I don’t remember any of my peers taking cooking classes when I was a kid, but the world is different now, what with the Food Network and all the other TV cooking shows, websites, special events and the general blossoming of our foodie culture. At the same time, it’s no longer a given that a child learns to cook at home with Mom or Grandma, soa little outside instruction is often welcome. Whatever the reason, cooking classes for kids are a phenomenon of our times, and Fairfield County has many options for kids who are so inclined.
This will be an occasional series on opportunities for kids to learn to cook (mostly) in the Fairfield County area. Because right now is the time to think about summer camp, let's start there...
I made these Thai Meatballs with Dipping Sauce last week for my family and they were devoured in record time. Served in a lettuce leaf or over rice, they are big on flavor, but are not overly adventurous for little palates. These are perfect for busy families as the prep time is minimal. Try them in your house, and let us know what you think.
Whether you are a hopeless Francophile or just a lover of confections, macarons are the pinnacle of dessert perfection. A cross between a tiny cake and a cookie, macarons boast smooth and delicately crisp exteriors that give way to light and pillowy interiors and are filled with sweet and occasionally savory fillings. In the right hands, they can be the miraculous result of a few deceptively simple ingredients of almond flour, eggs and sugar.
Why TEN? The new TEN China Bistro in Wilton had a lot to live up to, giving itself a number like that. We would be the ones to decide if TEN was indeed an appropriate rating. We were diners on a mission. Chef/Owner Eric Xie would have a lot of "splainin" to do if the food at TEN ended up as anything less. There was only one way to find out...EAT! So eat we did. There are many reasons to try this new Asian fusion restaurant, (in the same plaza as SOUP ALLEY). Would we give it a 10? Well, here's the verdict:
The holiday season is rapidly approaching (for some it has already past), and as we seek out the perfect gift for that special someone, I offer up the gift of culinary knowledge. Whether your recipe repertoire needs a little spicing up or you are just looking for some tips and tricks from a pro, these cooking events are both fun and educational. Plus, in Fairfield County we are lucky to have access to a variety of chefs with serious pedigree.
Avoid the malls. These outstanding Fairfield County cooking classes are all you need: Sono Baking Co.'s John Barricelli, Match's Matt Storch, Chocopologie's Fritz Knipschildt, Barcelona or Brazilian, there is something for every cook--including some great holiday classes for kids. Your friends and family will thank you (and this year they'll mean it).
Jeanette Chen is a resident of New Canaan. Her Healthy Living Blog is dedicated to promoting a healthy lifestyle through good nutrition.
Lately, I've been craving both Thai coconut curry soup and lentil soup. Perhaps, it's because I wanted to relive the heady bowl of Thai Coconut Curry Noodle Soup I had for lunch last week when it was wet and dank outside. There is something warming and completely comforting about spicy Asian noodle soups. Thick lentil soups have also been on my mind, as it's getting cooler out, calling for heartier fare. These two comfort foods inspired me to come up with a recipe forThai Coconut Curry Lentil soup.
Want to learn how to write about food from an award-winning cookbook author? Corinne Trang has written numerous cookbooks & has been dubbed the "Julia Child of Asian cuisine." She has published in Food & Wine, Health, Cooking Light, and Saveur.
If you ever wanted to write a cookbook, start a food blog, review a restaurant, or write a food memoir, join Corinne Trang for a FREE workshop on food writing. She'll guide you through your first short food piece starting with describing your favorite food, learning to create a recipe and a story around it. Space is limited, RSVP and be sure to bring your favorite fruit and vegetable!
Thursday, Sept. 30th is Corinne's Free Workshop: "Write Your Appetite" @ 7:15pm, Writers' Room, 252 Post Road East, Westport.
Fairfield Cheese Company classes are back in session and school has never been this delicious. Whether you are a cheese novice looking for a an introduction to the basics, or a cheese-aficionado seeking to expand your knowledge on a specific variety, they've got the class for you.
I jumped at the chance to attend one of these sessions last season and spent some time with owners Laura and Christopher who lead these entertaining and informative evenings. If you would like some background on Fairfield Cheese Company, check out our review, "Cheese 101."
With wine pairings from Harry's Wine & Liquor, this is the perfect way to break out of that dinner-and-a-movie date night rut. If you attend any of the classes below, let us know what you think!
Summer Comfort Food was the theme of the class I recently attended at Aux Delices’ Cooking School in their commissary kitchen in Stamford. As we are smack in the middle of this steaming season, I was happy to be invited to relax, observe and learn something new about how to prepare summer dishes, utilizing the season’s bounty. Aux Delices has retail store locations, all with seating, in Darien, Riverside and Greenwich. The shops offer owner/Chef Debra Ponzek’s culinary creations of prepared foods and a unique collection of specialty food items. Their name translates as “all the delicious food in life,” and considering their choices of scrumptious take out items, private and corporate catering offerings, and classes at their cooking school, the name is certainly apt.
The home cook versus a trained chef. There are thousands of reasons that separate these two knife-wielding gourmands in the kitchen. And I'm not even talking about dicing technique, the battle scarred hands or the colorful vocabulary. I'm thinking more about the dozens of small things that only chefs can learn from years spent in kitchens developing and preparing dishes hundreds of times under the pressure of executing them perfectly for customers, that forces insight and knowledge.
The Clarke Culinary Center in Norwalk is giving us entree into the world of the trained chef, allowing voyeuristic home cooks throughout southern Connecticut the chance to watch, smell, taste and touch alongside some of the best chefs in the area. This series launched in September 2009 and features some of the most talented and well-known chefs in our area including Matt Storch of Match in Norwalk;
You never know what to expect when you sign up for a cooking class. How much cooking will you do? Who will attend and what will they want from the class? How will the personality of the chef influence the experience? What if you could cut down on all those variables by gathering a group of friends with common food interests and visiting the home of a chef whose only motive is to ensure you have a good time and eat well? It would be a fabulous experience – wouldn’t it?
Recently, eight CTBites contributors had just such a fabulous culinary experience with chef, teacher and cookbook author Leticia Moreinos Schwartz at one of her in-home Brazilian cooking classes.
If you're looking to give your brown bag a break or if you just can't face another sandwich, you'd be hard pressed to find a better and more affordable lunch alternative than Thai Pearl in Ridgefield. With a prix fixe lunch menu featuring ten traditional Thai dishes and three courses starting at just $8.95, I'd say it's easily one of the most affordable and most satisfying lunches in town.
On a recent snowy afternoon, I began with the shumai as a warm and savory amuse bouche to start the meal. A combination of shrimp, tofu and vegetables fill three wonton wrappers. I presume these are steamed and then pan fried given their chewy exterior and crisp edges, and then finished with a chili and soy sauce. The other lunch appetizer options include soup, salad or spring roll. One course down, two more to go.
It was a Saturday night and I was tired of the standard nouveau American fare. I was in the mood for the spicy sweet flavors of Thai cooking, but where to go in Fairfield County? A friend whose taste buds I trust told me her go-to spot was Little Thai Kitchen or LTK, with Greenwich, Darien, and NYC locations. We opted for Darien, (right across from the train station) and our party of four headed out in the pouring rain to seek out dinner.
Walking into LTK is sort of like walking into a West Elm catalogue. It is modern and sleek with splashes of bright color giving it a nice clean design. The two dining spaces to either side of the front door are small, as a good chunk of their business is take-out, but we found that with the lights dimmed it was surprisingly cozy and well appointed. We took a seat next to the large corner window and discreetly checked out the food on the other guests' tables. It looked good. It smelled good. We quietly prayed to whatever God worked for each of us that we had found some decent Thai food in this town.
Wish you could throw a party in your own home, where people could meander from room to room to avoid that stuffy, restaurant feel? Hate being stuck at some long, rectangular table where the only person you are speaking to is the one right next to you? (You know, the one that you had been trying NOT to get stuck with.) Want to be relaxed and enjoy the food with your guests while someone else prepares, serves, and cleans up? Want to stop worrying about the red wine spilling on your white sofas? Tired of stressing about the fancy gadgets in your medicine cabinet that people might discover while they “powder” and snoop? Have your (organic) cake and eat it too at Jennifer Balin’s eclectic and fabulous “space” in Norwalk. SUGAR and OLIVES is the name and quirky and sensational is the game!
Sometimes as Fairfield County residents, it is easy to get wrapped up in the daily suburban grind, a world of strip malls and meals on the go. Given all the white noise of routine life, it is nice to occasionally escape from the carpools and commuting…andhead to the farm. With its open space, beauty, and serenity, you can be transported...nourished. Many of us journey to the fields as an annual Fall ritual to pick pumpkins and apples, drink cider, or get lost in a hay maze, but the beautiful farms of rural CT can offer much more than just kid-friendly fun.
Last week I attended a "Meet Me at the Farm" lunch on the Sport Hill Farm in Easton.
UPDATE: Pho Mekong has closed. Shake Shack coming soon!
There are certain meals you just can't cook at home...especially as a white woman. We have tried in our local gourmet club to master the art of Asian cooking, but after a full day's search for the 30 obscure ingredients required for a basic dish like Pad Thai, we decided our next craving for coconut and curry would be better satisfied with take-out. We had heard rumors of a local favorite, Pho Mekong, on the Westport/Southport border. Needing a quick pre-movie bite last week, we headed over to find out if the food held up to the buzz....
If you’re like me and think that cooking authentic Indian food requires a Tandoori oven, a trove of exotic spices and years of apprenticeship with your Indian grandmother, then put away that Bombay takeout menu because local chef Preeti Sikri is unlocking the secrets of Indian cooking with her ongoing series of classes called CurryOmCurry.
I attended her latest group class covering “Indian Breads” at a Westport home this week with two friends. We learned to prepare all those yummy breads I love to order but never thought I’d make at home
