Hot Stove Society: Junior League of Seattle Cooking Class

It was a fun night to try some new recipes - the Junior League of Seattle Sustainers had arranged for the members to gather for some socializing and sauteing at Seattle restaurateur Tom Douglas' Hot Stove Society. 

We know how to cook, but this was a night where we could listen and practice a new technique. Maybe we would glean a new skill and perhaps we would reconnect with an old friend from our active membership years.

It was wonderful for me no matter because no matter how settled I get in Seattle, I still catch myself looking for my old friends in the crowd. We had a great night making Asian-inspired pot stickers, zucchini chive fritters, small spring rolls and the famous Tom Douglas mini coconut creme pies. Everything was delicious and we had a great time. Thank you, Junior League of Seattle Sustainers for connecting me to the incredible group of women.

#seattleblogger #tomdouglas #hotstovesociety #cookingclass #juniorleague 

Heirloom Cookshop: An Evening to Relax and Braise

The neighborhood that I moved into is new construction and with the boom of the tech industry in Seattle, it has attracted families from all over the country and the world. I am really enjoying my new neighbors and I'm grateful that they are planning many fun ways to connect. In November, some of us enrolled in a one-night cooking class called "Braising" at Heirloom Cookshop in Snoqualmie, Washington. You should read my first post about this cool food-focused business.

The 4-hour class started with a glass of wine and a beautiful board of prosciutto, cheese, dried apricots, candied nuts and Marcona almonds to snack on. We introduced ourselves and discussed how familiar we were with cooking & braising in our own kitchen. Chef Schu explained that braising revolves around searing and caramelizing the exterior of food and then cooking it in liquid at a lower temperature to develop flavor and ensure tenderness. Since one of the recipes required a long braise, we would be preparing the first few steps of the recipe and then switching to one that she had cooked the night before, so that we would be able to taste the finished product - so smart. We would be making Ancho Chile-Braised Short Ribs, Yogurt-Braised Chicken with Sumac, Ginger and Cilantro, Braised Cabbage with Fennel and Pancetta and Caramelized Braised Pears with Cinnamon Whipped Cream.

The students sat at stools around a beautiful wood bar top table. Chef Schu teaches from one side, near the stove and it really works. We could see her explaining knife skills and follow her instructions for cutting up vegetables or preparing the pears. Of course, we needed to approach the stock pot to see how the chicken was searing etc., and we were able to come over and look to gauge the process. I know how to cook, but I thought it was a really fun and relaxed class full of good information. Our group and the other students asked a lot of questions and it led to some great side conversations with Chef Schu about cooking, sourcing and loving food. 

We took notes throughout the class on the recipe packet provided, and now we can recreate these hearty braised dishes at home. While the pillar of a cooking class is the instruction, you need to know that the meal we created was delicious too.  

The ancho chile beef short ribs were rich, tender and satisfying. The yogurt-braised chicken was really nice. The sumac gave it a feeling of sweetness, but that was balanced out with lemon and salt. I enjoyed it and I would certainly make it on my own. The cabbage was a pleasant surprise. I can't say that I'm likely to make it, but I certainly won't pass on cabbage anymore when it is a choice. The pears with cinnamon whipped cream was as wonderful as it sounds and we ate ourselves silly on this dessert.

The entire evening was fun and I'd take another class in a second. In fact, I'm eyeing her Valentine's Candy-making class. If you enjoy food and cooking, I encourage you to visit the Heirloom Cookshop in historic Snoqualmie.

#heirloomcookshop #snoqualmie #cookingclass #foodgoals #cheflife #chefkristenschumacher #smalltownlife #sustainablebusiness #food #cookshop #smallbusiness #womanownedbusiness #cookingclass #braising101 

Heirloom Cookshop: Food Focused in Snoqualmie

I consider myself lucky to live close to a stylish, food-focused business like the Heirloom Cookshop. Located in a historic building in downtown Snoqualmie, Washington. Chef Kristen Schumacher's Heirloom Cookshop is part retail (I covet the salts, oils and boozy cherries), part cooking school (I just attended her class on Braising) and part grab & go gourmet lunch spot. The business also hosts a year round Happy Hour every Thursday from 5-8 and has organized a weekly Green Market with vendors in tents selling fresh produce, baked goods and local flowers on Friday nights from 4-7 pm during the growing season. Bravo.

I love everything about Heirloom Cookshop and appreciate that the various aspects of the business are like satellites revolving around the sun. It all relates to good food, fresh flavors, sustainable practices and culinary triumphs. 

Tomorrow, I will tell you all about my first class at Heirloom Cookshop. 

#heirloomcookshop #snoqualmie #cookingclass #foodgoals #cheflife #smalltownlife #sustainablebusiness #food #cookshop #smallbusiness #womanownedbusiness 

Hot Stove Society: Junior League Sustainers Connect and Enjoy

I really enjoy spending time in the kitchen and that's why I think a cooking class is a wonderful way for a group to connect and get to know one another.

As a member of the Junior League of Seattle (I'm a sustainer, which is like an alumnae), I enjoy attending social events that help me connect and establish relationships with other members. The more connected we are, the easier it is to volunteer together and take  action for great causes. Women get things done and I am very impressed with the women I've meet so far.

The 5 o'clock class was designed to let our group of 25 make assemble, cook and eat 4 different appetizers. Instructors made their way around to the cooking tables and gave up tips and tricks to follow the recipes. My table had shrimp wontons and we learned how to fold, pinch and seal the ingredients inside to prepare the wontons for cooking. 

It was a fun and light-hearted evening. I really appreciated the women who volunteered to man the stove, for their contribution was far more important and quite a bit warmer. The food was delicious (shrimp wontons, empanadas, cheese puffs, chicken skewers AND mini Tom Douglas Coconut Cream Pies) and we loved it. I took lots of pictures of us commanding the kitchen, but I didn't want to post people's photos without their permission, so please imagine a lot of happy faces threading chicken on a skewer and holding up whisked bowls of whip cream.

Thank you, Junior League Sustainers and Hot Stove Society, for a fun night.

#seattle #hotstovesociety #tomdouglas #cookingclass #juniorleague #girlsnight #foodie

Hot Stove Society: A Great Educational Luncheon

I was happy to be included in one of the final events of the year; the Junior League of Seattle Sustainer luncheon was a cooking demonstration hosted at the Hot Stove Society, a cooking school in Seattle operated by celebrity chef Tom Douglas. 

The format allowed our group of 40 or so to sit at 2 large butcher block islands and observe Chef and Hot Stove Society Director, Bridget Charters prepare the menu.  She walked us through the fundamental of each dish, while her team of cooked the same menu on a large scale in an adjacent kitchen so that the entire group could be served family style.

I must compliment Chef Charters on her clear and friendly method of teaching culinary skills. She put our group at ease and encouraged us to ask questions and consider variations to the recipes. The overhead camera/tv monitor helped us to see her methods from where we were sitting.

The first course (top) was a Pea Puree on Crostini and a Pea Shooter, accompanied by an Asparagus Bundle with Prosciutto and Parmesan. I especially loved the hint of mint in the pea soup.

I swooned at this bank of ovens! I would love to actually cook in a class like this. It would be fun to work alongside other students.

I walked around the impressive kitchen before the luncheon started and took this beautiful image of the asparagus bundles being prepared. 

The main course was a Shaved Asparagus and Seasonal Greens Salad, Moroccan Style Braised Chicken with Lemon and Fava Beans and a Pilaf of Kale and Fava Beans. There was something too bitter (one of the greens?) in the shaved asparagus salad, though I loved the idea of shaving asparagus into thin strips. That is a preparation I will try at home.

I have never tasted chicken so tender, so braising is also something I intend to try. The spicing was just right and the bright flavor from the preserved lemon pieces was delicious. 

Dessert was a rustic Strawberry Galette and made for a lovely ending to this Spring meal. Thank you, Hot Stove Society for a fun afternoon. Your relaxed environment and happy staff was the prefect venue to make new friends.

Ina Garten's Make It Ahead event at Williams Sonoma

Williams Sonoma helps me dream of the holidays. While some people can't wait to see what is featured in the Neiman Marcus Christmas Book, I look forward to Williams Sonoma's photos of twice baked sweet potatoes and cranberry port chutney.

When I see gravy separators, turkey platters and Emile Henry bake ware, it makes me happy. Dan kids that my experience with any cooking store is more of a "Got it, got it, need it, got it" and can't imagine that there is anything in the catalog that we don't already have. 

So...when I had a chance to join 2 friends at an Ina Garten-themed cooking class at Williams Sonoma, I signed up immediately. The class was called "Make It Ahead" and though we weren't one of the stops on Ina's real "Make It Ahead" Williams Sonoma book tour, we were learning recipes from her new book and received an autographed copy of "Make It Ahead" for our personal library, along with a full Thanksgiving dinner that night.

A local chef had prepared part of each recipe ahead of time, as per the book, and finished each dish in front of us (see overhead mirror, above), highlighting tips and tricks that made each a success.  

We started with a cauliflower and celery root soup and homemade croutons. It was a pleasant soup, but certainly not one I would make on purpose. 

We had mashed potatoes enhanced with goat cheese, minted peas and pancetta, Williams Sonoma gravy and a WS turkey paste-rubbed turkey that was roasted and then carved, cooled and rewarmed for the class. Everything was delicious. My 4 classmates and I were relieved to know that mashed potatoes could indeed to be made, covered, refrigerated and then reheated a day or two later. Someone suggested adding cream cheese to the potatoes if goat cheese seemed to tangy, which would be my choice. The cream cheese would add a bit of a "moisture guarantee" without changing the classic flavors too much. 

The minted peas and pancetta relied on frozen peas, which means they are reliable and readily accessible. Win-win. The WS gravy was very good and is made with their base and then an equivalent jarful of cream, milk or wine in various proportions. It turned out well and was a delicious accompaniment to the turkey and potatoes.

It was a really fun night. We weren't rushed through the recipes and were encouraged to discuss and relate our Thanksgiving challenges and triumphs. Remember when my friends had me host a "Mock Thanksgiving?" 

Williams Sonoma is my home away from home. I am very comfortable there and will certainly be back for another relaxing cooking experience with my friends. Congratulations, Ina, I know that now many home cooks will consider their own recipes and realize just how many can be made ahead. Bravo.

Patricia Wells Cooking in Paris

I want to go back to Paris!  I have been thinking of doing lectures on finding delight in Paris to inspire travelers to get the most out of their trip.  I could do a Power Point presentation (my photos are glorious!) and use my book on Paris ("Paris: Delight in the City of Light") as a guide.  Wouldn't that be neat?

As I have been brainstorming, I've been going through my photos from my trips and came across this fabulous photo from my time with Patricia Wells in her cooking school in Paris.  The week exceeded my expectations.  I remember shelling peas at a table with Patricia Wells - I was so happy my heart was pounding.  She loves what I love and it was so very fun to be able to look her in the eye and talk about food, cooking techniques and our mutual respect for the 45th parallel (FYI - the 45th Parallel is known around the world as having a climate perfect for growing stone fruit. It also happens to be where I spend my summers).  Patricia was a wonderful teacher and exceptional host - I cherish the time I spent in her kitchen creating meal after meal.  I loved it!

I need to get back to Paris!