Enjoy a fabulous meal of scallops, risotto, and chocolate truffles that YOU made!
Enjoy a romantic evening discovering wine’s many culinary uses. Experience using wine in different ways while preparing a 3-course romantic dinner by searing scallops and creating a creamy wine sauce for them. Next, pair dry white wine and pecorino for a wine-infused risotto. For dessert, make dark chocolate truffles with wine, of course!
Finally sit down as a group and enjoy your delicious meal, complete with a complimentary glass of wine.
Each ticket is for 2 people making enough for 2 meals.
It is possible there will be other couples in the class, however tickets are limited to 3 couples. One person can book a couple’s meal and take the 2nd meal home.
This series of classes is designed for the youngest chefs who are interested in entering the world of cooking food. This is a five-session series with each lasting 1 1/2 hours. The classes must be taken in order, but do not need to be week to week. Your young chef can experience session 1 this summer, session 2 the next time the series is offered, etc.
Session 5: More Stove Top and Knife Skills:
The final Youngest Chef session is a type of reminder course, advancing their skills. Students will be using stove top, handling meat, prepping vegetables with knives, and understanding the term “mise en place” when it comes to planning a cooking session.
Using these skills, they will be making a Taco bar for lunch.
This series of classes is designed for the youngest chefs who are interested in entering the world of cooking food. This is a five-session series with each lasting 1 1/2 hours. The classes must be taken in order, but do not need to be week to week. Your young chef can experience session 1 this summer, session 2 the next time the series is offered, etc.
Session 4: Ovens – Baking (Sweet & Savory)
This session provides an experience in foundation skills for baking (ingredient identification, measuring, folding, oven use, food safety regarding meat handling). Foods made in this session are mini-meatballs and cookies.
Designed for young people, aged 6 to 10. This series of classes is designed for the youngest chefs who are interested in entering the world of cooking food. This is a five-session series with each lasting 1 1/2 hours. The classes must be taken in order, but do not need to be week to week. Your young chef can experience session 1 this summer, session 2 the next time the series is offered, etc.
Session 3: Slicing, Dicing, Paring, and Boiling:
In this 3rd session the youngest chefs will be learning about boiling water, an easy way to dice an onion, slicing cheese, and paring an apple. Together with Chef Valerie they will be preparing a lunch of macaroni and cheese (the real thing, no boxed stuff!) with apple slices.
This post is a fun one about some Easter eggs around the world. Also included is a recipe for a quick and easy hollandaise sauce, and some of our upcoming classes. Enjoy!
Regardless of how you celebrate Easter, you’re likely aware of some traditions surrounding the use of eggs. Common American practices include hiding eggs, coloring eggs, and eating delicious chocolate eggs! But did you know that eggs feature in other ways for Easter traditions in different cultures? Here are a few of my favorites:
Giant Omelets
In southern France, there is a giant omelet festival put on by the Knights of the Giant Omelet. Unbelievably, using over 15,000 eggs, cooks create a gigantic omelet to serve to the folks who participate in the festival free of charge (feeding around 1,000 people)! And if you want a taste of France that’s not a gigantic omelette, consider making hollandaise to jazz your eggs up (see recipe below)!
used as a form of celebration. These treats are hollowed-out eggs that have been decorated on the outside, filled with confetti, then closed up with tissue paper over the opening. Cascarones can be used as colorful centerpieces or to add playful whimsy to your meal, as it’s great fun to break these eggs over your peers or children’s heads and shower them in the brightly colored confetti. While traditionally, these eggs are more likely to appear during Mardi Gras, they’ve been a big hit at Easter celebrations and egg hunts in more modern times.
Decorate Eggs with Beeswax
Pysanky
A Ukrainian egg tradition takes the form of decorating eggs using dyes and beeswax. Called pysanky, these eggs become beautiful art pieces for your table. While it can take more time to accomplish, it’s a more upscale way of having decorated eggs at your table than the more standard version of dipping eggs in vinegar + dye.
Here's a quick no-fuss way to make hollandaise sauce that doesn't split on you.
Prep Time2mins
Cook Time2mins
Course: Breakfast
Keyword: Hollandaise
Equipment
1 blender
Ingredients
3egg yolksBe sure they are pasteurized and properly refrigerated as this recipe isn't cooking the eggs.
1tbsplemon juice
1/4tspfresh thymeoptional
1/16tspcayenne pepper
1/16tspsalt
1/32tspwhite pepperblack is fine too
1/2cunsalted buttermelted
Instructions
Place yolks, lemon juice, cayenne, thyme (if using), salt, and pepper in blender.
Run blender until fully mixed.
While blender is running, open pour spout and slowly pour the melted butter in.
Blend until fully emulsified.
taste and adjust lemon juice, salt and pepper to your liking. SERVE!
Notes
Alternatively, use a double boiler with gently simmering water and whisk the eggs and lemon juice together over it. When mixture is doubled in volume, whisk in the butter until thickened. Remove from heat and add thyme, salt & pepper.
Upcoming Classes that Have Available Tickets.
This is not a comprehensive list of upcoming classes, it is simply a few that have a ticket or two still available. To see them all, including ones that have no one registered (and are open for you to book) and ones that are fully booked (but help you see some of the topics Art of Cookery offers, click here. That link works well to register for one of the classes below online. Don’t see anything you are interested in or at a time/date that works? Just ask! ICan@artcookery.com
April 4 @ 5:00 pm – Lasagna (making the fresh pasta and the dish) – $38
April 7 @ 1:00 pm – Pate a Choux Pastry (cream puffs) – $20
April 11 @ 12:00 noon – Pressure canning (this is a how to can safely class and product to be canned is meat, think venison or abundance of roast on sale, etc.) – $45
April 18 @ 5:00 pm – Tamales (flavor will be green chili chicken and we will also be making the salsa verde) – $42
April 20 @ 12:00 noon – Traditional bread baking and Butter Churning – $29
Designed for the youngest chefs, aged 6 to 10. This series of classes is designed for the youngest chefs who are interested in entering the world of cooking food. This is a five-session series with each lasting 1 1/2 hours.
Session 2: Introduction to Measuring and Burners:
This session lightly engages in foundation skills for cooking (measuring, cracking eggs, stirring, stove safety). Foods made in this session are fried or scrambled eggs and applesauce.
Designed for young people, aged 6 to 10. This series of classes is designed for the youngest chefs who are interested in entering the world of cooking food. This is a five-session series with each lasting 1 1/2 hours.
Session I: Knife Skills and Food and Kitchen Safety:
To provide a sound foundation for future lessons, students will learn basic kitchen conduct, spreading food on bread, peeling food, terminology, and knife skills (using plastic knives). Foods made in this session will be sandwiches and apple slices.
Hello friend! It has been a while since I reached out with a blog post. This one will be fairly short and here’s why: Art of Cookery is busier than it has ever been since opening in 2009. Cooking classes are occurring more often and are bigger than ever. People are coming from further away than ever too.
WOW that is humbling
It is also winter, and I miss my fresh herb garden. Thus, the title (Not a lot of thyme). See what I did there? 🙂
Upcoming Classes
Many upcoming classes are booked out, but here are some with space still available:
Click on the class title to read more about it and book online.
We are shut down for our yearly re-set and R&R between mid-Feb through mid-March.
Retail Food Menu
We’ve been doing retail food orders for a bit over 1 year now. Below is the menu for 1/16 – 1/31. Feel free to order now for pick-up during that time frame. Ordering early helps me schedule things. As we start the new year, I’ve made a few diets conscious menu choices. Keto seems to be the big thing.
Feel free to contact me privately and ask for a food/diet meal that is not on the menu, but know it isn’t likely to occur for pick-up the same day, but you never know. I am some people’s apparent private chef who take advantage of this.
Did you Know?
We take private cooking classes and they don’t need to be on my class listings. For example, your group wants to learn about cooking with herbs; or, how to use a Tagine.
We do Murder Mystery dinners, called Delicious Demise, by private request. Minimum of 6 people.
We do about 4-5 small catering events each year. Inquire if you are curious about your event.
You can order off our menu for a hot and ready to eat meal, we just need a heads-up.
We do Bachelorette/Bridal Party events.
Class Suggestions?
We are always open to suggestions for class topics. Just reach out via email at ICan@artcookery.com.
Winter Wanderland
I know I said this would be short. Here’s the last item… Winter Wanderland 2023 is coming up. John and I are founding members and very involved in this weekend event. Click HEREfor the events/times/locations occuring for the 2/3 through 2/5 weekend event.
Come to this interesting class. Not only will you learn to make a delicious breakfast sausage that Chef Valerie spent 10 years developing at her bed and breakfast, but you will also learn to use a meat grinder.
At the end of class, enjoy a sausage right out of the skillet.
July 29, 2022 is National Lasagna Day. It repeats on this day every year. So, I am compelled delighted to give up my free time compose this post for you. I’m just going to have a glass or three of wine while writing fun with this post. It is all real information, but I thought I would do something annoying entertaining for you via strikeouts.
While mining the internet desperately researching this blog, I was quite surprised to discover the history of lasagna. Allow me to bore inform you regarding this delicious dish known around the world.
Fun Facts:
The word comes from the Latin word lasanum, which means chamber pot. I am not sh1tting you! I’m guessing it transitioned to the food meaning due to using new hopefully clean chamber pots to cook the pasta dish. It makes sense to me.
The earliest known lasagna recorded was in the 13th century and would not have contained love apples tomatoes as they were thought to be poisonous due to their close relationship to the deadly nightshadeplant.
How does one wish another a happy lasagna day? Like this:
Here’s some lasagna, enjoy. We send you lots of love on the delightful celebration of National Lasagna Day…. may each and every day of the coming year be blessed with delicious comfort foods like lasagna….. Have a tasteful day!!!
There are zillions of lasagna recipes out there and some are pretty crappy sounding more than 100 different versions of lasagne. Most contain tomatoes, noodles, and ricotta; but, some are based on béchamel sauces and contain lots of different veggies, like eggplant or zucchini instead of noodles. The meat may or may not be present but ranges from ground beef, pork, poultry, lamb to bacon and chopped steaks. Mushrooms are the most common replacement for meat.
Moving on
There’s a lot more to share but you have already jumped to the recipe and won’t see this but I will move on in this post. I have included my recipe for lasagna at the bottom of this post.
To celebrate this odd yet fun under-appreciated holiday, Art of Cookery is making up a couple of batches of lasagna for our retail branch, Cookery Creations. They will be available for free sale while supplies last in 16-ounce and 8-ounce portions. Watch our facebook page for the announcement that there is some in the Magic front fridge.
Never heard of our Cookery Creations?
You probably know Art of Cookery is a world-renowned cooking school (I wish!). But do you know that we also have a retail food license and sell meals? You can order for a specific item or items on our menu and name a convenient pick-up day/time. Or you can take a chance on what is in the Grab n Go Fridge inside the front door. You can even order and pay online. Just come on in and snag a meal or two. They are very convenient for not wanting to cook evenings, it’s too hot to cook and for work lunches. Not to mention, its yummy and nearly free reasonably priced and you get a lot in a 16-ounce bowl. Check out our menu here.
Poll (Just cuz I’m curious):
6
The recipe (You skipped the blog and just jumped to it didn’t you?):
A meaty lasagna that hits the marks of a great comfort food and a beautiful Italian dish.
Prep Time1hr
Cook Time1hr
Resting time30mins
Course: Comfort Food, Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: Lasagna, pasta
Servings: 16servings
Author: vkhanson
Cost: $26.50
Equipment
1 13x9 or deeper greased lasagna pan Deeper is better.
1 Sheet aluminum foil for covering greased to prevent cheese stickage
1 Large Saucepan
2 Stirring and Scraping utensils Wooden spoon and rubber scraper
2 Small bowls
Ingredients
Noodle Layer
116 ozbox of Lasagna noodlesIn reality, I make the noodles myself but offering you a shortcut here.
Meaty Tomato layer
3/4lbsweet Italian sausage
1/2lblean ground beef
1.5cdiced onion
1/2cfinely diced celery
1/2tred pepper flakes
1/8tsaltjust a pinch
6clovesgarlicminced
1tItalian seasoning
2tfennel seed
6oztomato paste
228 ozcans San Marzano tomatoescrushed after opening
2cwatercan substitute some or all water for your favorite wine
2Tsugar
1.5tfresh oregano
1tsalt
1/2tfreshly ground black pepper
2Tfresh basil
Cheese Layer
30ozricotta cheese, whole milkcan substitute small curd cottage cheese
1.5cshredded parmigiano reggiano cheese
1lgegg
1/2cminced fresh parsley
3/4tsalt
1/2tgarlic powder
1/2tfreshly cracked black pepper
Yet Another Cheese Layer
3cshredded mozzarella cheesewhole milk version
1/2c shredded parmigiano reggiano cheese
Garnish
plenty of vivid green herb like basil, green onion, and/or parsley
Instructions
Cook the noodles per box instructions (or make your own).
Assemble Meat Layer
In saucepan, cook meats, onion, celery, and pepper flakes with a pinch of salt.
Add the garlic, Italian seasoning, fennel, and tomato paste when the meat is barely browned and cook for 3 more minutes.
Add tomatoes, water/wine, sugar, oregano, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer gently for at least 30 minutes.
Right before assembling lasagna, add the basil.
Assemble Cheese Layer
Preheat oven to 400 F.
In small bowl mix together the two cheeses, egg, parsley, and black pepper.
Assemble Yet Another Cheese Layer
In a small bowl blend the mozzarella and the parmigiano-reggiano cheeses.
Pulling it all together
In the greased pan, spread 1 c of the meat sauce and then add a layer of the cooked noodles.
Layer 1/3 of the cheese egg parsley mixture over noodles.
Spread 1 1/4 c of the meaty sauce over the cheese mixture.
Add another layer of noodles, followed by one half of the remaining cheese mixture.
Spread 1 1/2 c of the meaty sauce over the cheese mixture.
Add another layer of noodles, followed by the remaining cheese mixture.
Spread 2 c of the meaty sauce.
OPTIONAL: If your pan is tall enough and you have extra, add another layer of noodles and meaty sauce.
Top with the bowl of mozzarella and parm cheese blend.
Cover with greased foil, greased side down.
Bake for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake 15 more minutes. When fully cooked the center should reach 160 degrees F.
Remove from oven and let rest for 15 to 30 minutes. 30 is best.
Garnish and serve!
Notes
Quality ingredients make a difference. Buy the best if you can.The lasagna can be refrigerated for a day, or, wrapped and frozen prior to baking. To bake, remove from fridge or freezer and uncover 60 minutes prior to placing in oven. Recover and bake first for 55 minutes instead of 45.July 29 of each year is National Lasagna Day. 🙂
wine’s many culinary uses. Experience using wine in different ways while preparing a 3-course romantic dinner by searing scallops and creating a creamy wine sauce for them. Next, pair dry white wine and pecorino for a wine-infused risotto. For dessert, make dark chocolate truffles with wine, of course!
This one will be fairly short and here’s why: Art of Cookery is busier than it has ever been since opening in 2009. Cooking classes are occurring more often and are bigger than ever. People are coming from further away than ever too.
