Foundation Cooking Series
We will prepare and eat a full meal in each class.
This 6 week series is perfect for the beginner who wants to get up to speed quickly, or for the more advanced student who feels they need a food refresher course in the fundamentals. Classes will be held every Wednesday evening from 6pm until 9pm, which includes dinner paired with wine. The fee includes the costs for all 6 classes. Below are the techniques and some of the recipes we'll cover.
The fee covers all 6 weekly classes. Sign up before the holidays and receive a free apron ... makes a great gift. Use coupon code "apron".
Week 1: Hands on Knife Skills Wednesday January 6, 2010 Learn the features of the chef knife. You'll leave class knowing how to chop, dice and mince like a professional chef. We'll discuss knife safety, storage; what to look for when purchasing a good chef knife and how to hone and sharpen your knives with confidence. You'll also become comfortable using a mandoline for perfect ribbons of vegetables. Recipes Include: Vegetable Spring Rolls with Peanut Dipping Sauce, Chicken Stir Fry with Basmati Rice and Apple Crisp with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream. As a bonus recipe, we'll make Classic Vegetable Soup from any scrap veggies. Week 2: Hands on Sauté Wednesday January 13, 2010
Many consider this the most fundamental and useful technique in the kitchen. We'll learn the importance of deglazing and why you'll come to love "fond" in your pan sauce. We'll discuss the anatomy of a good sauté pan and why not to use non-stick pans when sautéing. 5 to 6 different and delicious pan sauces will be prepared with fish and chicken. Recipes Include: Chicken with Garlic Lemon Sauce, Chicken with Hoisin Mango Chutney Sauce, Tilapia with Ginger Teriyaki and Snow Peas, Chicken with Moroccan Saffron Sauce, Herbed Israeli Couscous, Molten Chocolate Cake with Whipped Cream. Week 3: Hands on Grilling Wednesday January 20, 2010
In this country, most outdoor grilling is over direct dry heat. This is the hottest and often the quickest way of cooking and what we’ll focus on in this class. We'll also make marinades, dry rubs and compound butters and we'll move beyond just grilling meat to explore lesser known grilling options. Although we’ll cover the concepts of slow grilling and barbecuing, time constraints don’t allow us to actually do them in class. Recipes Include: Grilled Caesar Salad, Marinated Chicken: Beer Marinade and Moroccan Chermoula Marinade, Best Burgers, Grilled Pineapple with Balsamic Honey Glaze and Vanilla Bean Ice Cream. Week 4: Hands on Braising and Stewing Wednesday January 27, 2010
For this class, we need to review the basic methods of cookery: dry heat, moist heat, and "combination" cooking–which utilizes elements of both "moist" and "dry" techniques. Braising, simply stated, is a combination cooking technique using both methods in one recipe. Applications include pot roast, curries, stews, and osso bucco. We'll use several recipes to highlight the differences between braising and stewing. Recipes Include: Beef Burgundy, Braised Chipotle Beef Short Ribs with Creamy Polenta, Braised Chicken Around the World: Thai Red Coconut Chicken Curry, German Beer Braised Chicken with Red Cabbage, Moroccan Chicken Tagine, Indian Chicken Curry, Mexican Chicken Chili Verde. (And you thought chicken was boring! Each group will prepare a different 'around the world' braise. When we're ready to eat, we'll sample each dish). Week 5: Hands on Soups and Quick Breads Wednesday February 3, 2010
A good soup is liquid magic. You'll quickly understand how classic techniques like deglazing, caramelizing and thickening will make your favorite soups divine. And what's better with soup than bread? We'll work from master recipes to bake perfectly tender muffins and breads each time. Quick breads use chemical leaveners like baking powder instead of yeast. They're a valuable part of any baker's recipe box. Recipes Include: French Onion Soup (demo), Cream of Cauliflower, American Beef Chili, Creole Seafood Gumbo, Cranberry Cornmeal Bread, Killer Banana Bread, Blueberry Muffins with Streusel Topping. Week 6: Hands on Desserts Wednesday February 10, 2010
This class could last for weeks before we get tired of it! We'll cover a variety of techniques associated with this last course of the meal. Soufflés have an undeserved reputation of being fickle. But with a few tricks in your pocket, this will become your go-to dessert. And the luxurious yet easy crème anglaise sauce will quickly become part of your repertoire. Recipes Include: Chocolate Soufflé, Caramelized Pear and Mascarpone Crepes, Bananas Foster, Crème Anglaise with Berries. (A light dinner will be served.)
This series of classes will be taught in our Lake Oswego facility. | 
Waiting List
Seats Available
;){kind=link}