Culinary Crash Course

Are you a young adult just getting out on your own and need some kitchen skills?  Have you recently lost your spouse or partner and that person was the cook in the relationship?  This is the class for you!  Is your family on a budget and you need to to dine in/not out?

This class is for YOU.

Over the course of this 6 hour culinary bootcamp, participants learn a variety of foundation kitchen skills from basic to more in-depth.

Experience:

  • Sourdough bread making
  • Knife skills
  • Proper kitchen measuring technique
  • Electric pressure cooking
  • How to cook from your pantry

You will come away with a wealth of knowledge and hands-on experience (as well as recipes and notes provided for you.

You will be eating your way through the day.  Imagine that, eating your homework.

$200

Book Now

Youngest Chef Series Session 5 Ages 6-10

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 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.

Students aged 6-10: $55

Book Now

Easter

Celebrating Easter, Quick Hollandaise, Upcoming Classes

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)! 

A Whimsical Way to go Egging

In Mexico, cascarones are

Cascarones

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.

The world is a beautiful place filled with wonderful food traditions, and here at Art of Cookery, we appreciate such creative ways to celebrate! Check out our current classes if you want to improve your cooking skills for a special Easter meal. And if you’d like us to handle the cooking for you, we’ve got you covered!

Print Recipe

Quick and Easy Hollandaise

Here's a quick no-fuss way to make hollandaise sauce that doesn't split on you.
Prep Time2 minutes
Cook Time2 minutes
Course: Breakfast
Keyword: Hollandaise

Equipment

  • 1 blender

Ingredients

  • 3 egg yolks Be sure they are pasteurized and properly refrigerated as this recipe isn't cooking the eggs.
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1/4 tsp fresh thyme optional
  • 1/16 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1/16 tsp salt
  • 1/32 tsp white pepper black is fine too
  • 1/2 c unsalted butter melted

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 

March 30 @ 5:15 pm – Mother Sauces: Bechamel – $24

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

April 22 @ 1:00 pm – Fermenting – $24

Youngest Chef Series Session 2 Ages 6-10

Kids:  Youngest Chef Cooking Series

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 mini pancakes and breakfast meat with fried or scrambled eggs if there is time.

Students aged 6-10: $55

Book Now

Burn’s Night, Wandering, and Classes

Burn's Night

January 25, 2022 is this year’s Burn’s Night.

Burns Night is a commemoration of the life and legacy of famous poet Robert Burns. First celebrated by Burns’ own friends and family as a memorial to the writer, it has since become an annual celebration in Scotland – and is now popular with nations across the world. 

One of the traditional ways to celebrate Burn’s Night is with a Burn’s Supper. These dinners can be formal or informal and may include only friends or friends and family. During this supper, ‘Selkirk Grace’ is recited as well as the ‘Address to a Haggis’. Whiskey and food are also main components of this supper.

My husband and I love to do murder mysteries with friends.  We recently did one that was themed in Scotland.  So I developed a Burn’s Supper menu.  I am sharing some recipes from it at the bottom of this post in case you want to hold a Burn’s Night Supper with friends.

The Menu:
  • Cock-a-leekie Soup
  • Haggis, Neeps, and Tatties
  • Cranachan

Upcoming Classes

This week I taught all of the ways to use a Dutch oven.  If you are only going to have one pan, that is what you should have.  We made bread, fried chicken, slow roasted pork, and baked a big cookie.

Then yesterday, a hearty soup class.

Next week’s Ravioli making, and Pierogi Paradise classes are full.  Please make sure to watch our calendar to see all of the upcoming classes so you don’t miss out on one you are interested in because it was already booked out.  Click here to go to the calendar.

Just tonight I added another of both of those classes for the following week or so because I received a lot of feedback that people missed registering in time.

The next available classes are:
  • Quiche – 1/31 at 5 pm $25
  • Ravioli – 2/1 at 12 noon $25
  • Lasagna – 2/3 at 5:15 pm $38
  • Pierogi Paradise – 2/8 at 5 pm $30

Email ICan@artcookery.com to book offline.  Use the link above to book online through the calendar.  OR call/text 231-740-4065 to register via phone.

Winter Wanderland

I am one of the founders of, and am the president of, White Lake Wanderland.  This is a group of volunteers who formed a 501C3 to bring residents out of their homes to enjoy all of the great activities this area has to be proud of.  

February 4, 5, and 6 is the next weekend long event.  Called Winter Wanderland 2022.  There’s activities for all interests and ages.  Sledding, skating, snowshoeing, hot toddy touring, bonfires and more.  Click here to go the the Facebook Wanderland page for more information.  Just click on the EVENTS and check all of the activities out.

Click a photo below to see which menu item it is.

Current Menu for Pick-up Orders

Burn's Supper Recipes

Cock-a-leekie Soup

Serves 8 (1 c servings)

 Ingredients Needed:

  • 2 T butter
  • 1/3 c rice, rinsed
  • 1 lg clove garlic, minced
  • 12 oz leeks (1 to 2 leeks) with outer leaves removed, leeks washed well and sliced into ½” discs
  • 5 c chicken stock
  • 1/2 c chopped cooked chicken, packed
  • ½ t season salt
  • ¼ t black pepper
  • 4 T heavy cream, divided

Preparation:

  1. Place butter in saucepan over medium-high heat.
  2. When melted, add rice and garlic and sauté 1 – 2 minutes.
  3. Add leeks and stock. Bring to simmer.
  4. Simmer gently for 10 minutes, until rice has cooked through.
  5. Taste and season with the salt and pepper. The amounts of these will vary based on the salt content of the stock.
  6. Be sure chicken is hot. Add the same amount of chicken to each bowl.
  7. Ladle 1 c broth into bowls and swirl ½ T heavy cream over each bowl.

Haggis Neeps and Tatties

Americanized Haggis

Requires an electric pressure cooker.

Makes 4 ½ c 

Ingredients Needed:

  • 2 T unsalted butter
  • 1 large or 2 medium onions, chopped
  • 1 t salt
  • 1 t allspice
  • 1 t dried thyme
  • ¾ t gr coriander
  • ¾ t nutmeg
  • ½ t black pepper
  • ¼ t cinnamon
  • 1 lb ground turkey
  • ½ lb beef or chicken liver, finely diced
  • 13 oz stock
  • 5 oz steel cut oats

Steps

  • Prepare all ingredients.
  • Press sauté on pressure cooker and add butter.
  • Once melted, add the onion. Cook and stir for 2 minutes.
  • Add the turkey. Cook and stir until nearly all pink gone.  Add liver and spices/herb.
  • Cook until liver is no longer red. Add stock and oats.  Bring to simmer and press cancel.
  • Place lid on and lock, making sure vent is closed.
  • Pressure cook on high for 15 minutes. Let vent naturally for 5.  Then release.
  • Open pressure cooker.

Serve with mashed potatoes and mashed turnips or rutabaga.   

Neeps

Ingredients:

  • 1 c water
  • 2 pounds of turnips or rutabaga, peeled and diced into 1” cubes (neeps)
  • ¼ t salt
  • ¼ t nutmeg
  • ¼ c half and half
  • 3 T butter
  • 1 Tchicken bouillon powder
  • ¼ t pepper
  • ¼ t garlic powder
  • ¼ t turmeric

Steps:

  1. Pour water into pressure cooker and place steamer basket of turnip/’baga in basket.
  2. Sprinkle with ¼ t salt and nutmeg. Place lid on and lock.  Check that vent is closed.
  3. Using high pressure, cook for 10 minutes, then quick release.
  4. Set out bowl (or food processer) and place remaining ingredients in.
  5. Open lid and remove basket of neeps. Place in a bowl with remain ingredients and mash.  If smooth is desired place all in food processor and blend to smooth.

Tatties

Ingredients:

  • Water that steamed the neeps, plus more to cover potatoes
  • 2 pounds of potatoes, washed, and cut into 1” dice
  • 1 t salt
  • 2 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
  • 2 bay leaves
  • ¼ c sour cream
  • 3 T butter
  • 3 T milk
  • 1 t salt
  • ½ t pepper
  • ½ t garlic powder

Steps:

  1. Add potatoes to the neep water in the pressure cooker and add 1 t salt, garlic, and bay leaves
  2. Place lid on and lock. Check that vent is closed.
  3. Using high pressure, cook for 9 minutes, then quick release.
  4. Set out bowl and place remaining ingredients in.
  5. Once finished cooking, drain the potatoes, and add to the bowl of ingredients.
  6. Mash to smooth.

Whiskey Sauce

Ingredients:

  • 3 T butter
  • 1 shallot, finely diced
  • 4 t whiskey
  • 2 c heavy cream
  • 5 t mustard (whole grain or Dijon or mix of both)
  • Salt & pepper to taste (½ & ¼)
  • 1 T lemon juice
  • Parsley for garnish

Steps:

  1. In saucepan, heat butter and add shallots. Cook over med-high heat for 2 minutes.
  2. Add whiskey and carefully light to burn off alcohol.
  3. Add cream and mustard, and when it starts to simmer add salt/pepper to taste.
  4. Remove from heat and whisk in lemon juice.

To serve, place ½ c of haggis in a 14.5 oz tin cans with both ends removed, greased, and placed on a greased baking sheet.  Add ½ c tatties, and then ½ c neeps.  Refrigerate or bake immediately.

Bake at 350 for 25 minutes, until the interior reaches 165°F.  Set on plate.  Run a sharp knife around inside to loosen.  Carefully pull up tin.  Serve with whiskey sauce and parsley.

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Cranachan

Serves 8 (1/2 c servings) 

Ingredients Needed:

  • ¼ c steel cut oats
  • 4 T whisky
  • 11/2 c raspberries
  • 1 c heavy cream
  • 1 T whisky
  • 3 T honey
  • Mint for garnish 

Preparation:

  1. The day before needing the dessert, lightly toast the oats in skillet for a few minutes.   Mix the toasted oats with 4 T whisky to soak overnight.
  2. Remove 8 raspberries. Mash the rest with a fork.  Place in refrigerator.
  3. As close to serving as possible, whip the cream to soft peaks.
  4. Add 1 T whisky and the honey. Whip to standing peaks.
  5. Add the soaked oats. Whip again.
  6. Add a scoop to each bowl.
  7. Place 1/8th of the mashed berries to the top.
  8. Place another scoop on top of the mashed berries.
  9. Top with a berry and a pinch of minced mint.

Stay Warm and Healthy Friends!

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.
jalapeno poppers

Pepper Poppers Post

Jalapeno Poppers

This is an odd way to begin a post about Jalapeno Poppers…but for a bit of backstory……

Here at Art of Cookery, one of my (Chef Valerie Hanson) favorite appliances is the Ninja Foodi.  Not only is it a great electric pressure cooker, but it nearly could replace every cooking appliance in your kitchen, including your range.  It just about does it all.  No.  I am not being paid for this or even trying to get you to buy one.  Just sharing about a great tool I use in the kitchen.  One drawback to it is that it is heavy.

P.S. Art of Cookery has to have a number of cookers for classes and has 2 Instant Pots and we love those as well.  The Foodi just does more than other pressure cookers.

Art of Cookery class line-up includes  a session called “Rock Your Pot” on how to use an electric pressure cooker and get maximum use of it.  This post is about a specific feature of the Foodi.  The air fryer.

Jump to Recipe

Harvest Season

It is October in Michigan and last Friday I had to harvest everything left on my tomato and pepper plants due to a frost warning.  Since I have been using the bountiful plants yummy fruit all summer, I was shocked to see how much was still on the plants.  Specifically, ripe to green tomatoes and bell, jalapeno, serrano, poblano, cayenne, sweet Italian, and Anaheim peppers.

It ended up not freezing.  But, better safe than sorry.  I’d have cried over losing all that produce.

So for five days, I have been canning tomatoes, marinara, pickled green tomatoes,  pickled peppers,  pepperoncini, and salsa verde.  I’ve also been dehydrating various peppers.

Jalapeno POPPERS

Yesterday, I still had a pile of jalapenos looking at me  and I still needed to make dinner.  Fortunately for me, my husband gifted himself with a pretty cool Weber grill.  He made jerked chicken and pork.  I just had to make a side.  POPPERS it is!  Who doesn’t love the wonderful blend of heat and creamy cheese that are Jalapeno Poppers?!

The recipe below makes some delicious poppers.  If you want to go even healthier, use Neufchatel cream cheese (or refried beans) and a low fat cheddar.  You can also use skim milk and egg whites.  And, toasting a few slices of lite bread and crushing them will reduce a few calories as well and still have lots of flavor.

jalapeno poppers
Print Recipe

Air Fryer Jalapeno Poppers

Use your air fryer to transform your jalapeno abundance into delicious pepper poppers!
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Jalapeno, peppers, snack
Servings: 5 2 per person
Author: vkhanson
Cost: $6

Equipment

  • Air Fryer
  • medium saucepan

Ingredients

  • 10 jalapeno peppers Large and firm

Filling

  • 5 ounces finely shredded cheddar extra sharp is best
  • 4 ounces cream cheese softened
  • 2 large garlic cloves minced
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 3 TBSP chopped cilantro

Coating

  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 TBSP milk or half and half or cream
  • 1 cup finely crushed bread crumbs I prefer the Italian seasoned version
  • 1 tsp salt

Dipping Sauce

  • 2/3 c sour cream
  • 1 small lime both the zest and juice

Instructions

  • 1. In a saucepan of boiling water, gently boil the jalapenos, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes.
    2. Remove from saucepan and plunge in ice water. Leave in ice water to cool.
    3. Drain on paper toweling.
  • 1.      Mix together the 5 filling ingredients.  Place in a Ziplock style bag.  Set aside. 
  • 1. Place the flour in a bowl. Set aside.
    2. Whisk the egg and milk in another bowl. Set aside.
    3. Toss the crumbs and salt in a third bowl. Set aside.
  • 1. Slit a side of the jalapeños and remove seeds and veins. It is helpful to have a pair of slender scissors to snip the top of the seeds to separate from the stem. Rinse and drain the insides.
    2. Snip a corner off the bag with the cheese mixture and fill the peppers by squeezing into the slit until full. Press the pepper shut. If there is a small seam of cheese, it is ok.
  • 1. If the peppers dried, slightly dampen them. Roll each pepper in flour, then egg/milk, then crumbs (really press the crumbs on, you want a good coating). Place on a plate as they are finished.
    2. Spray exposed top and sides lightly with cooking spray. Turn over and spray the other side.
  • 1. While air frying, mix together the sour cream and lime juice/zest for a great dipping sauce.
  • 1. Remove air fryer basked and spray with cooking oil. (Unless your fryer indicates not to.) Replace the basket and preheat at 375 for 5 minutes.
    2. Place five in your fryer basket seam side down. This is counterintuitive but do it.
    3. Set your timer for 10 minutes.
    4. After 3 to 4 minutes (before the cheese melts enough to start running out) turn the poppers so the slits are facing up. Finish cooking the full 10 minutes. Repeat with remaining peppers.

Notes

If you have extra coating and some zucchini, green tomato, or egg plant nearby, dredge them through the coating bowls and air fry for 3 to 4 minutes.

Chicken, Cheese, and Tamales. Oh MY!

Chicken, Cheese, and Tamales are an odd combination for a post.

About the Chicken

Indeed!  I was intrigued by Chef Michael Symon’s recent appearance on Good Morning America where he shared his recipe for making that now infamous Popeye’s Chicken Sandwich.  So much so that I made it, and then made it again tweaking it slightly.  I then shared them with patrons at our local craft brewery Fetch.  They are a huge hit.  Thank you Chef Michael!  In the final recipe I settled on (see end of this post for full recipe) you see my notes for some of what I changed.  Essentially I adjusted the flour, some seasonings, and added onion powder to the mix.  You can click the recipe link above to see his recipe.

Cheese!

A lot of you may already know that I love to make my own cheese.  I also teach cheesemaking at my Art of Cookery cooking school.  Making Soft Cheeses such as Mozzarella and Sour Cream/Crème Fraiche is one class that is popular.  On rare occasions over the years I have taught a hard cheese class by private request.  Currently, I am considering making it a class that is on our calendar schedule.

Feedback Request

I am hoping for feedback from you. 

Making cheddar is a time commitment.  Here is the schedule.

On day 1 we start the class around noon.  The day is over about 6 to 7 hours later.  It will definitely be 7 if we use the cheddar’s whey to make ricotta. There are downtimes, such as 45 minute waits here and there but it is a process that moves forward all afternoon.

Next, on day 2 there is a 1 hour session pulling the cheese out of the press.  It can be a little more if we are using the ricotta to make Ziergerkase Cheese (DEFINITELY worth it).  If making the Zierrgerkase, there is a 1 hour class 24 hours after putting it in the cheesepress.  That day would be skipped if not making that second cheese.

Then, 3 days after taking the cheddar out of the press, the last class is about 1 hour long and covers waxing and aging the cheese.

Ziergerkase is soaked for up to four days in a bring of Cabernet and Tarragon. Delicious!

So, it is about a 10 hour class time commitment, broken up over a few days.  That is followed by the students themselves aging the cheese.  That entails turning it over a couple times a week and storing it in a dark cool place.

Questions to help me with:

  • I would have to charge $100 per person.  Do you believe it is worth the time and money?
  • I think it is a great way for someone to decide they want to go into cheesemaking without the costly equipment purchase (For instance, a cheese press alone is not cheap!)  Do you agree?
  • The participant(s) would have to commit to keeping the schedule.  Do you believe it is a doable schedule?  Any other questions or feedback?

Tamales – Yum

Rita and her husband with John Gonzales of Michigan’s Best.

I like to teach a lot of various cuisines.  As a result, some of my cooking classes are involved in making some Asian, Moroccan, and Mexican dishes for example.  One topic I have never approached but always wanted to is Tamales.  I love them but know they can be a failure for many reasons if you don’t know the secrets.

Recently, I reached out to Rita Rodriguez, owner of Two Hot Tamales in neighboring Newaygo County and asked if she would be interested in being a guest chef at Art of Cookery and teach a Tamale class with me as her sous chef.  She Said YES!  As a result, we have settled on December 8, 2019 at 1 pm.  This special event will take place at 1 pm and last approximately 2 hours.  However, stay tuned, pricing has not yet been set.

So here is what I am asking:

Are you interested?  We’d like to have a number for planning purposes.  Responding that you are interested doesn’t mean you are committed or registered, just interested.  Please comment below, and/or send an email to ICan@artcookery.com.  You can private message on our facebook page too.  Or just look for the even on our facebook page and click on interested.

And now for that Chicken Sandwich recipe

Ingredients

·        2, 10 to 12-ounce boneless skinless chicken breasts (or 4 small ones)

·        1 cup buttermilk

·        1 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika

·        1 teaspoon garlic powder

·        1 tsp onion powder

·        1 1/4 teaspoon table salt

·        1 teaspoon black pepper

·        1 ½ TBSP Hot Sauce (Chef Michael suggests Louisiana brand but use what you have.  Increase to 2 tablespoons if making the spicy version)

·        3/4 cup flour (I use a blend of one part “00” flour, 1 part extra fancy Durum semolina and 2 parts unbleached all-purpose flour.  All all-purpose will work just fine, in fact it’s what Chef Symon used, but in my opinion, the flour blend gives a better coating and crunchier result.)

·        3/4 cup cornstarch

·        2 tsp sweet paprika

·        1 tablespoon garlic powder

·        1 tsp onion powder

·        2 tsp cayenne powder, optional (if making the spicy version, even more if desired)

·        Oil for frying

·        4 soft brioche hamburger buns

·        unsalted butter

·        Dill pickle chips

·        Miracle Whip or Mayo, for serving (I use Miracle Whip but Hellman’s is ok and Dukes Mayo is the southern standard)

Directions

Lay out your chicken breasts on a cutting board and cover with a piece of plastic wrap. Using a meat mallet, pound the chicken to an even half-inch thickness. Cut each in half to make four.  If your breasts are very large, trim two bun size pieces from each breast and use the two smaller cuts as a pair of bonus chicken slices or make a fifth sandwich from them.

In a mixing bowl whisk together the buttermilk and next six ingredients. Submerge the chicken in the buttermilk and soak.  Chef Symon recommends at overnight or for at least 4 hours I recommend at least 12 hours and up to 24 hours.

Once the chicken is fully marinated.  Heat a pot of oil or deep-fryer to 350 degrees.

In a mixing bowl whisk together the flour(s), cornstarch and seasonings.

Drizzle 3 tablespoons of the buttermilk marinade into the flour mixture and mix loosely with a fork, creating some small clumps. This will help the chicken achieve a jagged, flakey crunch.

Bread and fry the chicken.

Remove one piece of chicken from the buttermilk, letting the excess drip off. Place it in the flour mixture and turn to coat evenly. Gently press the breading into the chicken and repeat with the remaining pieces.

Deep fry for four to five minutes, until the chicken is crunchy and cooked to an internal temperature of 160 degrees. Remove to a draining rack and season with salt, if desired. I do not salt them. While they rest and cool slightly, finish the sandwich.

Finish and assemble the sandwich.

Heat a skillet or griddle.  Rub a stick of butter on the griddle so there’s a melted smear for each Brioche half.  Place the cut side of the brioche buns over melted butter and lightly toast.  (Chef Symon melts the butter and brushes it over the buns with a pastry brush and then toasts.  My way is easier)

To finish, spread both halves of the buns with generously with Miracle Whip or mayo and add a layer pickle slices to the bottom half. Place a piece of chicken on and top with the other half of the bun.  Serve fresh and hot.

ENJOY

 

Welcome to Art of Cookery!

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Hello Food Loving Friends!

Just posting a quick note to thank you for following my blog, I hope you will enjoy learning about a cooking class and/or get some interesting recipes and other good stuff.  There have been many following it in the last few weeks.

Mozzarella cooking class

Did you know we have a class on how to make your own Mozzarella?

I just created a special promotion to those purchasing two tickets for a cooking class or our Delicious Demise events.  There are two more tickets available to the October 19, 2019 Delicious Demise and six still to be claimed for the November 2nd one.

Get 20% off one of the tickets!  Use promocode FALL19 if booking online or mention it when booking offline via telephone or email.  Offer expires November 13, 2019.

A great use of this promotion is to book two classes of equal value and split the discount across both tickets, OR book two separate classes and I will put the discount toward the one with the highest ticket price.  Let me know which you want to do.

Sign up for upcoming cooking class!

FYI, there’s still room in the Venison (meat in general) pressure canning class at noon on Tuesday, 10/15/19 and in the How to Create a Charcuterie Board class the same day at 5:30 pm.  There are a lot of upcoming classes so check them out!  You can find out which days a specific class is offered by going to our registration page and scrolling down to see the list of classes, click on the red link under each class to see the dates and times of a class.  Desire a class on a day/time that fits your schedule?  Send me a note requesting it as I can often accommodate.

Pumpkin pie cooking class

Get ready for the taste of Autumn and the holidays with pumpkin pie!

I am just now adding a seasonal cooking class.  I’d really like your feedback on this new offering.  In the Pumpkin Pie class participants will make a pumpkin pie to take home straight from the pumpkin!  From roasting the pumpkin, to making the pie crust, to making and baking the pie.  That’s right, you will learn how easy and delicious it is to avoid opening cans of milk and pumpkin containing dubious over processed ingredients.  A pie to brag about.

What do you think?  Is it something people would be interested in?

You can send feedback by commenting below, or by emailing me at ICan@artcookery.com