Fall 2011 Cooking Classes

Kitchen Conservatory's fall schedule is now posted online. To register, call Kitchen Conservatory at 314-862-2665 or register online. 

Here are the upcoming classes that I am teaching:

HEIR AND A PARENT: WIZARDS IN THE KITCHEN - Sunday, September 18 @ 1:00-3:30 OR Sunday, October 16 @ 1:00-3:30 OR Sunday, November 6 @ 1:00-3:30 (hands-on)

• Attention all Muggles! Experience the world of Harry Potter and make magic in the kitchen as I help you prepare delightful dishes described throughout the J.K. Rowling series, including The Three Broomsticks' butterbeer, ham-and-cheese pasties from the Hogwarts house-elves, Mrs. Weasley's potatoes with béchamel sauce, and Aunt Petunia's individual berry-pudding trifles. Before you apparate home, you'll make edible wands to help ward off He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. This class is designed for children, at least 7 years of age, plus a parent.

DATE NIGHT FOR COUPLES: GOLDILOCKS AND THE THREE BEERS - Sunday, September 25 @ 5:00-7:30 OR Friday, December 9 @ 6:30-9:00 (hands-on)

• Forget the porridge, chair, and sleeping - the three tastings of beer will be just right and plenty cold! Join me (aka “goldie” locks) in a fun evening designed for couples. This hands-on class will prepare beer cheese fondue with soft pretzels, local lager with spicy Sriracha chicken wings, fruity Belgian wheat beer with grilled scallops and corn salad, plus creamy stout with chocolate hazelnut cake and vanilla ice cream.  

PHOTO FINISH WITH FOOD - Saturday, October 15 @ 11:00-2:00 (hands-on)

• Whether you are a food blogger or love to cook and then capture pictures of beautiful food, this class will be the perfect photo finish. Join me in creating radicchio-Brussels sprouts-apple panzanella with pancetta and cider vinaigrette, red lentil-pumpkin soup with spicy caramelized onions, bittersweet chocolate tart with a pretzel crust, plus pomegranate-red wine sangria. Professional photographer Corey Woodruff will "focus" on capturing each dish with simple techniques and available lighting, using your own cameras to discover tips on exposure, composition, plus how to make a simple homemade reflector and lightbox. Please bring your cameras. Nothing fancy is required; even phone cameras will work!

GIRLS' NIGHT OUT: PORK AVENUE - Saturday, October 22 @ 6:30-9:00 (demonstration)

• If farm living is not the life for you, and you would rather have a penthouse view, relax while I shares my passion for pork. Enjoy bacon-infused bourbon and maple old fashioned cocktail, cherry-bacon-pecan snack mix, apple-fennel salad with crispy prosciutto and creamy goat cheese dressing, egg yolk raviolo with pancetta-spinach-ricotta filling, sweet-and-salty kettle corn, plus bacon cookies with maple glaze.

DATE NIGHT FOR COUPLES: SUSHI U FOR TWO - Sunday, October 30 @ 5:00-7:30 (hands-on)

• This hands-on class will create tempura-fried shrimp rolls, sesame tuna hand rolls, unagi smoked eel rolls, spicy scallop rolls, hot-smoked salmon rolls with mango and jalapeño, plus ginger-peach green tea ice cream - all served with cold beer.

DATE NIGHT FOR COUPLES: FROM BEER TO SUSHI ETERNITY - Saturday, November 12 @ 6:00-8:30 (hands-on)

• Be prepared for a fun evening of sushi designed just for couples. Create magic in the kitchen creating salt-and-pepper edamame, spicy cucumber salad, then learn to prepare sticky sushi rice and make a variety of hand-formed nigiri, and rolled maki, including spicy tuna rolls, California rolls and Philadelphia rolls -- all served with cold beer. Dessert is a refreshing lemongrass-ginger sorbet.  

GIRLS' NIGHT OUT: THE PERFECT ENDING - CHOCOLATE - Saturday, November 19 @ 6:30-9:00 (demonstration)

• I'll prepare a myriad of chocolate desserts including flaming s'more shooters, chocolate-lemon-rosemary truffles with pistachios, chocolate-brie-basil paninis, white chocolate chip-cookie dough brownies, plus chocolate-peanut butter-raspberry jam tartlets.

DATE NIGHT FOR COUPLES: LIFE IS A CABERNET - Friday, November 25 @ 6:00-8:30 (hands-on)

• Learn to cook with the wonderful flavors of wine. We will prepare mushroom-red pepper salad with red wine-herb vinaigrette, oven-roasted beef tenderloin with roasted red grape wine sauce, homemade ravioli stuffed with ricotta and nuts with a creamy asparagus chardonnay sauce, plus fabulous flourless chocolate-red wine cake with rosemary ganache -- all enjoyed with cabernet wine.

GIRLS' NIGHT OUT: SUGAR AND SPICE - Saturday, December 3 @ 6:30-9:00 (demonstration)

• The delicious smells wafting from the kitchen during the holiday season always include ginger and nutmeg and cinnamon. I'll use all of these spices in a lovely menu, including a sparkling ginger-apple cocktail, spinach and gruyère in puff pastry, creamy spiced butternut-fennel-pear soup, cardamom lamb curry with figs and apples, plus cherry-cinnamon palmiers with dark chocolate gelato.

DATE NIGHT FOR COUPLES: THE ULTIMATE COCKTAIL PARTY - Sunday, December 18 @ 5:00-7:30 (hands-on)

• Before they start playing Auld Lang Syne, join me in the kitchen to create the ultimate cocktail party. This hands-on class will mix up cranberry-champagne sangria and gingersnap-apple vodka martinis. Learn to create a dazzling spread of roasted five-spice cashews, baked cheddar coins with pecan-pepper jelly, caramelized onion bread topped with olives and anchovies, smoked shrimp with cilantro-lime yogurt dipping sauce, plus homemade marshmallow s'more skewers.

SUSHI ROCK AND ROLL  - Wednesday, December 21 @ 6:00-8:30 (hands-on)

• Wrap and roll your favorite sushi in a hands-on class. Enjoy salt-and-pepper edamame, then learn to prepare sticky sushi rice and make a variety of hand-formed nigiri, and rolled maki, including spicy tuna rolls, California rolls and Philadelphia rolls. Create lemongrass sorbet for a refreshing dessert.

THE APPRENTICE CHEF: MIDNIGHT SNACKS ON A STICK - Monday, December 26 @ 12:00-2:00 (hands-on). For aspiring chefs, children ages 7 to 12. 

• Plan your very own midnight celebration for the New Year with yummy treats that are all on a stick! We'll make sausage-pancake "corn" dogs, pizza pinwheels with garlic butter dipping sauce, deep-fried mac-and-cheese skewers, plus white chocolate-dipped red velvet cake pops.

MATCHMAKER - Thursday, December 29 @ 6:00-8:30 (demonstration)

• I'll prove that it is not which wines to match with food, but rather how to prepare your food to perfectly balance with your favorite wines! Enjoy an outrageous evening, starting with buttered popcorn to highlight the butteriness of chardonnay, aromatic sautéed lemongrass-lime shrimp with riesling, seared beef tenderloin with mushroom-cabernet sauce paired with cabernet, stilton and pears with port, plus a fabulous flourless chocolate-red wine cake with rosemary ganache served with red wine.