Cooking with Kids January 2012

Posted At : January 29, 2012 1:45 PM
Related Categories: Kid's cooking, Chefs Move to Schools, cooking class, recipe
I've cooked with kids a couple times this week. It's always fun and we learn from each other. 

Thursday was the first meeting of the new semester of The Autrey Mill middle school cooking club. We have 27 students again this semester from grades 6, 7 and 8. The first meeting I try to have a pretty simple recipe since we only have an hour and we do have to talk about what the kids want to do in cooking club. 

Thursday I decided broccoli soup would be good. Broccoli is plentiful and delicious now, soup is good for winter, everyone usually likes soup. 

We had a crowd in the science room and they made soup, ate soup and crackers and enjoyed the soup. No comments about not liking broccoli, the only question was "can we have seconds". Of course! 







I cooked with kids again yesterday at The Cook's Warehouse in Decatur. There were only 8 students yesterday but we had a pretty full menu to make. We made Broccoli Soup, Artichoke and Spinach Bread, Stuffed Acorn Squash and Butternut Squash Pie with Gingersnap Crust. 

I asked various kids what they liked the best and they all replied "it was all awesome". High praise from ages 10 to about 14. One girl asked why the class was called Seasonal Cooking and I explained that broccoli was available in Georgia now along with the various kinds of squash. She thought about that for a minute and then said "are there different foods available in the summer, spring and fall seasons?".

I never thought about seasonal cooking and ingredients not being a concept that was familiar. And if you think about it, it makes sense that people might not be aware. Look at the store, things are available always. They don't always have flavor but if that's what you think is normal, you might not know better. So I'll keep teaching and keep trying to use things in season. 

If you are looking forward to the Superbowl this winter season, you might want to try the bread. Everyone agreed it is awesome.

Artichoke and Spinach Bread adapted from The Kitchen Link

1 pound loaf of frozen bread dough, thawed
10 ounces frozen spinach, thawed and drained
1 cup Mozzarella cheese
6 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
6 ounce jar of marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
olive oil to drizzle
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Roll out dough to make a 9x13 inch rectangle. Drizzle with a little olive oil.
  3. In a large bowl, combine spinach, cheeses, garlic and artichoke hearts. Add breadcrumbs and enough olive oil to make spreadable. Blend well.
  4. Spread on the dough. Do not spread too close to the edges. Fold over to make a square, seal edges. 
  5. Place seam side down on a parchment covered pan. Tuck ends under. Allow to rise for 30 minutes. 
  6. Drizzle with a little olive oil. Bake until golden, about 25 minutes. Allow to stand 10 minutes before cutting.

Comments (0) | Print | Send | eMail Carlin | del.icio.us

More Cooking Classes!

Posted At : December 29, 2011 3:42 PM
Related Categories: Kid's cooking, cooking, cooking class, recipe
I love teaching and taking cooking classes and I've done both with The Cook's Warehouse for many, many years. They opened a new store this fall, outside the perimeter! If you're looking for a fun learning experience check them out at www.cookswarehouse.com and look for the East Cobb store.

I taught at the new store on Tuesday this week. The class was open to students over the age of 10 and I'd guess that the majority of the 11 kids were in the 12 to 14 age range. I'm not very good at having any idea how old or young people are. We had a mix of girls and boys and had a great time. 

The class was titled New Year, New Breakfasts and we made four different recipes good for breakfast - Baked Oatmeal, Baked Eggs, California Gold Muffins and Sausage Sticky Buns. 





Part of cooking is a clean work space with everything ready to go. What a great job!



Muffins!





California Gold Muffins source unknown
makes 12

1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon allspice
2/3 cup yellow squash, grated
1/3 cup dried apricots, chopped
1/3 cup golden raisins
2/3 cup carrots, grated
2 large eggs
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Combine the dry ingredients.
  3. Whisk together eggs, butter and vanilla.  Fold into the dry ingredients. 
  4. Mix in the remaining ingredients. 
  5. Spray muffin tins with cooking spray. Bake until golden, about 20 minutes. 
Maybe your New Year's Resolution is to eat better. Have fun and take a cooking class! 

Comments (0) | Print | Send | eMail Carlin | del.icio.us

Back to the Real World

Posted At : November 13, 2011 11:29 AM
Related Categories: Chefs Move to Schools, cooking class, life
Once in Cambridge for the conference, we went on the tour of the North End. Then I got immersed in the conference. 

The general session on Sunday morning featured an interview of Barbara Haber who brought "books and cooks to the Schlesinger Library" according to the Harvard Gazette in 2003. She talked about how women's history could be studied using cookbooks to see what was being cooked, what the trends were, why some recipes were created. A fascinating talk that was a good kickoff. 

After that I went to Cheese, Glorious Cheese where I learned about cheese, pairing it with food, pairing it with drinks, and having a good time while learning. Of course there was tasting too.  





After my cheese class I went over to the vendor fair and talked with the sponsors, had lunch and met up with old friends and new.  The Idaho Potato Commission was there. 





Cabot Cheese, Vermont Butter and Cheese Creamery and Roland Foods were there.







My friends Laurey and Ellie with Laurey's Honey Lemonade. Delicious!





And local oyster farmers.





On Sunday in addition to attending classes, I was the presenter for a class to let others know how to get involved with Chefs Move to Schools.  I was on a panel with Monica Thomas, Annmarie Chelius and her daughter Victoria. There was a lot of interest and energy from the attendees. 





Of course there was a reception and awards gala Sunday night. Of course it was wonderful and delicious.  And fun!





Monday morning the general session was about story telling with Lydia Shire, Susan Samson, Barbara Lynch. Fascinating! I then went to a class about New England Seafood, learned about the history, the sustainability, and yes had a taste. And conference was over for another year. Next year Chicago!

We left Cambridge Tuesday morning headed to Doyleston, PA and the Moravian Tile works.  We toured the home and now museum of Henry Chapman Mercer. He built a concrete castle and decorated it with his tiles. It is so interesting and there is so much to see. 





While at the castle we learned about the tool museum Henry had also created so decided to stay and see that the next day. All I can say is go.  Tools are arranged by use - glass blowing, medicine, woodworking, cooking, fishing, etc. It is huge and there are items (tools) hanging in the common area - a conestoga wagon, a sleigh, a stagecoach, cider presses, so much more. 

Some of my favorite tools:








And a tile.



And we got home Thursday for dinner.  Angel hair with meat sauce from the freezer. Now it's back to the real world and back to work. I'm ready though. I had a great vacation!

Comments (0) | Print | Send | eMail Carlin | del.icio.us

Cooking and Learning Never Ends, So Glad!

Posted At : October 24, 2011 4:34 PM
Related Categories: cooking class
The last part of October and the beginning of November is a time of learning and teaching. Both are good. I have been pretty busy recently, also good.

Last week on Thursday and Friday I taught 43 people about wonderful KitchenAid products. Thursday I attended a seminar through Google that should help me with my website and business. Saturday and Sunday I attended a Food Styling Workshop taught by Denise Vivaldo and Cindy Flannigan.  So excellent.

As a cook, I am always highly aware of food safety, food cleanliness, food taste and food presentation. I want food to taste good and look good, but the majority of my time is not spent thinking about how food will look in a magazine, in a television show, on a movie set, to the camera.

After Saturday and Sunday I am much more aware and have learned that styling is a whole different thing. I need to think about food as a prop, as the star, needing make up, hair styling, lighting and maybe some plastic surgery. Sometimes really plastic, other times paper, air, hairspray and a bunch of other equipment.

There were 14 of us in the class. In addition to myself, 4 of my personal chef friends were there, and sometimes we just thought "yuk" in the process of getting the food to look beautiful. This is not food to eat! 

There was class discussion, hands on work, laughter, some fire, and lots of fun.  But it's really hard and takes so much practice to be skilled.  Thanks Denise and Cindy for sharing! 

Denise



Denise and Cindy



Pretty food styled by Denise and Cindy. Do you want to eat it? Maybe not! Could there be cotton balls, rubber cement, denture cream? Is it cooked?








My food, practice makes perfect. I need lots of practice!





Lots of cheesecake!



Sunday with most of the class.


Comments (0) | Print | Send | eMail Carlin | del.icio.us

Menu Planning and Tomatoes

Posted At : October 13, 2011 6:47 AM
Related Categories: cooking class, menu planning
This week is not going as planned because I forgot a couple things when planning.  Normally my husband goes to a meeting on Tuesday nights so I don't plan a meal, I just note "whatever".  This week he is on call and that means he gets home around 5 (early) and does not go to a meeting on Tuesday night.  

I foraged in the refrigerator and pantry for Tuesday and we had breakfast for dinner.  I had potatoes, bacon, tomatoes, mushrooms, cheddar, leftover grits from the weekend and of course eggs.  The grits were a side dish and everything else became a skillet mixture with eggs on top. Pretty good for a last minute recovery. 

Last night I planned to have dinner ready at 5, when husband got home, we could eat and then I was heading off to a Culinary Historian Event about tomatoes.  I knew we would be tasting tomatoes but didn't think there would be a meal.  I expected snacks. 

I planned macaroni and cheese for last night and started it around 3:30.  Lots of cheese to grate.  And then messaged with my husband who didn't think he would be home.  Oh well, that's why we have a refrigerator.  The mac and cheese was very good, I used Martha Stewart's recipe.  I also divided the recipe. 

One for the freezer that is frozen unbaked:



One that was baked for dinner:



I had a little dinner, wasn't too hungry, wrapped everything and headed into the Atlanta rush hour traffic.  The program started at 7, so I allowed an hour to get downtown.  The program was at the Piedmont Cancer Wellness Center and the topic was tomatoes. 





The program was in two parts, the first part Deb Duchon talked about the great tomato debate - fruit or vegetable?  Why?  She traced how tomatoes arrived in America, they had quite a journey and there was some discussion in the group about fruits and vegetables.  Very enjoyable, informative and entertaining.  

The next part of the program was the food portion with Nancy Waldeck.  Nancy is a great chef, wine person and nice person.  She was assisted by her sous chef Lea. Yes, that's Lea in the background, well her back, she was working hard.  



Nancy talked about the Cancer Wellness Center, what she did with the center and also about all of the food she made.  Healthy, delicious food.  And much more than a little snack.

We started with a field greens salad with tomatoes and a ranch dressing. 



Next up a chilled tomato soup with crab and creme fraiche. 



We also had a tomato and eggplant gratin and tomato cupcakes.  I had some of everything!



If you didn't make it to the event, you missed a good one.  If you are interested in future events, check out Culinary Historians of Atlanta on facebook and see what's going on.  Food, friends, a chance to learn, what could be better?

Comments (0) | Print | Send | eMail Carlin | del.icio.us

Mini Cooking

Posted At : September 26, 2011 7:07 PM
Related Categories: Kid's cooking, cooking class
I had eye surgery last Monday and as a result had the rest of the week claimed for relaxing.  I did pretty well since I wanted to be rested and strong enough to teach my Saturday class.  

Saturday I got to teach the 3 to 5 year olds and the class was titled Mini for Me.  The classes for the younger kids run for 2 hours and the kids do a good job.  As the teacher I need to make sure they all have something to do, no one roams away, hands get washed, knives don't hurt anyone. 

We had 8 children so we had 3 groups.  Each group makes all the recipes so they get to do everything.  The menu was mini turkey meatloaves, muffin mashed potatoes and mini ice cream sandwiches.  

First we washed hands to get the germs off.  Then the fun started.  I decided to use the food processor for the turkey prep.  The kids all took turns chopping the bell pepper and onion then shredded the zucchini.  They then mixed vegetables, turkey, egg, put in a muffin tin and brushed with barbecue sauce.  





After the meatloaf was in the oven we cubed potatoes and got them boiling for the mashed potatoes. 





Of course we need to make sure to keep our cooking stations clean and do dishes as we work.  



The ice cream sandwiches don't require a recipe but they are very tasty.  We had fun making them and eating them so try some for yourself.  All you need is your favorite flavor of sorbet, we used cherry, mango and lemon.  Then you need vanilla wafers, I love Trader Joe's.  Then you sandwich some sorbet between cookies.  Eat or wrap and freeze for later. 



I told the kids I was going home to take a nap after class and they looked at me kind of funny.  They were heading to birthday parties, movies and who knows what else.  They however are 4 years old and I am not!

Comments (0) | Print | Send | eMail Carlin | del.icio.us

A Week of Relaxing

Posted At : September 23, 2011 7:41 AM
Related Categories: Kid's cooking, cooking class
I admit that this is not one of my best skills.  I like to vacation and can relax then, but I don't like to have to relax.  I had eye surgery on Monday and the doctor said that I needed to take it easy for about a week.  I marked "relax" on the calendar every day after Monday. 

I planned my menu for the week hoping that I'd be able to cook but made it easy enough for my husband to do after a hard day of work.  Monday the plan was leftover beef stew from the freezer since I was pretty sure I wouldn't be cooking.  Tuesday I had leftovers from the weekend and I felt pretty good.  I told my husband he didn't have to work from home on Wednesday. 

My plan for Wednesday wasn't extreme.  I wanted to change the sheets, run a load of whites, relax.  Maybe knit.  The plan worked until I took the clothes from the washer.  I didn't do anything strenuous, I just reached into the washer and felt something in my back.  Something that hurt.  I stood there surprised, it didn't go away so I hobbled to bed, took some aspirin, fell asleep.  About 1:00.

Woke up about 2:00 and couldn't really get out of bed.  Oh, this was bad.  On the other hand my eye was doing well.  I did make dinner and relaxed, but went to see another doctor on Thursday.  I have iced my back and can move better now, still some pain.  No pain in the eye! Going to the doctor for the back again today.  Maybe I'll even get to the library.  

I plan to work tomorrow.  I feel much better today and I'm sure tomorrow will be even better.  I am teaching a cooking class with the 3 to 5 year olds - Mini Sized for Me.  No, I will not be lifting any of the kids.  We will however chop, shred, bake and eat.  We are making meatloaf, mashed potatoes and mini ice cream sandwiches.  

And then I'll relax a little more on Saturday. 

Comments (1) | Print | Send | eMail Carlin | del.icio.us

Pancake Extravaganza

Posted At : September 18, 2011 3:15 PM
Related Categories: Kid's cooking, cooking class, recipe
I had a great time cooking with a customer on Friday afternoon.  She hasn't eaten meat for 20 years and needed to learn how to choose it and cook it.  I met her at her home, we went to the grocery store, talked about beef, pork and chicken, bought some beef, pork and chicken and went home to cook.

We roasted some chicken breasts and thighs and made soup with some of the chicken.  She'll have the rest for lunch or on a salad, lots to do with cooked chicken.  We roasted one pork tenderloin and made stir fry with the rest.  We made some Greek burgers with a yogurt sauce so we learned searing.  We cooked things more on the well side than on the medium side because she doesn't really know how she likes her meat cooked, she has to learn.

Saturday morning I taught a cooking class at The Cook's Warehouse in Decatur with the over 10 year olds.  This was an all pancake class with two savory and two sweet.  We made the squash pancakes and the corn basil cakes first, then had a break to eat the delicious cakes. 



After the break it was back to cooking blueberry ricotta cakes and cornmeal cakes with maple yogurt topping. 







The pancakes were all very good, but the majority favorite was the yellow squash. In fact one of the students said she didn't like vegetables much and was surprised her favorite pancake was the squash pancake.  Enjoy!

Parmesan Squash Cakes from Eating Well Magazine
serves 4

  • 1 large egg
  • 2/3 cup finely chopped shallots
  • 1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  • 2 cups shredded seeded summer squash, (2-3 medium, about 1 pound; see Tip)
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

    1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
    2. Beat egg in a large bowl. Stir in shallots, parsley, salt and pepper. Place shredded squash in the center of a clean kitchen towel; gather up the ends and twist to squeeze out any liquid. Add the squash and cheese to the bowl; stir to combine.
    3. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Pack a 1/3-cup measuring cup with the squash mixture and unmold it into the pan; gently pat it down to form a 3-inch cake. Repeat, making 4 squash cakes. Cook until browned and crispy on the bottom, 3 to 4 minutes. Gently turn the cakes over and transfer the pan to the oven. Bake for 10 minutes. Serve immediately.
    • Tip: To remove the seeds from summer squash, cut the squash in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds with a spoon. To shred the squash, use the large-holed side of a box grater.

Comments (0) | Print | Send | eMail Carlin | del.icio.us

The Last Session of Cooking Camp

Posted At : July 29, 2011 7:27 PM
Related Categories: Kid's cooking, cooking class
The last for this year.  Some of the schools here in Georgia start on Monday!  I can't believe summer is over already. 

Another great week of cooking with the kids.  We had a full group plus 1 for a lucky 13 kids.  There were some new attendees and some old pros from camp.   

Yesterday was the competition and the judges who gave so graciously of their time were Patty Catalano and Nan McCulloch.  Patty works at the Food Network show Good Eats and Nan is a food stylist for print, movies, commercials.  Nan's website is www.nanmcculloch.com



The teams are judged on presentation, taste, originality and teamwork.  Some of the presentations to the judges. 







The winners were The Foodies! 



Today was guest day and the kids had a lot of cooking to do.  There were 13 kids plus 2 guests for each plus a grandmother or two plus me plus 5 assistants plus some staff at Cook's Warehouse.  So I figured roughly 48 people for lunch.

The kids voted to make Phyllo Cheese Triangles, Steamed Pork Buns, Shrimp Scampi, Grilled Vegetables, Chocolate Custard Tarts with Strawberry Sauce and Orange Custard Tarts. Lots of food. We had fun though. 







The guests arrived at 1:00, lined up to be served and sat down to enjoy their meal.  A great day! 




Comments (0) | Print | Send | eMail Carlin | del.icio.us

Cooking Camp Week 3 2011

Posted At : July 27, 2011 7:00 PM
Related Categories: Kid's cooking, cooking, cooking class, recipe
This is the last week of camp for this summer!  I've been very busy since the beginning of July but I've been having fun.  In addition to cooking with the kids, I like to make sure we have dinner too.  Wednesday is the day during camp week that I have a couple hours of work to do when I get home so I can be ready to let the kids have their cooking competition on Thursday.

I knew I needed a quick meal for tonight so the slow cooker came to the rescue.  I got dinner on at 6 am and came home knowing I just needed to do a little chopping - tomatoes, grating - cheese, spooning - sour cream and opening - black beans and dinner would be a breeze. 

Slow Cooker Beef Burritos source unknown
serves probably 6 to 8, depends on meat, toppings

2 pounds beef top loin, I used eye of round, that's what I had, any lean cut of roast that needs long cooking can be used
1 package taco seasoning, I used Penzey's Arizona Dreaming seasoning
1 cup onion, chopped
1 tablespoon white vinegar
4 ounce can of chopped green chilies

1. Trim fat from meat, rub seasoning over, place in slow cooker. 
2. Add onion, vinegar, chilies.  Cover and cook on low for 9 hours.
3. Remove meat, shred, put back in slow cooker. 
4. Warm beans and tortillas.  
5. Spoon on meat, tomatoes, cheese, sour cream.

I chopped up some jalapenos and added them when I shredded the meat. I have them in the garden, might as well.  I'm planning on leftovers Friday or this weekend but this freezes well once cooked.

I have a full class this week and all is going well.  Lots of cooking, lots of good food. 

Fresh Ingredients









Teamwork!







Biscotti




Comments (0) | Print | Send | eMail Carlin | del.icio.us

More Entries

BlogCFC by Raymond Camden. v.5.003.