August 2018 Class

August 2018 Class

One of my favorite things to do when I’m traveling, is I try to take a class with a local culinary expert. It’s the best way to learn about local cuisine, find good places to shop and get inspiration for new recipes and the blending of flavors that comes from discovering new ingredients. This menu is inspired by a trip to Italy a few summers back where I took a couple of classes, this one in Rome.

These recipes use the last of summer produce and are a perfect meal to enjoy on these final days of summer. Maybe enjoy them on the patio to soak up the rays, or underneath the shade looking out at your yard?  I hope you enjoy the taste of these last days of summer…. 

Here is what we are cooking:

Pasta With Summer Beans
Perfectly cooked pasta combined with crisp summer beans, sweet cherry tomatoes, and fresh basil. This dish is so colorful, with all the red, white and green, reminds me of a tasty Italian flag. The pasta and vegetables are tossed with some of the starchy cooking liquid from the pasta and Pecorino-Romano cheese that creates a creamy, yet light sauce. I just adore good pasta and this one is a keeper. It perfect for a light lunch or a starter for dinner.

Chicken with Fennel, Olives & Tomatoes
Nothing makes your house smell more fantastic than roasting a chicken. There is something so comfortable and cozy about coming home and smelling that aroma coming from the kitchen. As the weather starts to cool down a bit, I can turn on the oven again without fear of heating up the whole house, and this dish is a perfect way to end summer and can easily be made into the fall months ahead. The chicken is seasoned with fennel seed, which adds a savory subtle anise flavor. The addition of the onions, olives, and wine lends a slight salty sweet pan sauce, making this one of the most flavorful roasted chicken dishes I have prepared. I know you will love it.

Vanilla Panna Cotta with Summer Fruit
Panna Cotta translates from Italian to mean “cooked cream”. It is a molded cold custard that is just sublime. The first time I made it, my young son said, “It tastes like ice cream but doesn’t melt”. And he was right! It is so simple to make and comes together in just a few minutes. The hard part is waiting for it to set, about 5 hours. We are serving it today with some fresh summer fruit that we toss with a little sugar and liquor to bring out more of that great summer flavor. It a simple dish that is so elegant and sure to be a great way to end your summer meal

July 2018 Class

July 2018 Class

Well, summer is in full swing! The days have been so toasty, but the evenings have been cooling down just enough that hopefully you have been able to sit outside and enjoy the beautiful summer sky. 

To keep the house cool, we do a lot of grilling. I love the charcoal flavor that grilling gives your food. During the week, we normally use a gas grill so it is a fast & easy way to cook. I usually serve sides and desserts that I have made ahead, so the meal comes together quickly and keeps the kitchen cool.  Just perfect for entertaining family and friends!

Here’s what we are cooking:

Ratatouille:
Ratatouille is a French Provencal Vegetable dish that is usually made in the summer with onions, eggplant, peppers, zucchini, and herbs. It’s a great way to use that abundance of veggies you may have in your garden, or that you bought at the farmer’s market. It takes a little while for it to cook, but you will be so rewarded! It’s a dish that is good the day it is made but only improves with time, giving all the flavors have a chance to mellow. It is so versatile because of the many ways you can serve it. It’s the perfect side dish served warm alongside grilled meats and fish. Or, you can serve it cold as a salad or add it to a sandwich. You can top a crostini with it and you have a quick appetizer. I love it so much that I double the recipe! I put some in my freezer for later in the season and have a container of it in my fridge all summer long. 

Perfectly Grilled Steak with Bleu Cheese Butter: 
Nothing says summer like a steak on the grill! These beautiful New York steaks are perfectly grilled, then topped with bleu cheese butter that, once it is placed on top of the hot steaks, melts and creates this beautiful, cheesy buttery sauce. The combination of the bleu cheese and the grilled meat is just heavenly. The butter can be made ahead and kept at the ready and can be used on a variety of other dishes. Slice a piece and put it on top of the chicken, fish, or in a baked potato. It freezes well too.

Apricot Galette: 
A galette is a French term for a free-form dessert in which the pastry is rolled out into a large circle, then it is topped with fruits, and the edges of the pastry are gathered around the fruit giving it an elegant, but rustic appearance, making each galette unique and special, The Italian’s call this dessert a crostata. The pastry is foolproof, easy to make, and freezes well. Today we’re filling the galette with apricots that are then tucked into that beautiful pastry, topped with a little sugar, and baked until brown and bubbling. The pastry is crisp and flaky, and the apricots are sweet caramelized gems. Topped with ice cream, this is a sublime way to end a summer day!

Happy Summer!