$25 off!! Culinary Basics 1, Starts 3/30 March 30, 2009

Take $25 off our Culinary Basics Class!! Save Money by learning to cook!!

ARE YOU ARE A BEGINNER? YOU CAN COOK! LET US SHOW YOU HOW.

“The Classroom is a warm environment to learn the basics of cooking. The staff is friendly and supportive and took away my fears of cooking.” Alia Ascha, Culinary Basics’ Graduate

CULINARY BASICS – Home Ec Revitalized - $375 – Includes Logo Apron

Mon, 3/30/09-4/20/09 7:00pm-10:00pm

This series meets once weekly, 3 hours each day, for 4 weeks. The classes are designed for the novice cook with little or no culinary experience and a desire to learn and enjoy cooking. The recipes focus on easy-to-prepare meals and include basic cooking techniques such as roasting, grilling and baking. Preparation is key as many of the steps can be done in advance to save time and many ingredients can be purchased ready-to-cook for ease in the kitchen. You’ll be happy with your ability as you immediately start making recipes on day one after some knife skills instruction and practice. Kitchen Sanitation and Safety are discussed every class. Due to the popular nature of this series, we cannot allow any class make ups – we are sorry – but you may send someone in your place. Should you miss a class, you will receive the recipes and should feel free to contact Chef Eric with any questions you may have regarding cooking methods and recipe execution.

Class #1 - Basic knife skills and meal preparation. Learn how professionals Chop, Slice, Julienne and Dice vegetables quickly and efficiently. Also explore the more complicated Brunoise, Paysanne, Batonnet and Tourne knife cuts to get more confident and create variety for your dishes. We learn many cooking techniques for easily-prepared meals with chicken and beef on our first night in the kitchen: Risotto-Style Orzo Pasta with Parmesan Cheese, Latin-Style Strip Loin Steak with Chayote Squash flavored with Oregano and Lime, flavorful Ajieco Stew (Chicken, Potato and Corn Stew), and Spiced Peruvian Chickpea Cakes ease us into cooking with these delicious recipes.

Class #2 – This class shows students how quickly and easily International Meals can be prepared from start to finish using organizational techniques, knife skills, and cooking techniques learned during the previous class. Pan-Seared Chicken with Fresh Tomato-Herb Sauce, Lemon Orzo Pasta with Kalamata Olives, Asian Five-Spice Chicken Skewers with Spicy Peanut Sauce and Thai-Style Rice Noodles, Grilled and Spiced Carne Asada with home made Guacamole Sauce, Sour Cream, Olives and Tortillas, Mom’s Mouthwatering Meatloaf with Mashed Carrots and Potatoes, and Flavorful Chicken and Chile Stew with Pilaf-Style Rice – these recipes will become favorites very quickly and will impress your friends with your cooking style as we learn to plate these dishes for maximum eye appeal.

Class #3 – Hearty Potatoes and Light Home Made Pastas are added to the menu as you make the following recipes with incredibly delicious and easy accompanying Sauces: Fresh Home Made Pasta with House-Dried Herbs and Bolognese-Style Spaghetti Sauce, Traditional Herb and Cheese Spaetzle with Cream Sauce, Roasted Potatoes with Olive Oil, Garlic and Rosemary, Home Made Tagliatelle with Bolognese Meat Sauce, mouth-watering Fettuccine Alfredo, and the creamiest Potatoes au Gratin with Roasted Red Bell Pepper Puree. Lighter versions of these hearty dishes are discussed as we eat our fill of the Home Made Pastas, Sauces and Potato dishes that will become staples of your diet.

Class #4 – This final class covers basic sanitation, safety and cooking techniques with Fish and Shellfish. Recipes include Seared and Spice-Crusted Ahi Tuna drizzled with Sesame Dressing on Julienned Lettuce, Brown Rice and Edamame Beans with Soy Sauce, Salmon Steamed in Wine and Spices on Mixed Greens with Balsamic Vinaigrette, Grilled Chipotle-Spiced Shrimp and Grilled Portobello Mushrooms with Brown Derby French Dressing, Succulent Bass and Mixed Vegetable Packets with Mint and Basil Pesto, and Sole Vin Blanc with Ginger-Lime-Scallion Butter with Shiitake Mushroom and Asparagus Sauté. Fish never tasted so good and was so easy to prepare. Lots of great food and conversation as we dine to our hearts delight on our last class together with our newfound foodie friends. Feel free to bring some wine for the end of the last class.