Our Price $595.00
Choose Class Dates: Cooking Essentials Jan 20 '09 International Jan 22 '09 Future Date Choose Gift Certificate: No Yes

We offer three progressive six-week cooking class programs that take you from basic technique through advanced. First, you begin with our basic course, Cooking Essentials & Food Fundamentals. Topics in this first session include knife cutting techniques, the basics of stock, soup and sauce preparations, meat, poultry, seafood and egg cookery. From here you will advance on to our intermediate class, Bistro Cuisine, where you will begin to learn menu format and prepare foods traditionally served in the south of France. And finally, our the third session, International Cuisine, is an advanced course using authentic international ingredients for preparing elaborate five course meals.

Session I: Introduction to Basic Principles: Cooking Essentials & Food Fundamentals
- January 27, 2009
Most cooking done in restaurants is based on French cooking techniques and principles. Session I covers the basics of French food preparation, providing you with the knowledge to prepare simple dishes at home.

This program is six weeks long, meets once a week and runs about four hours. Each week following a brief overview, class begins with both demonstration and hands-on format. Students enjoy the delicious meal they prepared (bring your own wine) and go home with recipes and tips from the class. Most cooking done in restaurants is based on French cooking techniques and principles. This class covers all the basics of French food preparation, everything that you would need to know to begin to prepare simple dishes at home. Here is a detailed description of each week:

WEEK ONE
Introduction to French Cooking Principles
*Knife care and handling, cutting techniques and basic cuts
*Food handling safety and sanitation
*Equipment identification and usage
Heat Transfer To Foods:
*Moist Heat Cookery - braising, stewing, steaming, boiling and poaching
*Dry Heat Cookery - roasting, baking, broiling, grilling, griddling, pan roasting and pan searing
*Dry Heat Cookery Using Fat - saute, pan frying, shallow fat frying and deep fat frying
The Art of Seasoning and Flavoring
*Herbs, spices and flavoring agents
*How and when to season and flavor
Stock Preparation for Soups and Sauces
*Basic beef, chicken and fish stock

WEEK TWO
Soups and Sauces
*Hollandaise, Espagnole, Veloute, Bechamel, Demi-glace
*Glace d' Viande, Fresh Tomato Sauce
*Thickening agents and the power of reduction, basic soup preparations: creaming, puree's, chowders and bisque
*Boiled fowl noodle soup, cream of mushroom bisque, fish chowder base, and puree of spring vegetable, French Burgundian onion, and Brunswick stew

WEEK THREE
Understanding Eggs: The proper use, storage and science behind the incredible egg.
*Egg Recipes preparations and procedures for making quiche, strata, eggs Benedict, crepes and souffles

WEEK FOUR
Basic Seafood Preparation and Handling
*Filleting, poaching, steaming, sauteing, grilling, broiling, braising and pan roasting
*Sauteed Pecan Trout Meuniere, Steamed Sole Merlot
*Pan Seared Citrus Salmon Granita
*Pan Roasted Haddock with a Lemon Thyme Butter Sauce
*Potato Crusted Red SnapperTapenade

WEEK FIVE
Basic Poultry Handling and Preparation
*Chicken, fowl, ducks, squab, turkey and quail
*Sauteed Chicken Estragon, Proscuitto & Herb Wrapped Cornish Game Hen, Forty Carrot Chicken & Roasted Elephant Garlic
*Roast Duck with Caramelized Apples, Turkey Marsala
*Braised Chicken Stew with Artichokes

WEEK SIX
Basic Meat Handling and Preparation
*Beef, lamb, pork, veal, venison and wild game
*Venison Game Pie, Onion Swiss Steak a la Flamande, Steak au Poivre
*Pork Tenderloin with a Braised Leek & - Mustard Cream
*Grilled Lamb Chops with Mint & Coriander, Veal & Peppers Fricasse

Session II: Bistro Cuisine & Provençal Cooking
- March 17, 2009
The natural next step in your culinary education brings us to the South of France where we will explore the world of French provincial cooking. We start to introduce menu format along with terminology from Cooking Essentials. Simple but elegant best describes bistro cuisine's rustic flavors and use of bold seasonings, bringing out the best in these age old recipes.

WEEK ONE
Preparing, plating & serving hot & cold hors d'Oeuvres

Session III: International Cuisine
- January 29, 2009
The third session of our six-week series of classes takes on an extravagant dinner party format. Each week we will visit a different cuisine of the world utilizing the skills and terminology you've acquired to create a rich, intricate five-course meal using only the freshest most authentic ingredients indicative of regional cuisine.
Great friendships are made as you and your fellow classmates enjoy each other's company and the wonderful meal you've created as we master, indulge, and savor the fruits of our labor! The best part is that you'll be able to impress your family and friends by recreating these exquisite meals at home.
Here is a sampling of some menus we might create:

French Menu
Amuse Bouche: Asparagus Mousse
Potage: Fresh Cauliflower Veloute with a soft boiled egg and sautéed wild mushrooms
Salade: Crispy Fried Sea Scallops over baby Mesclun greens tossed in a Dijon Champagne Vinaigrette
Entrée: Pan Roasted Sea Bass over Yukon Gold & Olive Oil Mashed Potatoes surrounded by a Cappuccino of Simmered Vegetables
Dessert: Chocolate Ganache Stuffed Poached Pear in a Phyllo Cup

Italian Menu
Anti-Pasti Platter : Assorted Italian meats, cheeses and marinated vegetables Soup: Peach Soup with Fresh Raspberries and Mint
Salad: Grilled Tuna Carpaccio over mixed Italian greens tossed in a lemon tarragon vinaigrette
Entrée: Homemade Spinach & Ricotta Cannelloni with sweet Italian sausage and fresh tomato sauce
Dessert: Panna Cotta with Fresh Berries

Spanish Menu
Tapas: Marinated Olives, Chorizo in Red Wine, Stuffed Sweet Peppers, Manchego Cheese, Pickled Cauliflower, Marinated Mushrooms, and Artichoke Frittata
Soup: Seafood Gazpacho with Native Crab and Baby Shrimp
Salad: Fried Calamari on mixed baby greens, with sweet sherry pepper relish and lemon caper aioli
Entrée: Paella Valencia featuring pork, chicken & shrimp
Dessert: Almond Cake with Orange Glaze

Chinese Menu
Appetizer: Stir Fried Shrimp with Mustard Greens
Soup: Hot & Sour Soup with Jumbo Sea Scallops
Salad: Cold Chicken Salad in Bibb Lettuce Cups with Oyster Sauce
Entrée: Peking Duck with Chinese Mandarin Pancakes
Dessert: Mixed Fresh Fruits over Almond Flavored Bean Curd

Middle Eastern Menu
Appetizer: Turkish Circassian Chicken
Soup: Spinach and Yogurt
Salad: Sheep Herders
Entrée: Kafta Kebobs with Garlic Yogurt Sauce
Dessert: Feta Cheese Cake
Bread: Peasant Bread

Caribbean Menu
Appetizer: Fried Coconut Shrimp with Mango Salsa
Soup: Conch Chowder
Salad: Fresh Papaya Cucumber Salad
Entrée: Macadamia Nut Crusted Halibut with Rum & Brandy Fruit Glaze
Dessert: Key Lime Tarts
Bread: Lebanese Flat Bread