The Fundamental Foundations – Series 201 – Week 4 – Techniques Week 4 – June 27th – Techniques: There are two components to great food: good ingredients and great technique. In this class we will discuss the various ways of applying heat to food and create a soulful French meal. Participants in this class will apply the following techniques to their dinner: braising, roasting, frying, poaching, grilling, and sautéing! Ooh-la-la! You’ll create and enjoy a dinner of: Coq au vin Roasted potatoes with fried sage Sautéed haricot verts Grilled Olive Oil Cake with Citrus and Cream Fraiche
The Fundamental Foundations – Series 201 – Week 3 – Doughs Week 3 – June 20th: Doughs There are few things as comforting as baked goods fresh from the oven. This class will explore the methods and ratios used to create fluffy yeast breads, buttery biscuits, flaky pie crusts, and tender fresh pasta! In this class, we’ll knead, roll and hand-cut pasta. You’ll bake and enjoy a fruit tart. The joy of baking will even follow you home as you’ll leave this class with yeasted bread dough to bake the next day – or freeze to bake later. You’ll also learn tips and tricks for make-ahead frozen dough! You will create and enjoy a dinner of: Hand-cut Pasta with Red Sauce, Italian Sausage and Pecorino Pan-seared Broccolini Fruit Tarts
The Fundamental Foundations – Series 201 – Week 2 – Stocks, Aromatics, Herbs & Spices Week 2 – June 13th – Stocks, Aromatics, Herbs & Spices What’s the difference between fresh and dried herbs? What the heck is mirepoix? What are the five spices in Chinese five-spice anyway? In this class we will look at ways of building, manipulating, and intensifying flavors using various herbs, spices, aromatics, and stock. We will learn about combinations and flavors that give different cuisines their “signature” tastes, and we will make some spice blends to use in class. You will create and enjoy a dinner of: Tikka Masala Chicken Saffron Rice Saag Paneer Chai Spice-Milk Chocolate Pot de Creme
The Fundamental Foundations – 4 Week Series 101 Want to be a better cook? Wondering where to start? Our Cooking Fundamentals – Foundation Series classes are designed to give you just that for everyday cooking. Equipped with the techniques offered each week, your cooking confidence and inspiration in the kitchen will soar. Each week we will concentrate on a key technique, and sprinkle more skills and methods throughout the classes –Knife Skills, Incredible Eggs Cookery, Sauce Making and “Fat, Salt, Acid, Heat” are all important to understand in order to create delicious meals. These “cooking fundamentals,” along with additional techniques will be covered, in each of our Cooking Fundamentals – Foundation Series classes, taught by Chef Drew Flanders, a culinary instructor at Seattle Culinary Academy. This class meets for 4 weeks on Monday, May 2nd, 9th, 16th and 23rd. Week 1 – May 2nd – Knife Skills Join us for chopping, mincing, dicing and slicing as we prove that knife skills are an essential skill in your kitchen, and not just for professionals. You’ll learn knife care and safety; the difference between sharpening and honing and about different knife styles. Led by Chef Drew Flanders you’ll get comfortable with the most important tool in the kitchen. You will learn the proper grip and motion to gain speed and confidence while practicing on every shape, size and texture for this menu. Knife cuts and techniques you will learn and use in this menu:Chicken Fajitas Pico De Gallo Guacamole “Taqueria-Style Pickled Carrots” Caramel Flan with Fresh Oranges Knife Skills: Proper Grip, Parts of the Knife, How to Find & Buy a Good Knife, Sharpening & Honing Knife Cuts: Batonet Bias-Cut Chiffonade Citrus Supremes Dice (Sm, Med, Large) Julienne and Asian Julienne Mince Rondelles Week 2 – May 9th – Egg Cookery A quick and easy staple in most diets, Eggs are as delicious as they are affordable – not only a cornerstone of breakfast, but great anytime! You will practice the egg basics of poaching, scrambling, frying and baking. As a bonus, you will get an introduction into blanching and learn an easy Blender Hollandaise (one of the mother sauces) – adaptable for service over limitless veggies and proteins. This Fundamentals class will work on: “Brunch Tapas” PNW Eggs Florentine — toasted English Muffin, Sautéed Spinach, Smoked Salmon, Poached Egg, Hollandaise Sauce “‘Green’, Eggs and Ham”– Sourdough Avocado Toast with Crispy Prosciutto & Fried Quail Egg Scrambled Egg, Chorizo, & Potato Mini-Tacos with Pico de Gallo and Queso Fresco Toasted Brioche with Rhubarb Curd Green Salad with Apple Vinaigrette and Berries Egg Cookery Techniques: Poached eggs, Hollandaise sauce, Fried eggs, Scrambled eggs, Custard/curd Additional Skills/Fundamentals: Sauces: Vinaigrette, Hollandaise, Pico de Gallo, Custard Flavor-building and balance How to handle fresh herbs Knife skills: dice, chiffonade, mince Sauteeing, Starch cookery Timing and organization/mise en place Plating & presentation Week 3 – May 16th – Basics of Sauce Making What’s the difference between béchamel and veloute? How do I make a pan sauce without lumps? What is roux and how do I make it? Knowing the basics of sauce making is like having a secret power. Sauces can transform any dish to restaurant quality, in minutes! In this class, we will not only learn the basics of sauce making but build on them for limitless variations, for what good is a sauce if there is nothing to smother? This week we will focus on Sauce Making while creating this menu:Pan-Seared Steak with Mushrooms & Red Wine Demi-Glace Cauliflower Gratin Grilled Asparagus with Lemon Beurre Blanc Dark Chocolate Mousse with Vanilla Crème Anglaise Sauces: Red Wine Pan-Sauce (Demi-Glace – reduction-thickened) Bechamel/Mornay (roux-thickened) Beurre Blanc (emulsified butter sauce) Crème Angalise (custard/egg-thickened) Additional Skills/Fundamentals: Flavor-building and balance How to handle fresh herbs Knife skills: dice, chiffonade, mince Pan-searing, vegetable cookery, grilling, Timing and organization/mise en place Plating & presentation Week 4 – May 23rd – Fat, Salt, Acid, Heat Understanding the application of these four things will make you a better cook. Adjusting seasonings, how to balance flavors and the affect these have on your palate will be examined and explained in details this week. They we will put your understanding into practice as Chef Drew guides you in the preparations of food, adjusting as we go. Fundamentals this week will focus on Fat, Salt, Acid, Heat as we make: Olive Oil Tuna Confit with Salsa Verde Fagioli ala Fiasco (Tuscan Cannellini Beans) Caesar Salad with Grilled Romaine Crusty Country Bread Fresh Berries and Masala Zabaione Additional Skills/Fundamentals: Sauces: Herb-based sauce, zabaione (egg-thickened dessert sauce), egg-emulsified dressing Flavor-building and balance, using cured and pickled items to add depth of flavor How to handle fresh herbs Knife skills: dice, chiffonade, mince Curing, confit, grilling, Timing and organization/mise en place Plating & presentation