Dinner Party Prep - a Cooking Class

tricolor pasta

I signed up for the Dinner Party Prep cooking class at L'Academie de Cuisine on a whim. The class was listed as the weekly special (the price was discounted), the location was close to home and the menu was intriguing.



Puff pastry

When I arrived at the Gaithersburg campus and walked in the door the space seemed very quiet. I checked my smartphone to confirm I was at the correct location.  As I was peering at the smartphone screen, a man appeared from a nearby room and asked if I was attending the Dinner Party Prep call and requested that I follow him. I walked into the room and my heart quickened. Many of the people in the room were wearing white chef's jackets.  I nervously sat in the back of the room. What had I done? I thought this was a recreational cooking class. Although I cooked at home for years and had taken several cooking classes, I acknowledged I still had much to learn. I wondered how quickly I could get to the door and escape. I slowly began to gather my belongs and glanced at the door. I felt a tap on my shoulder - one of the chefs wanted to check my name off the list of registered participants. It was too late to escape! I think the man  saw the panic that was slowly overtaking my body. After checking my name off the list he reassured me that the class was going to be fun.

Chef Patrice Olivon welcomed the group and provided an overview of the evening's agenda: we would be divided into teams and prepare a course for a party of 16. We would sit down as a group and eat dinner. Each team would describe their dish and solicit feedback from the other students. I squirmed nervously in my seat.

On the menu:
Chicken, Caramelized Apples and Foie Gras Sausage

 Lobster Ragout with Oyster Mushrooms

 Osso Bucco Milanese Style with  Fresh Tricolor Pasta
"Baba au Rhum" Doughnuts with Mixed Berries & Rhubarb Ice Cream

 Chef Olivon reviewed the recipes for each course with the class and then discussed the wine pairings for each course. One student asked Chef Olivon why he chose a specific wine with the Osso Bucco and that he would've selected something else- a Cabernet perhaps . The class was silent. No one moved, save Chef Olivon, who retrieved a bottle of the wine in question for the room to see.

 

Chef Olivon asked who wanted to prepare each dish. I thought the Osso Bucco or doughnuts would be fun to prepare. I was assigned to work on the doughnuts with two young ladies. We were ushered into the kitchen. Was I trembling?

 

baba rhum doughnuts 

Chef Olivon spoke loudly describing the ingredients for the dish being prepared as the teams approached their station. A team of assistants stood nearby watching.  My team had two  tasks to start immediately: begin the starter for the  doughnuts and begin the ice cream. Chef Olivon asked me to make the doughnuts. I nodded in agreement and felt my mouth instantly get dry. I reviewed the recipe and looked the ingredients. I had baked before. I had cooked before. It was time to dispel the nervousness. I assembled the doughnut starter. While the starter was resting I began to prep the mixed berries- raspberries, blueberries and strawberries. While I cut fruit the assistant assigned to our team looked at me quizzically and asked if I had taken cooking classes before. I replied that I had. The quizzical looked changed to a frown as the assistant informed me that Chef Olivon expected  students to have a certain level of skills and that perhaps I should take the Culinary Techniques class. I froze for a moment. I knew that I wasn't a professional cook, but I thought I was in a recreational class. I thanked the assistant for the feedback and continued cutting up the fruit. A nearby chef asked for a saucepan. I went to retrieve the saucepan from the shelf. I stared blankly at the neatly assembled pots and pans; I didn't know which pan to bring back to the chef.  After three failed attempts to bring the correct saucepan I decided to just focus on getting the doughnuts prepared. The other members of my team began to comment how the same assistant had made cutting statements to them as well. 

 

making spun sugar

The kitchen smelled wonderful as each team began to make progress with their dish Chef Olivon was thinking of modifications to each dish as he walked around the kitchen. While I fried the doughnuts Chef Olivon looked at me asked, "What do you think about adding a simple glaze?". I hesitated as I thought of the complete dish. Chef Olivon was thinking as well. Then he grinned and said, "Let's do it!" I called an assistant and asked for ingredients I needed. The same assistant who quizzed me earlier returned and asked how did I know how to make a glaze. Chef Olivon walked by and tasted the glaze. He smiled and said 'This is good, but lets add a bit more orange blossom." I did as I was told. Once the glaze was ready and brushed on the doughnuts I joined my team members in making spun sugar - Chef Olivon thought it would be a fun garnish for the dessert.

 

I stopped briefly and chatted with the classmate who questioned the wine selection. I asked why he suggested a cabernet sauvignon or cab franc for the dish. I listened  to his answer and then he asked if  I had any ideas. I suggested a petite syrah or Syrah.

 



 cooked veal 

The dining gods allowed my team to see a teachable moment. We were following the instructions for the pastry crème. Chef Olivon looked at the pot suspiciously. He asked if the milk had boiled. The assistant responded affirmatively. He asked the same question a second time. The response was the same. He looked at me and said, 'this is not my first time at the rodeo'. He turned the heat up under to the pot to achieve the desired chemical reaction.  The pot was removed from the fire and taken to the team's station. The team gathered around the pot to see what would happen using the assembled ice bath. Before the assistant could speak Chef said, "I am the chef in this kitchen. You are confusing the students. I want them to do as I instructed. Do you understand?" My team was silent as the assistant replied, "Yes, Chef'".

 

The countdown to dinnertime began. Each team worked hard to finish up their dish. The dining area was being prepared. Time was called and we sat down as a group with Chef Olivon and ate the dishes we created.



Foie Gras on Brioche topped with Pistachios







Lobster Ragout

caramelized apples, chicken foie gras sausage

osso bucco and tricolor pasta



Baba au rhum doughnut





Each dish was nicely presented and tasted very good - restaurant quality good. During dinner several classmates disclosed that they had participated in the L'Academie's  Advanced Culinary Techniques course. One couple also completed culinary boot camp training at the Culinary Institute of America. I sighed wistfully. When the osso bucco arrived my classmate whispered to me, "you were right, a petite syrah or Syrah would be better than a Cabernet Sauvignon with this dish".  The class asked my team  to make the spun sugar was made.

 

I asked Chef Olivon if he recommended the Culinary Techniques Course for me. He asked why and I related what happened at the start of the class. His face grew grim and he shook his head. He asked what my goal was - to be a professional chef? To improve my cooking skills?  He confirmed that the class was an investment of time and money and I should only take the course if it was

 

I would take the class again. I learned a lot and loved the results. Chef Olivon and his team did their level best to make students feel comfortable and were quick to offer encouragement and assistance. 

 

I  was also reminded: respect the Chef.

 

Be well,

Technicolor girl

 



Passion for paella - a cooking class

When I saw the paella cooking class listed on the L'Academie Cuisine site I made a mental note to return and sign up for the class.  Previous experience has shown me that if I'm interested in a cooking class and can afford to pay for the class on the spot I should do so. When I returned a few weeks later to register that class was sold out. I picked up the phone and called L'Academie and requested to be placed on the wait list. I had begun to lose hope that a slot would open in the class when I received a call stating I would be able to attend.

The lobby was buzzing with conversation when I entered the building.  We were directed to sit in a nearby classroom to check registration. Two other people and I remained after all students names had been called. The instructor came in to talk with us and after a few minutes determined that we were the substitutes for a party that had not shown up.


On the menu:
Garlic Mushroom Toasts

 Gazpacho

 Paella Valenciana

 Paella Marinera

 Black Squid Paella

 Catalan Paella

 Lamb, Chickpea, and Eggplant Paella

 Paella Verduras 

 Red Wine Sangria Sorbet.

Chef Carol Nieroda was the instructor. She reviewed the menu and packet of recipes with

 the class. The team was divided into six groups of four. Each group would prepare alioli, garlic mushroom toasts, and gazpacho soup. Each group was assigned a paella to prepare. My group was assigned Black squid paella. We were instructed to make the dishes in the following order: alioli, mushroom toasts, paella.  The red sangria sorbet was made by a member of the volunteer team




One teammate made the alioli while another began to prepare the garlic mushroom toast. Another team mate and I began to prepare the gazpacho soup.




Preparing the garlic mushroom toast



The gazpacho soup was very easy to make. All the ingredients (tomatoes, onions, green peppers, cucumbers) were chopped into pieces small enough to be easily processed in a blender.  The ingredients were blended for varying periods of time depending on the team's desired consistency. My team wanted a somewhat smooth gazpacho.  We also set aside chopped green pepper, onion, and tomato for garnish. We used packaged croutons.



 



Gazpacho soup

The paellas were started once the mushroom garlic toast was near completed and the gazpacho soup was blended and placed in the fridge. The Black squid ink paella stands out because of brightly colored vegetables and seafood contrasted against the dark rice. I learned that the squid ink is sold in packets look very much like soy sauce seen in restaurants or some markets.  The most challenging part of preparing the black squid paella was resisting the urge to stir the rice once all the ingredients were added. The dish is meant to cook without any stirring. It took a while for the paella to cook and later Chef Nieroda told us that the Black Squid paella often took longer to cook in class because of the pans used.



Chopped artichokes and lemon wedges for the paella

Once all the paellas were ready the dishes were placed together so students could sample a little of each paella presented. It was a lovely to see all the paella variations lined up on the counter space.  I sampled a little of each paella.







Paella with lamb, chickpeas and eggplant



Black squid paella



paella verduras



mussels, clams and shrimp for paella marinera

rice for paella marinera




Paella Catalan style


All the paellas were good! After consuming paella each  class participant was brought dessert, red wine sangria sorbet. The instructor explained how to make the sorbet and fruit portions to include in the sorbet. This sorbet was heavy with peaches. I think orange would've been a better choice.

I'd recommend the class to others. If you have food allergies or dietary restrictions, I recommend telling the instructor at the start of class  so accommodations can be made. The only downside to the evening was tempers flaring among some the members of the team I cooked with. It made getting tasks completed challenging at times.


Be well,
Technicolor girl

Fat Tuesday Favorites: A cooking class featuring New Orleans Mardi Gras favorites

Beignets anyone?

Chef Danielle Turner's Fat Tuesday Favorites class syllabus on the L'Academie de Cuisine website piqued my curiosity. I was born in Louisiana as were my parents. My parents cooked some popular dishes associated with New Orleans/ Cajun dining when I was a child. I even helped my mother prep the vegetables she would use in many of her dishes. Yes, I was the kid whose hands reeked of onion, celery and bell pepper (aka the holy trinity of Cajun cooking or the mirepoix of Louisiana Creole cooking). Would this class teach me how to make the oft talked about beignets or oyster po'boy that my mother talked about eating as a young woman?

A snowstorm passed through the DC metro area the day before class and many areas were still clearing roadways and walkways the day of the class. Instead of 10 participants, there were 5 participants.

On the class menu:

Barbecued Shrimp

Chicken & Sausage Gumbo;

Fried Oyster Po' Boys

Beignets

Our first task was blending the ingredients for the beignet dough and then set it aside to allow the dough additional time to rise and expand.

We  moved on to the chicken and sausage gumbo. I scanned the recipe to see if okra was a listed ingredient (it's one of the few vegetables I'm not fond of. I remember once trying to extract the okra from bowl of gumbo  and my mother saw me - BIG mistake. I was told not to eat the gumbo unless I was willing to eat whatever was  placed in my bowl). I found no okra listed in the ingredients for class- whew!

We used red pepper instead of green pepper in our gumbo. Chef Turner recommended using chicken thighs and seasoning the meat well because they will absorb the flavors of the dish. Chicken stock, tomatoes, and a small bit of tomato paste were added to the cooked  peppers, cooked chicken and cooked sausage.

gumbo simmering



gumbo is served

Once the gumbo ingredients were simmering we began preparing the barbecue shrimp. It was simple, easy and quick to prepare - a winning a combination in my book. The word barbecue refers to using a 'low and slow' heat to cook the shrimp once the sauce is prepared. As my classmate and I discovered using a  high heat to create the sauce burns the sauce quickly. Fortunately, the shrimp had not been added to the pan and  one of the class assistants brought another set of ingredients to us to re-create the sauce. When the sauce is mixed well the shrimp are added to the pan and the flame is lowered. When the shrimp were  done we were shown two ways to plate the dish: arrange slices of bread on a plate, arrange shrimp on the bread slices, pour the sauce over the shrimp and bread OR place shrimp in bowl, pour sauce over shrimp and garnish with bread slices. I decided to serve the dish by arranging the shrimp atop the bread slices.



barbecue shrimp

After enjoying the barbecue shrimp Chef Turner demonstrated how to preprare the oysters for frying. The oysters were marinading in their own jucies with a liberal amount of Tabasco added.  We used one (1) beaten egg, flour, and cornmeal. We dipped the oyster in the beaten egg first then the flour, followed by the cornmeal. It's a messy process, but the end result is so worth it - oysters with a crispy exterior and a tender, somewhat spicy interior. We were given sliced baguette bread, lettuce, tomato, red onion and remoulade one of Chef Turner's volunteer assistants prepared for the class using the recipe provided in the course syllabus.


fried oysters

po'boy prep

Before tonight's class I had never made beignets.  After setting the beignet dough aside so it could rise and expand we rolled the dough out about 1/4 inch thick and then cut the dough into similarly sized pieces. The pieces of cut dough were deep fried and when done (the dough must be flipped over) were liberally dusted with powdered sugar. Delicious and addictive! Overall, the process reminded me of what I had done in another cooking class to make donuts, excluding placing the dough in a proofer to encourage the dough to rise more.

frying beignets

Chef Turner discovered that a recipe for bananas foster had mistakenly been included in the class syllabus she submitted for printing. She prepared the dish as a bonus for us.

I enjoyed the class and learned new techniques as Chef Turner's presentation style makes it easy to repeat the steps she demonstrates. She also encourages students to ask questions.

Merci!