New Cooking Classes!

I received my Q today from Cooks with all of my upcoming classes for March, April and May. I am beginning to gather summer ideas for both Cooks and Chef's Gallery. Have any ideas to help with my brainstorming? Please write!

I believe all of my classes for February are filled except next Saturday's 3 30-minute Breakfasts.

How to Boil Water (my absolute favorite class to teach and the one I recommend most highly)

This class meets three times:
Friday, March 20, from 6 pm to 9 pm
Saturday, March 21, from 1 to 4 pm
Sunday, March 22, from 1 pm to 4 pm

Rachael Rydbeck and Mike Shannon $250, Grand

The scenario: three days, 25-plus recipes. The challenge: to make you confident in the kitchen. This intensive, three-day class is one of the most popular offerings at Cooks for both the beginner and accomplished cook. It delivers both the how and why as well as a chance to put your hands in the mix if you so desire. This class opens the door of the culinary world, whether you've always wanted to be able to cook without a book or whether the kitchen is the only room in your home in which you've never been.

As we cook through the recipes (and as you eat through them!), Rachael and Mike will also discuss equipment essentials and niceties, share great sources for food in the Twin Cities, and answer all the burning culinary questions you have. By the end of class, you'll have walked through more than 25 recipes, from chicken stock to seafood en papillote. You'll leave with the confidence to tackle any recipe in your own home. We will even leave you with some bonus recipes to try on your own! Some participation.

Menu:Day One Chicken Stock; Dressings; Homemade Pasta; Macaroni and Cheese; Pasta Salad with Shrimp and Pesto; Linguine with Olive Oil, Garlic and Herbs.

Day Two: Pumpkin Bread; Drop Biscuit Scone Muffins; Chocolate Chip Cookies; Lemon Tart; Omelets; Frittata; Garlic Mashed Potatoes; Roasted New Potatoes; Lemon Rice Pilaf; Steamed Broccoli; Sautéed Green Beans; Wok Vegetables.

Day Three: Beef Stew; Roasted Pork; Roast Chicken with Pan Gravy; Sautéed Breasts of Chicken with Shallots; Marsala and Mushrooms; Seared Salmon; Seafood en Papillote.

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An Introduction to Food and Cooking: Quick Meals (this one always fills quickly)
Monday April 6th, 6-9pm, Grand $65

Designed for the beginner chef, this hands-on class offers the perfect introduction to basic cooking. We'll cover a wide range of techniques, including emulsifying, pan roasting, reductions and meat cookery. By the end of the session, you'll have both a fabulous meal to enjoy and new culinary skills to last a lifetime.

Menu: Cheese Fondue; Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing; Homemade Mac and Cheese; Lemon Tart.

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New Brews and Local Eats
Friday May 8th, 6-9pm, $70
Rachael Rydbeck and Josh Pepper

Rachael and Josh are here with the latest and greatest foods and beers from the Twin Cities. Some of what you’ll sip and sample is so new, we can’t even print their names yet! Get a head start on some soon-to-be local favorites before they go mainstream. Menu: Josh and Rachael’s Favorite Spiced Nuts; Battered Walleye Bites with Horseradish Tartar Sauce; Baked Goat Cheese Salad with Apples, Walnuts and Dried Cherries; Pan-Fried Prosciutto-Wrapped Beef Tenderloin with Sautéed Green Beans; Sopapilla with Honey and Orange Zest; Cinnamon Ice Cream. - - - - - - -

Rents and Runts: Asian
Saturday May 23rd, 6-9pm $65

Learn how to prepare, proper etiquette for eating, and artful ways to display sushi including preparing a bento box. No raw sushi will be served. This is a class you won’t want to miss! Adult must accompany child. Ages 8 and up. Menu: Seasoned Edamame; Sushi Rice; California Rolls; Spring Rolls; Green Beans Tossed in Creamy Sesame-Miso Sauce; Sweet Rolled Omelet.

Great Twin Cities Hang Outs

Hey Rachael!

I'm looking for a few good restaurants to check out in St Paul -- since you're an expert on food and you live in St Paul, I thought of you :-) Any suggestions? I'm not looking for something fancy necessarily, but good places to hang out for meetings, dates, etc -- fun places you can sit a while and have conversation (so...not loud :-). Any favorites you have?

-Mike

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Great question Mike! I especially love the bit about being an expert on food. Perhaps an expert on eating. :) Ok, here are some of my favorites (I have left date places out of my list but plan to blog about them soon). Any of these places are pretty quiet even when full and you won't get kicked out if you have a 2 hour meeting.

am - Breakfast

• Chatterbox Pub in Highland Park - great ambiance, cool food, and they let you hang out for like ever
• Any of the Blue Plate Restaurants: Longfellow's, Highland Grill, Edina Grill

coffee - anytime

• Dunn Brothers, all locations - hands down my favorite coffee chain for ambiance, food and yes, the ability to hang out eternally. Except for the Grand Ave locations (or those really near a college) they are pretty quiet. I frequent the 201 3rd Avenue South Mpls location.
  
• Nina's on Western/Dale, though it gets a bit noisy during meal times
• Kopplin's
• Black Bear Cafe at Como Park
  

lunch

• Pop!
• Senior Wong (1/2 price apps and drinks every Wednesday--Asian/Latin cuisine)
• Bulldog
• Cosetta's
• Cafe Latte
• D'amico and Sons
• Punch Pizza...I would imagine, but haven't been to the St. Paul location yet
• WA Frost for a fancier lunch. I never feel rushed there and have definitely lingered.
  

after work drinks -There are literally dozens of these places in St. Paul. Here are my faves:

• Happy Gnome
  
• Muddy Pig
• Loto Life cafe
  
• Groveland Tap

Alright my trusty blog readers. What did I miss? Where can you go for a drink or a meal and not feel rushed? A place not too noisy...with good food or drinks?

Best Cup of Coffee

This morning I visited Kopplin's Coffee in St. Paul for a cup of coffee and a lovely chocolate croissant. A friend introduced me to this little hole in the wall (located next to Ran Ham bowling and The Nook, two favorites) last week and I am well on my way to becoming a regular. So why am I so excited about Kopplin's? Aside from the great ambiance and fabulous baked goods, they take extra pride in serving the perfect cup of coffee.

At Kopplin's the finest beans are used and when you request a cup of coffee it is made one cup at at time in a machine somewhat similar to a french press. I believe it is called a Clover (pictured), but will have to double check on my next visit.

According to various sources this is the coffee machine Starbucks is looking to put in their stores. At $11,000 a pop, what makes the Clover worth it? Elementary, my dear Whatson. The online magazine Slate describes them as "equipped with a 'PID algorithm' for regulating temperature and 'programmable workflow modes' to help micromanage the brewing process." Um...okay. Whatever is going in that brilliant machine, the coffee was exquisite and I am already looking forward to my next trip on Tuesday.

For those of you in the Twin Cities, Kopplin's is in the Blue Sky Guide (a book full of coupons and discounts for independently owned local businesses). Kopplin's has a coupon that will give you 5 cups of coffee for $2 a pop or $2 off an espresso beverage. Last time I tried a latte per recommendation and it was truly the richest, creamiest I have ever had.

Have a favorite beverage? I would love hear about it.

Top Ten Twin Cities Dishes

This month, restaurant critic Kathy Jenkins of the Pioneer Press, printed a list of her ten most memorable dishes of 2008. With hundreds of restaurants in the Twin Cities, this seems quite the feat. Here is her list:

Croque Madame at Ngon Vietnamese Bistro
Maple-Balsamic Green Salad at Bricks Neopolitan Pizza
Sea basss at Zahtar
Juicy Blucy at Blue Door Pub (pictured)
Carnitas Huevos Rancheros at Fat Nats Eggs
Chicago Dog at Chris and Rob's Chicago Taste Authority
Grilled Corn Soup at Forepaughs
Parma Sandwich at Maison Darras
Swedish Meatballs at The Strip Club
Pan-Grilled Tuna Wasabi Salad at Mango Cafe

Now, I have eaten at many of these places myself, but haven't tried the items Kathy claims are the best, though I am working on the list now. My friend Mary and I checked out the Blue Door Pub yesterday for lunch and were talked into the Frenchy Blucy instead which was stuffed with swiss cheese and served with a jus. Yummy, but I guess now we have to go back to try the Blucy! If you click on the link above to check out the full article, there is a video on how the Blue Door Pub makes their Blucy's.

In the spirit of the article, I have decided to compile my own list of faves from 2008. My criteria for being on this list is simple...the first ten dishes I can think of that I would absolutely in no circumstance ever turn down for a meal. (in no particular order)

Beef Udon Noodle bowl at Tanpopo Noodle Shop (pictured)

Grilled Beef Noodle Salad at Hoa Bien (University Ave)

Tagliarini di Locanda del Lupo at Broder's Pasta Bar

Asado (pulled pork sandwich) at Pop!!

Slice of pepperoni pizza at Paisano's (Selby/Dale)

Angus Burger at Happy Gnome

Rosemary Olive Oil Bruegger's Bagel with Salmon Cream Cheese

Beef Buritto in Red Sauce (not the real name) at El Burrito Mercado

Tagliatelle with Foie Gras Meatballs 112 Eatery (apparently I like to eat pasta...I am seeing a pattern)

Vegetarian Platter at Fasika (University/Snelling)

And though I don't have any one favorite item at this restaurant because everything is just so good, my most frequented favorite restaurant to go to with friends last year was Brasa Rotisserie (pictured). For my readers in the Twin Cities, what are your favorite local dishes?

'Tis the Season

Firstly, I want to say THANK YOU to all my blog readers. I love your posts and your questions. You make blogging about food a fun and rewarding experience. And though we have our toe into the beginning of 2009, this is more of a holiday post.

This year I wanted to give friends and neighbors small holiday goodies and decided on one of my favorites, chocolate truffles. They aren't true truffles, which would be a genache rolled in tempered chocolate. Tempering chocolate is a very complex and tedious process that I completely lack the patience for.

Instead, I make a chocolate gooey filling and roll it in nuts or coconut. Here is my absolutely favorite chocolate truffle recipe.

To roll these, I store the chocolate in the fridge and use a spoon to scoop out little truffle shaped balls. Truffles are named for the exotic mushroom truffles of France and therefore do not need to be perfect circles.

Chocolate Truffles:

This recipe is easy to make. Be careful not to heat the chocolate too much or you will loose a lot of flavor.

1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 pound chocolate, chopped into small pieces (the best you can get your hands on)

1/2 cup liqueur, optional

1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Dash salt

1. Scald cream in small pot over stove (it should be steaming hot.)

2. Simmer pot of water. Place chocolate in bowl and mix in hot cream. If choc­olate is not melted completely, place on top of simmering pot. Stir con­stantly until melted.

3. Mix in the liquor of your choice, vanilla, and salt.

4. Pour into a container with a lid. Place in freezer or refrigerator for 45 minutes to an hour, or until solid.

5. Scoop out with a small cookie scoop. Garnish by rolling in a mixture of pow­dered sugar and cocoa powder or chopped nuts or whatever tickles your fancy.

What are the traditional holiday foods you make each year? Have any great ideas? I would love to hear them!

Culinary Questions Answered

Thank you for all the excellent food questions and emails over the past few weeks. It is always fun to trouble shoot with you. OK, my two favorite questions.


#1 "Is My Chicken Safe to Eat?"

I received a call during dinner time from a distraught cook. He was roasting chicken and pulled it out of the oven when the bird's internal temperature rose to 160. Upon cutting the chicken open, the meat inside looked transparent and bloody. After exploring the issue from many different angles, we both realized that his meat thermometer wasn't calibrated to begin with! Such an easy mistake to make.

There are several ways to make sure your thermometer is calibrated (providing you didn't spring for a digital read thermometer). Place the probe in ice water for a reading of 32 degrees F, or boiling water for 212 degrees F. Neither of these is extremely practical, however, and I usually simply gauge the temperature of the room and adjust from there.

When using a thermometer, make sure the meat covers the dimple of the probe. This is usually about a third of the way up and is the best way to get an accurate read.


#2 Spring onions, shallots, green onions, leeks, shallots!!!

At a recent event, a food savvy gentleman from Louisiana confessed to me his complete confusion with onion varietals. I promised that I would post an entry on the differences, and while I am a few weeks late in doing so, hope this will ease the confusion.


Spring Onion = Green Onion= Salad Onion = Scallion (first picture)


Shallots form in cloves similar to a garlic head, but taste more like a mild onion (right). They are often used in fine dining or French cuisine.


Sweet Onions are less pungent in flavor and come in several varieties (Walla Walla and Vidalia are two). More water and less sulfur make these onions taste sweeter. Pictured on the left are sweet onions with their stalks.


Leeks are one of my favorite onions varieties. They are milder than a yellow or white onion, and are delicious roasted or caramelized.

When eating a leek, only consume the white and very light green portions of the stalk. After chopping, rinse the leek pieces in a bowl of cold water to wash off the dirt. Baby leeks (not pictured) are called ramps and are often pickled.