Week 1: Hands on Knife Skills

September 2, 2010

The fee covers all 6 weekly classes.

Designed for kids ages 7 through 12, with all levels of experience in the kitchen, from beginner to experienced. Vegetarian-friendly.

The class will take place from 10:30 am to 2 pm each day.

Friday: Iron Chef Improv
With a variety of fresh ingredients to work with, participants will split into teams and let their creativity and new skills shine as they create a dish of their own design.

A series of reflective and educational classes by local chef Amy Jermain....

We will study the sourcing and location of Oregon farmers, vendors and markets that contribute to our landscape. We will also take a glimpse at the history and evolution of agriculture and aquaculture in Oregon, through the lens of a variety of dishes nostalgic to this area.

James Beard was the forerunner of our great local food movement. Born in Portland, Beard spent his summers at the beach at Gearhart, Oregon, fishing, gathering shellfish, picking wild berries, and cooking meals with what he collected. Championing fresh, quality ingredients in the heyday of TV dinners, Beard laid the foundations for today’s farm-to-table movement, and put Oregon on the culinary map.

This very special meal will be paired with Oregon wines.

The Original - Whimsical Takes on Classic Dishes

Join us for an inspired and original menu from B.J. Smith, Executive Chef at The Original. He will show you how he prepares this very creative menu, and how you can prepare similar dishes at home as you entertain your friends.

B.J. Smith, is the opening executive chef at The Original, a modern version of a classic neighborhood diner. With an emphasis on seasonal ingredients and “nose to tail” dining, Smith brings more than two decades of culinary experience to his role. Smith has worked in the kitchens of many local and national restaurants, including Le Bernardin and Gotham Bar and Grill in New York, Citrus in Los Angeles and Paley’s Place, Veritable Quandary, Zinc Bistro and Hurley’s Restaurant in Portland, Oregon. Smith was also the executive sous chef at Olea Restaruant in Portland.

At The Original, Smith has created a whimsical, yet classic menu featuring familiar dishes from the 1940s and 1950s and adding an imaginative twist such as Lobster corn dog, Crab Beignets, Pigs in a Blanket and Duck-n-Waffles.

Are you amazed by the ease with which chefs handle their knives? You, too, can learn to mince, dice, and julienne with confidence and speed. Practice the proper techniques to mince, dice, chop, slice, chiffonade, Asian julienne, and more. We'll include information of how to select and properly maintain fine knives. Remember to bring your apron (optional)!

The class lasts about 2 hours, depending on the number of questions you might have.

You don't need to bring your own knives. We provide some for you to use during class.

Wild Game night will break you out of your cycle of beef, chicken, and pork while showing you new twists on old world ingredients.  Interest in wild game has erupted over the past few years as chefs, and home cooks, have begun to explore less popular sources of meat, and use them to create inventive and delicious meals.  During this class, you will learn the techniques for selecting and preparing wild game as the centerpiece of an extraordinary meal or dinner party.

Dan Brophy is a Certified Executive Chef and a Certified Culinary Educator. He is an edible inner tidal specialist and has been a Master Gardener since 1992. Dan is also a mushroom forager and a grower and supplier of edible flowers, trick vegetables, herbs, fruits, wild mushrooms, and brown eggs.

A series of reflective and educational classes by local chef Amy Jermain....

We will study the sourcing and location of Oregon farmers, vendors and markets that contribute to our landscape. We will also take a glimpse at the history and evolution of agriculture and aquaculture in Oregon, through the lens of a variety of dishes nostalgic to this area.

James Beard was the forerunner of our great local food movement. Born in Portland, Beard spent his summers at the beach at Gearhart, Oregon, fishing, gathering shellfish, picking wild berries, and cooking meals with what he collected. Championing fresh, quality ingredients in the heyday of TV dinners, Beard laid the foundations for today’s farm-to-table movement, and put Oregon on the culinary map.

This very special meal will be paired with Oregon wines.

Smoked Rainbow Trout Salad
with latkes, creme fraiche and grape vinaigrette

Chicken Liver Mousse
Ken's artisan baguette and homemade pickles

Warm Wild Mushroom and Farro Salad  
served with a poached egg and truffle oil

Strawberry Hills Beef with Red Currant Glaze and Fried Shallots
Eastern Oregon beef grilled to perfection!

Roasted Potatoes with Oregonzola and Hazelnuts

Swiss Chard and Cauliflower Gratin

Huckleberry Clafoutis with Fresh Cream

Cory Schreiber opened Wildwood Restaurant in Portland more than twelve years ago and rapidly became a leader in the region's bustling culinary scene. He won the James Beard Award in 1998 for Best Chef Pacific Northwest. His cuisine is inspired by the region's bounty and draws upon local and seasonal products.

Join Cory as he demonstrates dishes that have won him national acclaim.We'll serve local wines with the menu.

Chilled Tomato Soup with Dungeness Crab and Lemon

Seared Sea Scallop with a Quinoa and Kamut Salad, Pumpkin Seeds and Apple

Roasted “Tails and Trotters” Pork with Chanterelles, Corn, Bacon and Oregon Hazelnut Butter

Fig and Honey Cream Galette

The School of Essential Ingredients:
Author Event with Erica Bauermeister

Join us for a lively discussion of the book The School of Essential Ingredients by Erica Bauermeister, as you sip wine and sample foods inspired by the book.  Erica’s sensual novel takes place during a weekly series of cooking classes (within a restaurant) which makes it so perfect for us to host this evening. Erica will be on hand to spur on the conversation as she reads from the book and answers your questions about her inspiration for the book. The cost of the evening includes the snacks, the wine, the conversation, and a copy of the book (in paperback). Erica will autograph your book too…. What a lovely gift for someone!
 
Bring your book club with you!

Ladies, if you haven’t been to one of our popular Girls’ Night Out Classes come see what you’re missing! Chef Louisa Neumann has pulled together a classic Julia Child inspired meal based on the grand dame’s cooking adventures in Paris. After one bite of her Duck a l’Orange you’ll understand why these recipes have remained so timeless.

Techniques that you will learn include: Searing duck breast; making custard; using a double boiler; making fried rice

Hands on Artisan Cheese Making

Making your own cheese is fun, interesting, and delicious. In this class you will make three classic Italian soft cheeses from scratch. You’ll start with whole milk, which you’ll separate into curds and whey, and you’ll learn how to knead mozzarella to create its characteristic layers. You will have samples of all three cheeses to take home. Class will conclude with a light meal of an antipasto platter with your homemade mozzarella and ricotta, paired with wine.

Mozzarella
With a mild flavor and delicate texture, a classic for pizza and great in salads

Ricotta
A creamy cheese often used to fill pasta and in desserts

Mascarpone
Creamy and luxurious, used most commonly in desserts, most famously tiramisu

Antipasto Platter
With your homemade mozzarella and ricotta

 Week 4: Hands on Braising and Stewing

September 30, 2010

The fee covers all 6 weekly classes.

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 with prepare a different 'around the world' braise. When we're ready to eat, we'll sample each dish).

This series of classes will be taught in our Lake Oswego facility.

A series of reflective and educational classes by local chef Amy Jermain....

We will study the sourcing and location of Oregon farmers, vendors and markets that contribute to our landscape. We will also take a glimpse at the history and evolution of agriculture and aquaculture in Oregon, through the lens of a variety of dishes nostalgic to this area.

James Beard was the forerunner of our great local food movement. Born in Portland, Beard spent his summers at the beach at Gearhart, Oregon, fishing, gathering shellfish, picking wild berries, and cooking meals with what he collected. Championing fresh, quality ingredients in the heyday of TV dinners, Beard laid the foundations for today’s farm-to-table movement, and put Oregon on the culinary map.

This very special meal will be paired with Oregon wines.

Discover Chilean Cuisine and Learn Food & Wine Pairing Principles with Chef Ruth Van Waerebeek

Chef Ruth Van Waerebeek is a winery chef, with a unique approach to food and wine pairing—she pairs her food with her wine, unlike most chefs who pair their wine with their food.  As the corporate chef for Chile’s leading winery Concha y Toro, Chef Ruth starts with a wine and builds a dish to pair with it.

Join Chef Ruth as she demonstrates how she selects ingredients that will pair best with a wine; how she decides on the style and complexity of the dish, based on the wine; and best of all, sample her food and wine pairings firsthand. Leave the class with more confidence in pairing food and wine and having enjoyed a delicious Chilean menu.

Ruth Van Waerebeek is an adventurous traveler, international chef and cookbook author from Belgium. After years of travelling and cooking in restaurants around the world, including a full-time management and teaching position at Peter Kump's School of Culinary Arts in New York, Ruth landed in Chile. There, she discovered the extent to which the vitality of Chilean wines complement the flavors from her kitchen. “I found the perfect match for these flavors: the vibrant Concha y Toro wines possess a natural affinity with these new foods. What we have before us is the successful marriage of the products of this new land”. Since 2000, she is Concha y Toro’s official chef and culinary advisor.

Ruth has published two cookbooks (Everybody Eats Well In Belgium Cookbook, by Workman, 1996, and The Chilean Kitchen, HPBooks, 1999) and written articles in Food & Wine magazine and is a regular culinary contributor to the Chilean magazine Paula.

 Week 5: Hands on Soups and Quick Breads

October 7, 2010

The fee covers all 6 weekly classes.

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.

This series of classes will be taught in our Lake Oswego facility.

 Week 3: Pasta

All classes in the series will be taught in our Lake Oswego location

Traditions in Argentinean cooking are abundant.  From the unique ‘family recipe” empanada to the ever-present dulce-de-leche, Argentineans stick close to their traditions.  Chef Andre Pianucci shares his family recipes and favorites for a perfect culinary tour of Argentina.
 
Techniques you will learn in this class include: Dough making, fillings, grilling, how to make dulce de leche

This class will be taught in our Lake Oswego location

This day is reserved for Francesca's Cooking Club sponsored by the VOICES Lecture Series (www.VOICESinc.com). The event is by invitation only. Members of the club may call us at 503.248.2015 to reserve their seat.

You can reserve your own private cooking class. Call us at 503.248.2015 for details or email us at EMAIL

Hands on New York Style Bagels

You can now learn how to make New York-style bagels from the man who brings you the best bagels in Portland. You may have been lucky enough to buy his bagels at the Farmers Market on the few occasions that the proprietor of the underground “Touch of Grace Bakery” has them on sale. If so, you’ll know what I’m talking about. These bagels are the real thing. And now you can learn how to make them yourself.

Michael Zusman will teach you how to make these culinary gems in this very interactive and fun-filled hands-on class.  Under his guidance, you will make the dough yourself, roll it out, form the bagel shapes, boil the bagels, top the bagels, and then bake them.

When you have completed your bagels, you will sit down to a meal of bagels, cream cheese, lox, and all the trimmings.

You will make extra bagels to take home and cook later, to enjoy with family and friends.

Mimosas

Plain New York-style Bagels

Pumpernickel Bagels

Your choice of toppings

Late lunch of bagels with cream cheese, lox, onions, capers etc.