Cooking Club

The April Cooking Club Theme was cooking and working with whole grains.  Many people are interested in changing to consuming more whole grains, but just aren’t sure how to go about it, and are unsure if they will like it.  The whole grains that most of us are familiar with are popcorn, sweet corn, rice, and oatmeal.  Nothing too scary there, right? 

Our group tackled some of the lesser known whole grains and preparations of them. 

Wild Rice, Barley and Wheat Berries.

The goal of the cooking club is to learn something, cook together and relax over the delicious meal we prepare together.  The focus is on Fun!  Most everyone who enjoys cooking misses out on making this into a social and educational venture, and that is exactly why cooking clubs are formed. 

Taste is Everything!

-->

What flavor combinations do you enjoy?  Do you notice that you order the same basic things over and over in restaurants?  Or do you like to mix it up all the time?  These behaviors are clues to the way that you want to cook also. 

--> I notice when I talk with people that they will have all sorts of preferences when they talk about what they want to eat, but then don’t know what they should make for dinner.  I might hear someone tell me about a particular meal they recently enjoyed at a restaurant, and it might be a very basic meal: roasted chicken, a cheeseburger, a meat loaf sandwich, a grilled or broiled piece of fish, etc.  Other times someone will tell me about a delicious spatch-cocked chicken from a particular restaurant, or a fabulous pasta made with fresh vegetables and a simple sauce.  These are things anyone can make from scratch with some simple instruction, and it will be healthier and tastier when you make it at home.  You can also make it to your own taste.  

Butternut Squash, Onions and Apples.  From this.....

To this!  Butternut Squash Soup.

A No-Recipe Salad: Part Two, or The Salad That Will Change Your Life!

If you read my last blog, and your life didn't change, read on.  This blog is intended to show you how versatile and liberating this no-recipe thing can be, and how easily you can create delicious whole grain salads that suit your taste buds.

Cook up some whole grains like this:

My favorite whole grain combination: wild rice, wheat berries, barley

.

Divide this into equal portions in 4 separate bowls.  Each of these we will make into a different flavor, so although the background (whole grains) doesn't change, you will not feel that you are eating the same thing. To each bowl of whole grains, you can add an incredible variety of ingredients. 

My Most Requested Salad Recipe: also a Clean the Fridge Salad!

My Famous Salad without a Recipe!

One of the most wonderful things about this salad is that it uses up little bits of whatever you have on hand, thus you can clean your fridge with this one, and it won't taste even one little bit like leftovers!

Secondly, there isn't an official recipe so you can do this without a shopping list, and without a run to a grocery or specialty store. I make this salad at least once a week, although it is never the same twice, and it is something all members of this household love to find in the fridge whenever the hungries strike.  I have learned to make enough to last a few days for my household, but you will have to play around with this for your particulars.  It makes a great lunch to take to work also.

Some of the great tasting vegetables you can put into this salad.

Who Wants Leftovers?

-->

I have always disliked leftovers.  That beef roast, pork roast, or steak, that was great for dinner loses its appeal once it’s cooled for a night.  Those side dishes—not so tasty after they were served the first time.  Often times, they sat in the fridge until I had to throw them out because they were beyond their prime. 

Now I have learned ways to make my leftovers into something that doesn’t seem old, drab, tasteless, and dull.  Sometimes it’s a matter of cooking enough for the meal I’m making, and the one I plan for later.  

-->

Making Salad Dressing: Vinaigrettes

-->

This is considered one of the “mother sauces” of French cooking, and there really isn’t anything secret or mysterious to making this.  Vinaigrettes can be used as marinades and salad dressings, and when you make your own, you can control or eliminate salt, sugar, transfats, and other things that are best avoided.  Also, learning to make your own can save a bundle on all those bottles of dressings and marinades crowding the fridge.  

-->

Fresh Herbs are great for vinaigrettes. Edible flowers can be added to your presentation.

A Cry For HELP...

-->

A cry (for real!) for help…

My friend is planning a dinner party.  Actually her husband is planning the party, and he is in charge of the menu planning, shopping, and cooking.  Since she hates cooking, this works well for them.  When she talks to me about it, she refers to this as “The Dreaded Dinner” party.  The husband is in the middle of a very busy period at work, but he has the reputation of showing up 1 hour before the company arrives, with the groceries in hand.  This is a huge stressor to my friend.  But she knows that this time he will barely make it to the party, much less shop and cook.  So I get the call for help, and I love this because I know that I can help her.  THIS IS WHAT I DO.

This kitchen is ideal for a gourmet group gathering!

The dinner party is tomorrow and she needs to get the grocery shopping done.  They have decided to make ”easy” paella because they had it recently at another friend’s house and loved it.  Plus, the hostess said it was easy.  Knowing how much she hates cooking, I know it won’t be THAT easy, and she is getting pretty anxious about it all.   She calls me with the recipe in hand and says, “I don’t even know what some of this stuff is!”  So we go through the recipe, and I explain where to find the chorizo, how to select mussels and shrimp, and promise to bring over some of the seasonings she didn’t have—saffron and turmeric.  

 

-->

Then we talk about the other courses, and she wonders what she can do for an appetizer.  I suggest hummus, and she adds it to the grocery list.  I give her an idea on how to present it on a plate with a drizzling of some good olive oil, some freshly chopped herbs, and a small dish of gourmet olives on the side.   

Buy hummus at the store.

Make an arrangement in a shallow bowl that will hold puddles of olive oil and fresh herbs.

  -->

We move on to discuss a salad recipe a friend shared that calls for goat cheese croutons.  YUM!  Doesn’t that sound delicious? So I explain that when you work with goat cheese, you want the cheese really cold.  It’s somewhat difficult to cut into nice rounds, so I tell her how you can use plain dental floss to cut it.  I will go over tomorrow and show her how to dip it in the egg and breadcrumbs without it falling apart, and we will pre-bake it.  Then she can just do a quick re-warming to crisp it up when she’s ready to serve.  

Cut cold goats cheese with plain dental floss.

Followed by a dip in bread crumbs.

First, dip cheese in beaten egg.

Put on baking sheet.

We talk about how to make a vinaigrette, something I just blogged about!  We will put the lemon juice, seasonings, salt and pepper in a small bowl, measure out the olive oil, and have that ready to emulsify when she’s ready to put the salad together.  

 

-->

She is very anxious about getting everything together when she calls, but by the time we hang up, she knows she can handle this, and that I will help.  We agree to meet tomorrow for the “mise en place”, and then when her husband does get home, dinner will go together quickly and easily.

Mise en Place.  Get everything ready before you cook.

 

-->

I finish this conversation thinking that I had some really good tips for her.  I could explain to her what chicken tenders are, where to find chorizo, shrimp and mussels at the store, and how to select these items.  I told her that she could use  any lettuce blend she wanted to use regardless of what the recipe calls for, and how to determine what might be best.  (A recipe is just a suggestion, not a rule!)  We talked about how to make the vinaigrette, and that you should wait until it’s close to serving time to make it, but that you can have your lemon juice squeezed, seasonings mixed and oil measured.  Although I am a proponent of homemade everything, I assured her that it really isn’t cheating to buy hummus at the store and make a nice presentation of it.   

Simple but elegant dessert!

So this is what I know and do:  I help translate cooking terms, ingredients, preparations, planning, and creative arrangements to those who want to become more knowledgeable.  I know how to make easy work of cutting a pineapple or a mango, without any fancy equipment.  I know techniques that develop flavors in food, so that meals are easier to put together and tastier to eat.  I know how to go gluten-free, vegetarian or vegan without buying pre-made or manufactured foods.  

I think I helped eliminate the anxiety from this event and made it fun.  What a great feeling!

-->