017

January is National Soup Month, so I was lucky that my Soups and Stews class was scheduled for this month.  Below I discuss 2 soup cookbooks which are my go-to for all things soup.  In the concluding session of Soups and Stews for a Snowy Day, we’ll be visiting Italy, Japan, Manhattan, and Boston for our dishes.

 

A.C.E. Soups and Snows for a Snowy Day Concludes

 

This 2 session class concludes this Sunday afternoon January 29.  In this session we will make Pasta e Fagioli (sometimes pronounced Pasta Vazool), Dashi and a Miso Soup, and feature a Battle of the Chowders; half the class will make New England style and half Manhattan.  The New England one is pictured above.

 

Just Desserts Class

 

This 2 session class meets on Friday Evenings February 3 and 10 at the Plum Center, starting a 6:30 PM.  Desserts to be made over the 2 sessions include Tiramisu and Cannoli.

Cookbooks for National Soup Month

Two cookbooks I have and particularly like which are devoted exclusively to soups are Sunday Soup by Betty Rosbottom and New England Soup Factory Cookbook by Marjorie Drucker and Clara Silverstein.  Sunday Soup is divided into 4 sections, one for each season and includes instructions of making a variety of stocks.  The New England Soup Factory Cookbook features both chapters on ingredients, such as chicken, fish, and tomatoes, and chapters on the 4 seasons, and chapters on salads and sandwiches to accompany your soups.  Both are available from Amazon.

 

Dinner Party Menu

 

I did a dinner party the week of January 22 for 6 people, and I just thought I’d share the menu here.  It was an Italian meal that was won in a school auction last year.  The appetizer was Bruschetta on toasted Baguette Rounds, followed by Minestrone Soup and a Tuscan White Bean Salad (pictured above).  The main course was Spaghetti Carbonara with Roasted Lemon-Thyme Carrots.  Dessert was Cannoli, for which I made the Ricotta Cheese the day before.

 

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 of the winter term. 

February 3, 10 – Friday Evening - Just Desserts – Plum Center

February 23 – Thursday Evening – Introduction to Middle Eastern Cooking – Plum Center

February 25 – Saturday Morning – Dinner in Normandy – Plum Center

March 4, 11, 18 – Saturday Morning – Cooking Basics 101 – Lake Braddock Secondary School

March 10 – Friday Evening – Introduction to Middle Eastern Cooking – 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                          

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A.C.E. Class Soups and Stews for a Snowy Day; Dashi and Miso; Dining in Florida; Robot Chef.

Post Date: 17 January 2017

Belated Happy New Year

I hope everyone had a great New Year’s and that 2017 is full of successful culinary adventures.  After our annual New Year’s Day Open House, we went to Florida for a week to visit a friend and help her paint her house.  We had some great food at Disney World and Cocoa Beach, more on that below.  There is also some information on a “Robot Chef” created by a company in Britain.  My next A.C.E. class, Soups and Stews for a Snowy Day, begins on Sunday, January 22, followed by a Dessert class on February 3 and 10.

A.C.E. Soups and Snows for a Snowy Day

This 2 session class begins on Sunday afternoon January 22 and concludes on the 29th. In the first class we will be making Chicken Spezzatino, an Italian Chicken Stew; a quick Tomato Clam soup; and a Chili made with Thai sweet chili sauce.  In the second session we will feature a Battle of the Chowders, half the class will make New England style and half Manhattan, along with other recipes.

Dashi Stock and Miso Soup

Pictured above are the ingredients for Dashi, the Japanese Fish Stock which is the basis for Miso Soup and other dishes.  I purchased them at H-Mart.  Although Dashi can be made apart from the Miso soup and stored in the fridge for a few days, in the Soups and Stews class we will go right from preparing the Dashi to making Miso.  However, there should be enough Dashi left for participants to take home and make miso on their own.

Dining in Florida

 

We had some great meals on our trip to Florida at restaurants I would not hesitate to recommend.  We went to EPCOT at Disney and ate at Yak and Yeti (Sweet and Sour Chicken) and at Chefs de France (a marvelous steak).  We took a day trip to Cocoa Beach and ate at our favorite Florida place, Coconuts on the Beach.  I had Grilled Mahi Tacos with Sweet Potato Fries, pictured above.

 

Robot Chef

 

The January 9-22 issue of New York Magazine has an interesting article on a Robot Chef created by an engineering firm in Britain.  It still has a long way to go before chefs need to be worried about it, if ever.  It can only make one thing, Crab Bisque, and all the prep work has to be done by hand.  In addition, price is estimated to be in the 6 figure range.

 

Here is the link to the article:

 

http://www.grubstreet.com/2017/01/the-limits-and-possibilities-of-a-robot-chef.html

 

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 of the winter term. 

January 22, 29 – Sunday Afternoon – Soup and Stew for a Snowy Day – Plum Center

February 3, 10 – Friday Evening - Just Desserts – Plum Center

February 23 – Thursday Evening – Introduction to Middle Eastern Cooking – Plum Center

February 25 – Saturday Morning – Dinner in Normandy – Plum Center

March 4, 11, 18 – Saturday Morning – Cooking Basics 101 – Lake Braddock Secondary School

March 10 – Friday Evening – Introduction to Middle Eastern Cooking – 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                          

 

 

 

 
 

A.C.E. Class Quick Weeknight Dinners Class concludes; Miso Soup; Spiced Pork Chops with Maple Flavored Greens

Post Date: 17 December 2016

Happy Holidays

I hope everyone has a great holiday season and that all your cooking ventures are successful.

 

Quick Weeknight Dinners

 

The third and final session of this class meets this coming Tuesday, December 20, at 6:30 PM at the Plum Center in Springfield.   This week we will make the dish pictured above, Salmon with a Soy Honey Glaze, Curry Shrimp with Sautéed Vegetables, and Roasted Broccoli with either Sesame Oil or Balsamic Vinegar.

 

Making Miso Soup

 

In my last post I discussed making Dashi, the Japanese fish stock used as the basis for Miso Soup.  This week I used the Dashi to make a basic Miso Soup using red Miso Paste, Tofu, and Scallions.  I good some very good feedback so I will definitely be including this in my Soups and Stews class at the end of January.  I will take it up a notch by also including vegetables or meat.

 

Spiced Pork Chops with Maple Flavored Greens

 

I found this recipe in the December 2016 Food Network Magazine, and since I had a couple of nice Pork Chops I decided to try it out.  The pork chops were quite thick, so I butterflied then, then seasoned them with Paprika, Coriander, Salt, and Pepper.  For the greens I used Baby Spinach.  The recipe also calls for a sliced Onion, Maple Syrup, Apple Cider Vinegar, and White Beans.  When I told my wife Teresa what was in the dish she said, “So, basically, it’s Pork and Beans."

 

Here is the link:

 

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/spiced-pork-chops-with-maple-braised-greens.html

 

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 of the winter term. 

January 22, 29 – Sunday Afternoon – Soup and Stew for a Snowy Day – Plum Center

February 3, 10 – Friday Evening - Just Desserts – Plum Center

February 23 – Thursday Evening – Introduction to Middle Eastern Cooking – Plum Center

February 25 – Saturday Morning – Dinner in Normandy – Plum Center

March 4, 11, 18 – Saturday Morning – Cooking Basics 101 – Lake Braddock Secondary School

March 10 – Friday Evening – Introduction to Middle Eastern Cooking – 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                          

 

 

A.C.E. Class Quick Weeknight Dinners Class continues; Making Cranberry Wine; Organizing; Organizing Your Kitchen; Making Dashi.

Post Date: 11 December 2016

Quick Weeknight Dinners

 

 

The second session of this class will meet this coming Tuesday, December 13, at 6:30 PM at the Plum Center in Springfield.   Pictured above are a couple of items we made in the first class: a Spinach Salad with Golden Raisins, Walnuts, and Stilton Cheese with a Maple Syrup and Mustard Vinaigrette; and a sautéed Orange Tarragon Chicken with blanched Asparagus.

 

This week we will make a quick dessert with Strawberries and Balsamic Vinegar so we will have something sweet with which to finish off our meals.  The salad will be an Italian one, Panzanella, featuring tomatoes, basil, and crusty bread.  For our main courses we will make Hamburgers Dijon with a Lemon Aioli and Pork Chops in an Apricot Sauce.  We will also roast mixed vegetables in parchment paper.

 

Cranberry Wine

 

This past week my good friend John Treacy invited me over to make Cranberry Wine with a recipe he found online.  We made 5 gallons, but it will not be ready until next December.  However, we did sample some that was 2 years old, and I left with 2 bottles for the holidays.  It is a light wine, perfect as a dessert wine.

 

Kitchen Arrangement

Trying to find an essential ingredient or piece of equipment at a crucial stage of your cooking can be aggravating, to say the least.  Below is a link to a Bon Appetite web page that has some great tips for organizing your kitchen.

http://www.bonappetit.com/story/insanely-organized-kitchen?mbid=nl_001_12072016_Daily&CNDID=30776540&spMailingID=13905804&spUserID=MTM3ODMwMzk2ODcyS0&spJobID=883192709&spReportId=ODgzMTkyNzA5S0

Making Dashi

 

 

In planning my Soups and Stews for the end of January, I am thinking of including a Japanese Miso soup, so this weekend I made Dashi, the starting point for Miso.  It is a fish stock using Kelp and Bonito Flakes, which I bought at H-Mart.  Tomorrow I will get the rest of the ingredients, Miso Paste, Tofu, and Scallions.

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 of the winter term. 

January 22, 29 – Sunday Afternoon – Soup and Stew for a Snowy Day – Plum Center

February 3, 10 – Friday Evening - Just Desserts – Plum Center

February 23 – Thursday Evening – Introduction to Middle Eastern Cooking – Plum Center

February 25 – Saturday Morning – Dinner in Normandy – Plum Center

March 4, 11, 18 – Saturday Morning – Cooking Basics 101 – Lake Braddock Secondary School

March 10 – Friday Evening – Introduction to Middle Eastern Cooking – 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                          

A.C.E. Class Quick Weeknight Dinners begins; Steak Diane; Christmas Bazaar Wrap Up; Winter Class Schedule Published.

Post Date: 3 December 2016

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and is getting ready for some delicious culinary treats for the rest of the holiday season.  Our Thanksgiving had all the usual suspects, turkey, dressing, pumpkin pie, etc.  The one exception was a Fig/Wine/Cranberry Sauce which I made from a recipe that had been published in the Washington Post.  It also has orange Liqueur.  Below is the link to find it.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/food/give-cranberry-sauce-the-respect--and-recipe--it-deserves-at-thanksgiving/2016/11/13/94c63c62-9d30-11e6-b3c9-f662adaa0048_story.html?utm_term=.8745bc7d4f23

Quick Weeknight Dinners

The first meeting of this three session class will be on Tuesday night, December 6, at 6:30 PM at the Plum Center in Springfield. In this class we will be focusing on salads, vegetables, and main courses that can be made quickly upon returning home from work.  We usually do not do desserts unless the class decides they would like some included.  In the first session we will be making 2 salads, a Waldorf Salad and a Spinach Salad with Stilton Cheese.  The vegetable will be quickly Blanched Asparagus.  The main courses will be Orange Tarragon Chicken Breasts and Tilapia Italiana.  I will also be including a recipe for a quick Vegetable Soup which can be made on the weekend to be served throughout the week or taken for lunch, or both.

 

Steak Diane

 

 

 

I made this mid-twentieth century classic for the first time last week from a recipe in the December Cooking Light magazine.  The link to it is below.  The preparation of the steak itself is quite simple, salt and pepper on a strip steak and into the frying pan, then a 10 minute rest while you make the sauce, which is what makes the dish jump.  It starts with Shallots, Mushrooms, and Garlic in the pan the steak was cooked in, then Dijon Mustard, Brandy, Worcestershire Sauce, and Half & Half are added.  The steak is then sliced and topped with the sauce.  I served it with Blanched Asparagus.

http://www.cookinglight.com/recipes/steak-diane-1

Christmas Bazaar Recap

 

 

The Christmas Bazaar I took part in on November 19 was a great success.  I sold out all 3 items I had for sale, 7 double batches of Spezzatino, an Italian Chicken Stew; 9 Lemon Olive Oil Pound Cakes; and Cannoli whose filling was made from 6 batches of homemade Ricotta Cheese.  The Spezzatino had sold out by 1:00 PM, so next year I will make even more.

My Winter Classes

The A.C.E. Winter Catalogue is out. I have quite a variety of classes on my plate for this term, starting on Sunday, January 22 with a 2 session class called Soups and Stews for a Snowy Day.  Also on my schedule is Just Desserts (2 sessions), Dinner in Normandy (1 session), Cooking Basics 101, and two iterations on the 1 session class Introduction to Middle Eastern Cooking.  I hope to see you in one of these classes.

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 and dates for the rest of the winter term. 

January 22, 29 – Sunday Afternoon – Soup and Stew for a Snowy Day – Plum Center

February 3, 10 – Friday Evening - Just Desserts – Plum Center

February 23 – Thursday Evening – Introduction to Middle Eastern Cooking – Plum Center

February 25 – Saturday Morning – Dinner in Normandy – Plum Center

March 4, 11, 18 – Saturday Morning – Cooking Basics 101 – Lake Braddock Secondary School

March 10 – Friday Evening – Introduction to Middle Eastern Cooking – Plum Center

 

To register for these or any 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                                                           

 

 

 

Clyde’s Chili Recipe; A. C. E Class “Cooking Basics 101” concludes on Sunday November 20: Christmas Bazaar on Saturday, November 19; Quick Weeknight Dinners Class in December

Post Date: 16 November 2016

Happy Thanksgiving.  I have been busy this week getting ready for Sunday’s Cooking Basics 101 class finale and for my table at a Christmas bazaar this coming Saturday (details below).  Yesterday I made to double batches of Spezzatino, an Italian Chicken Stew.  The recipe calls for a lot of canned goods, so in a whimsical mood I created the above Tower o’ Cans.

Chili

 

 

One of my students downloaded several recipes from Clyde’s Restaurant web site and sent them to me.  The first one in the packet was Chili, so I started with that one, with some modifications.  I used Chili Beans that were already in a chili sauce, then supplemented that sauce with 4 ounces of Kame Sweet Chili Sauce from Thailand.  Adding a bit of sweetness really made a unique and delicious flavor.

Cooking Basics 101 Concludes on November 20

Session 3 of this class meets this Sunday afternoon at 1:00 PM at the Plum Center in Springfield.   After 2 weeks of no bake desserts, this Sunday we will be baking – a Lemon Olive Oil Pound Cake.  For the main course we will be making Salisbury Steaks using a third cooking technique – starting the dish on the stovetop then finishing in the oven.  We will then use the pan to make a sauce for the steaks.  For our salad we will be making a Tuscan Bean Salad.
 

Christmas Bazaar on Saturday November 19

As mentioned in my last post, I will have a table with my personal chef business, Chef du Jour, LLC, at the St. John’s Catholic Church Christmas Bazaar on Saturday, November 19^th, from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM.  In addition to taking orders for Christmas desserts, I will be selling cups of Chicken Spezzatino, an Italian Chicken Stew, Cannoli with filling of homemade artisanal ricotta cheese, and Lemon Pound Cakes.  Spezzatino can also be ordered for delivery before Christmas. The address is 6420 Linway terrace, McLean, VA 22101.  The event will be held in the school gymnasium.

Quick Weeknight Dinners Class in December

This popular class will meet on Tuesday nights December 6, 13, and 20.  It will feature salads and main courses (and maybe a dessert or two) which are quick and easy to make while still being nutritious - great meal ideas to help you navigate the obstacle course of the holidays.

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 of the fall term.  The winter catalogue will be out soon.

December 6, 13, 20 – Tuesday Evenings – Quick Weeknight Dinners – 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                                                           

 

 

 

Meatballs in the Oven; A. C. E Class “Cooking Basics 101” continues on Sunday November 13: Christmas Bazaar on Saturday, November 19.

Post Date: 10 November 2016

Meatballs in the Oven

I made a batch of Italian meatballs this week, but instead of cooking them on the stovetop in a skillet I baked them for about 20 minutes at 350 degrees.  It was a lot less labor intensive and cleanup was very easy, as I lined a rimmed baking sheet with a piece of aluminum foil, then placed a rack on top, and then the meatballs on the rack.  Drippings were caught by the foil, which I easily discarded.

To prepare the meatballs, I added eggs, Italian breadcrumbs, minced garlic, minced onion, grated Parmesan, salt, pepper, and dried parsley flakes to the ground beef.

Cooking Basics 101 Continues on November 13

Session 2 of this class meets this Sunday afternoon at 1:00 PM at the Plum Center in Springfield.   This week we will be further practicing our knife skills when we make a Quick Vegetable Soup.  In the first session we cooked on the stove top; this week we will be using the oven.  For our vegetable we will be making Roasted Carrots with Lemon and Thyme, and for our main course we will have Baked Salmon with Mustard, Garlic, fresh Thyme, and Panko Breadcrumbs (pictured above).  For dessert we will again be doing a no bake one with Marscapone Cheese and Strawberries.

Christmas Bazaar on Saturday November 19

I will have a table with my personal chef business, Chef du Jour, LLC, at the St. John’s Catholic Church Christmas Bazaar on Saturday, November 19^th, from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM.  In addition to taking orders for Christmas desserts, I will be selling cups of Chicken Spezzatino, an Italian Chicken Stew, Cannoli with filling of homemade artisanal ricotta cheese, and Lemon Pound Cakes.  The address is 6420 Linway terrace, McLean, VA 22101.  The event will be held in the school gymnasium.

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 of the fall term.  The winter catalogue will be out soon.

December 6, 13, 20 – Tuesday Evenings – Quick Weeknight Dinners – 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