Classes and Changes

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I Know...It's Been a While

Never in our cooking school history have I (Chef Valerie) been so busy!  The classes are usually well occupied and numerous.  This summer’s kid’s classes are packed and I am adding three more.

What I am leading up to is….I’m sorry there have been so few blog posts this year.

But here one is!

Upcoming Adult Classes

This isn’t a comprehesive list of upcoming classes, but it is a list of the ones with availability.  To see the entire schedule, click here.

Classes with availability are:

How to Series: Great Gravy – July 21st @ 5:15 pm – $29 (Make and take White Gravy & Brown Gravy)

How to Series: Create a Charcuterie Board – July 23rd @ 1:00 pm – $29

How To Series:  The Art of Pasta – July 25 @ 2:00 pm – $25  (a great intro to making all pasta)

Pasta:  Lasagna – July 29 @ 10:00 am – $45 (make the actual pasta noodles and an entire lasagna – take an 8×8 lasagna home too!)  BTW:  July 29 is National Lasagna Day!

How to Series: Convection Cooking – August 3 @ 5:15 pm – $25 (A great way to get comfortable with convection ovens and air frying)

Kid's Classes

Never before has the demand for summer kid’s courses been this huge.  I just added 4 more of the Yound Chef’s Series.  I had to skip session 1 in the interest of time, but am accepting kid’s to start the series with session 2.  They can take a class as a standalone if they have completed the class before it.  For example, I have kids complete the current series through session 3 but had family camping plans making them miss session 4, so I encourage them to pick up at session 4.  

The kid’s classes (all for ages 11 and up) with availabilty are:

Young Chef Session 2- Baking and Pan Frying – July 31 @ 11:00 am – $45

Young Chef Session 3 – Food Safety and Pastry – August 21 @ 11:00 am – $45

Young Chef Session 4 – Knife Skills and Fruits/Vegetables – August 22 @ 11:00 am – $45

Young Chef Session 5 – Skills Demonstration – September 10 @ 1:00 pm – $60

Embracing Freshness and Minimizing Food Waste: Exciting Changes to Our Offerings!

Greetings, food lovers!  As a passionate culinary enthusiast, I have always strived to provide you with the most delicious food options. To further enhance your dining experience and address the challenges I’ve faced recently (such as increased class load and decrease grab n go demand), I am changing our offerings.

Chef Valerie Hanson Welcomes you!

In a commitment to reducing food waste, I have made the decision to discontinue our grab and go options. Unfortunately, due to the limited demand and the short shelf life of these items, I have experienced an increased amount of food going to waste. I believe that it’s crucial to prioritize freshness, ensuring that every dish we serve meets our high standards of quality and taste.

Fear not! I am not abandoning the idea of offering extra dishes entirely. Instead, just shifting my focus to the creative dishes born from our cooking classes.  For example, whenever I have an upcoming class, such as the Quiche class on July 17th, we will announce in advance the availability of a limited number of dishes inspired by that class.

For example, on July 18th, we will have five mouthwatering quiches available for purchase.

These dishes will be prepared with care, showcasing the skills and techniques used in classes.

One more interesting offering. I offer my services as a personal chef to a limited number of households. If you’re looking for weekly meal(s) tailored to your specific requirements,  I’ve got you covered! Simply reach out me so we can discuss foods that satisfy your cravings and dietary needs.

In addition to our personalized household meals, we are delighted to continue to accept orders. Whether you’re craving a delectable pie, a gourmet pizza, charcuterie board, a loaf of our famous sourdough bread, or even something you simply crave (my goulash or pot pie for example!) I can craft the perfect dish just for you. Simply let me know what you’re in the mood for, and we’ll bring your food desires to life.  DO give advanced notice! At least 24 hours please.  You can also order items from our online shop.

I appreciate your understanding and support in this change.

Menu and Old Recipes

Sunday Morning's Menu is Published

With our Retail Food License upgrade comes great responsibility.  🙂

For three weeks we have published a menu for the next week.  It is going quite nicely!  Prepared food can be ordered hot (for immediate consumption) or cold for eating later (all reheat well in microwave or stovetop).

I keep the foods reasonably priced (which is a challenge in todays skyrocketing food prices 🙁 )

The Meal Kits are designed for you to have a hot meal that is unique.  Kind of like the boxed meal kits (like Hello Fresh, etc.) but with most of the work already done.  Not a box with whole potatoes, carrots, onions, you discover veggies chopped and in some cases, par-cooked.  The sauces are already made.  You will have some heat and/or assembly but not much.

Charcuterie boxes require at least 24 hours notice as they are made fresh for each order.  48 hours is best.

See this week’s menu below.

Cooking Classes Are in Full Gear

Our cooking classes are at pre-pandemic levels.   

An expanded kitchen results in classes that occupy more space.  Lots of new tools/topics have been added, like Tagine cooking.

Be sure to check out our website for all of the cooking classes.  Click here to go the the home page.  

Click the button below to see the schedule.  Feel free to make a request for a specific topic in a time frame that works for you.  

Calendar of Classes
A Moroccan class set up to learn how to use a tagine.

Old Handwritten Recipe Cards

Yesterday, I found an old recipe card box that has traveled with me in life’s journey for forty years.  Apparently is was always to valuable to part with as I moved and/or transitioned through life.

As a teenaged bride, I wrote down my mother’s popcorn ball recipe and went on to use it many times over (as supported by the stains) to treat my own children.  Then, there were my mother in law’s gumball bread (at every Christmas celebration) and Mac and cheese (at every 4th of July) in her own hand.  She is gone now.  But these are fond memories and go beyond simple recipes.  My Aunt Rose brought a meatball dish to a family reunion in the late 1980’s…I HAD to have the recipe.  I didn’t make it much but I remember the feeling of family and fun when I look at the recipe card.  🙂 

I hope you have memories like these tucked away somewhere.  They are a time capsule treasure.

Good News, Finished Kitchen Make-over and a Chicken Stroganoff Recipe!

Exciting News!!

This morning, the Retail Food License inspector arrived for the final inspection of our kitchen remodel project.

He issued a license for the new and improved space to do retail food sales!

This will now become a larger part of our business plan than before.  Our cooking classes will be held 2-3 times per week and we will be selling more meal kits and packaged foods. 

We are also looking into the future at pop-up hot comfort food sales both at our location and at other locations, such as breweries.  Stay tuned for more information on that part of our plan.

Fall into Wanderland

John and I (Valerie) are two of the founding members of White Lake Wanderland.  Together with other board members, (Casandra Atchison of Jimmy’s Pub, Kara and Mike Smith, and Elly Kennedy) we created and ran the 2020 Winter Wanderland in February 2020.  That inaugural event was wonderfully successful and brought a lot of people to the area to wander the two cities of Montague and Whitehall.

Well….then there came a pandemic.  Sigh.  So the Fall 2020 event and Winter 2021 events couldn’t be held. 

We were so excited to bring you the 2021 Fall into Wanderland last weekend.

The weekend of October 15, 16, & 17 was so FUN!  From kids costume parade to adult costume events to a thrift date and budget buffet, there was something for everyone.  Art of Cookery even hosted the Thrift Date and Budget Buffet.

Put February 4, 5, & 6 2022 on your calendars for the next event, Winter Wanderland.

One more thing, we are looking for about 3 more board members.  Let us know if you are interested.  You can comment on this blog, email ICan@artcookery.com, or message the FB page. Don’t want to be a board member but willing to help as a volunteer?  Let us know that also.

There are classes on our fall calendar.

We’ve loaded our calendar with classes.  Check out what is coming up.

This Friday, 10/22/21, is the next class. It is one of our How to Series and is both informative and affordable. The topic is The Art of Pasta and participants will be making pasta (Fettuccini in this case) by hand and by machine.  There are two tickets still available. Click here for more information.

To check out all upcoming classes, check out Art of Cookery’s website and calendar.

To request a specific class you do not see listed, email us at ICan@artcookery.com.  We can usually accommodate such requests.

Print Recipe

Chicken Mushroom Stroganoff

A creamy, delicious, and hearty comfort food
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: chicken, mushrooms, noodles
Servings: 8
Author: vkhanson

Equipment

  • Large Skillet
  • Turner
  • Saucepan
  • Colander

Ingredients

  • 4 qt hot water
  • 2 tbsp coarse kosher salt or 4 t table salt
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 16 oz dry egg noodles or other preferred noodle
  • 1 tbsp oil or fat
  • 1/8 t red pepper flakes
  • 8 oz white mushrooms Rinsed and sliced
  • 1 lb chicken breast, partially frozen Sliced into 1/4" thin by 1" pieces. This is easier if partially frozen.
  • 1 cup diced onion
  • 1/4 t salt
  • 1 t minced fresh rosemary
  • 1/2 c dry white wine
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 3 tbsp flour if you want a thinner sauce, use 2.
  • 1 1/4 c chicken broth or bouillon, or stock, or water, or milk
  • 3/4 t salt
  • 1/8 t paprika
  • 1/2 t black pepper or to taste
  • 1 1/2 c sour cream
  • 3 tbsp butter to add to hot noodles, can be omitted if stirring the stroganoff and noodles together immediately.

Instructions

  • Place hot water, 2 T salt, and bay leaves in saucepan and place on burn to come to a boil.
  • Place skillet over high heat, add oil or fat, and when hot, add red pepper flakes and mushrooms. Sauté mushrooms for 5-8 minutes.
  • Once a lot of moisture has been released and steamed away, add onion, 1/4 t salt, and chicken. Sauté for 2 minutes until chicken is no longer pink.
  • Add rosemary and wine. Stir and cook to reduce moisture by half.
  • Add garlic and flour. Sauté 1 minute more.
  • Meanwhile, drain the noodles when they are at a desired doneness and place back in pan or in serving dish. Stir 3 tbsp butter in to keep them from clumping.
  • To the sauce, add broth, salt, pepper, and paprika. Bring to a boil.
  • Add sour cream and stir and simmer for about 2 minutes until thickened.
  • Stir in the noodles and heat back up, or serve over hot noodles. Garnish with a sprinkle of paprika.

Notes

You can substitute mashed or fried potatoes or rice for the noodles.
A green herb, like chives or rosemary is a nice garnish.
Use two cans/jars of mushrooms instead of fresh for a short cut.  This will shave 5-8 minutes off your time.
Another time saver is using the breasts of a cooked rotisserie chicken.  Chop into bite size pieces and add with the broth.  If doing this, add the onions with the mushrooms.