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
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
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.
