Pasta Night at Tri County Vocational High School

Having had so much fun taking the Chocolate Truffle class as a substitute for Audrey I signed up for the pasta class. We managed between all of us signing up to be about half of the students enrolled.  When the day came I was eager to make ravioli since its one of my favorite Italian dishes.

When we arrived at the Tri County Vocational High School kitchen called Gerry's Place I immediately recognized the instructor as one of my favorite Chef's at Sur La Table. Betsy Proom and her uber helpful side kick Lynn greeted me with smiles and a hug. I knew we would have fun with them as our instructors.

 

After a quick introduction and an apology to the other students for our enthusiasm of seeing each other again the class began. Betsy started off describing, demoing and instructing us how to make pasta dough using flour and eggs. She explained the importance of using a scale to measure the flour since it wasn't volume but weight that was important. The perfect portions for 4 people are 4 large egg's for every 12 oz flour and 1 tbsp of oil and 1tbsp of kosher salt

What you want to do it create a bowl using the flour to contain the eggs. Then slowly combine the egg and flour until completely combined. Then this new pasta dough must rest. Wrap it in plastic wrap and wait roughly 30 - 60 minutes before using. She also explained at this point that the dough could be frozen and used again later.

Once fully rested you want to press firmly on it with the palm of your hand to flatten it out. Then you can begin feeding it into a pasta machine on the widest setting. After the first pass fold it into threes and feed it back through the rollers at their widest setting again. Repeat a third time. Then lower the setting by one and feed the dough through. With each pass you lower the setting until the pasta is translucent. Solid but you can start to see your fingers through it.

With sheets now created you can use this to make ravioli or run it through the pasta machine to create spaghetti, fettuccini, or other flat pastas'. If you want to make ravioli you would lay the sheet out flat and put a quarter size dollop of filling ever 1.5" along one side of the pasta sheet. Then using water draw boxes around those dollops then fold over the sheet. As you do this remove as much of the air as possible before sealing the ravioli's then use a cutter to cut them out individually. Then dust with flour until ready to cook.

We made a Wild Mushroom Ravioli. To make the filling finely chop up 1lb of wild mushrooms. Mince 1/4 cup of onion and 2 cloves of garlic. Then in a large skillet heat 2tbs of olive oil and butter over medium heat. Once melted add the chopped mushrooms and onions with 1 1/2 teaspoons of Herb de Provence and cook for about 6 minutes until soft and caramelized.

Remove from heat and put mushroom mixture into a large bowl. While hot add 1 oz goat cheese, 2/3 cup of ricotta and 1/4 cup parmesan and mix until combined. Salt and pepper to taste.

The sauce is just as easy. Using 4tbs of butter, 2 tbsp of flour, 1/3 cup white wine, 1/3 cup of chicken stock and 2 tbsp. of cream. In a skillet heat butter and olive oil over medium/high heat. Once slightly brown add flour and cook for 1-2 minutes. Making a rue. Then add wine, stock and cream and whisk until smooth. Salt and pepper to taste.

We also made two more dishes; Three Cheese Cappelletti with a Parsley-Walnut Pesto and a a Spinach Fettuccine with Creamy Artichokes and Chicken Sausage.
 

Task 42 - French Techniques at Home Cooking Class (Sur La Table)

Yet another cooking class at Sur La Table. As many people know I have a part time job at the store and often take advantage of the opportunity to take classes in addition to picking up some great kitchen items. This time I took French Techniques at Home with Chef Betsy Proom. Betsy is one of my favorite chefs because her patient even demeanor and energetic personality makes even the most inexperienced person feel like they too can cook up a full three course meal without a struggle and get excited about it.

I choose this class because of the fantastic menu. The menu consisted of a Tomato and Goat Cheese Tart, Grilled Asparagus with a Caper Vinaigrette, Pan Roasted Chicken with Ratatouille, and a Raspberry Soufflé. The menu was a little different than those I had taken in the past. I was most eager to learn a few new tricks to take home with me especially the tart and soufflé.  One thing I have learned in all the classes I have taken it at while cooking a big meal like this with all those moving parts might seem daunting but when you break it all down into individual recipes they are pretty simple.  Prep work is also a key to a smooth meal.

We started with the Tomato and Goat Cheese Tart shortcrust. From hand we prepared our dough using just all purpose flour, kosher salt, unsalted butter and some cold water in a food processor. Once properly combined we rolled it out until it was about ¼” thick and formed it into our tart pan. Next we sautéed our onions and garlic and once tender we mixed in a little lemon zest and spread that across the bottom of the tart pan and then added a layer of fresh sliced tomatoes. Finally we combined our eggs, sour cream, milk and basil. Once mixed we added it to our tart pan covering everything else.  All this went into a preheated 375-degree oven. It cooked for about 25 minutes. The key to knowing its done is the jiggle test. It should be firm and not jiggle.

Next we focused on the Ratatouille portion of our main entrée. The kitchen staff had already begun part of the process since you have to let it stand. They cut up our eggplant into ½” cubes and tossed it with salt. This pulls out the excess moisture which drained out the bottom of the colander. Once the drained we rinsed and dried our eggplant. We took over by sautéing it in a large skillet until tender and added a chopped onion and pepper. Once all that was tender we stirred in our garlic and zucchini and let is stew for about 20-25 minutes. Just before serving we added some fresh basil.

As our ratatouille stewed we took this opportunity to pull our tart from the oven and have a little bite to eat before we continued on to the dessert prep. The tart was light and tasty and the pastry crust was buttery and flakey just like it should be. It was a delicious start to our evening of eating.

After finishing our tart we moved onto our dessert. In a food processor we pureed our fresh raspberries. Then strained out the seeds and simmered to get the mixture to thicken. Then we took 3 egg whites and whipped them to a soft peak adding a bit of salt and sugar. Next we took our raspberry and carefully folded it into our egg whites. Once combined we poured the mixture into our lightly buttered and sugared ramekins.  We added these to the still pre-heated oven and let them cook for about 10 minutes.

As those cooked we began to prepare our caper vinaigrette for our grilled asparagus.  We combined our finely diced shallots, lemon juice, vinegar, mustard and garlic. Once well mixed we added our olive oil slowly and mixed until emulsified. Then using my favorite kitchen tool the skinny grill we grilled our asparagus with just a little canola oil. Once cooked al dente we set aside to cool.


Our final step before serving dinner was to pan sear our chicken. We liberally coated our chicken breast with salt and pepper and then let it sear in a hot skillet. Once a golden on the outside we moved it to a baking sheet and into the oven until it reached 162. Chicken needs to cook to 165-degrees but it continues to cook even after you take it from the oven.

With our chicken done we put our asparagus on a serving dish and drizzled the caper vinaigrette over the top. We sliced the chicken and put it on a platter with our ratatouille that we had divided up between some large ramekins to serve. Our soufflé we dusted with a little confectioner’s sugar on top.

We all sat down and dug in. The ratatouille was incredible it was a perfect comfort food and I could see myself making that again in the fall or winter. The chicken was juicy and perfectly seasoned and it’s amazing how simple it is to make a chicken breast that isn’t dry. The soufflé tasted even better then it looked. It was tart and sweet at the same time and very light and airy. Definitely something I would make for a dinner party.  The meal was fantastic. 

 

 

Task 42 - Take a Cooking Class (Date Night - Romantic Italy)

Class Description: Bring your favorite date or friend and together combine ingredients to produce incredibly authentic, rustic and refined flavors of Italy. Under the instruction of our in-house chef, you’ll learn a variety of techniques. Prepare a savory appetizer, learn tips for cooking chicken, create a pan sauce, make a delicious side and finish with an incredibly decadent cheesecake. Savor the abundant flavors and learn simple preparation techniques so you may create a sumptuous Tuscan menu together at home.

Menu: Polenta Bites with Gorgonzola and Olives – Prosciutto-Wrapped Chicken Breast with Lemon Sage Cream Sauce – Broccoli Sautéed in Wine and Garlic – Honey-Ricotta Cheesecake

Instructor: Jeff Kaye

For my birthday I decided to take another cooking class at Sur La Table. I have taken many before and always had a great experience and thought it would end a great day of fun at the circus. A few of my co-workers decided to join me and we selected Date Night: Romance in Italy because its menu sounded delicious.

The menu started off with polenta bites with gorgonzola and olives. I am not a fan of olives so this wasn’t really something that sucked me in but the Main entrée of prosciutto-wrapped chicken with a lemon sage cream sauce more than made up for it. For a side we would make broccoli sautéed in a wine and garlic sauce and to top it all off one of my favorites a cheesecake. Not just your typically cheesecake but a honey-ricotta cheesecake.

This class was taught by an instructor I had not yet taken a class with before. His name is Jeff Kaye and his background includes being a chef at several restaurants such as MetBar and Grill, Watch City Brewery and chef/owner of Fava Restaurant. In addition to his professional career he is an instructor at Cordon Bleu’s Boston Campus. 

After washing our hands and a brief introduction by Chef Kaye we got started right away on the first task. Some believe that desert is the best part of a meal and as such that is what we started with. No we didn’t eat it first but we did start our cheesecake since it takes the longest. The key to a great cheesecake is allowing it to set and as such it was the first of the courses we needed to prepare.

To help speed the process Chef Jeff had already prepared the graham cracker crust. The process isn’t difficult. You crush your graham crackers up and mix in melted butter. Form an even layer at the bottom of your spring form pans. Then bake the crust for 8-10 minutes to lightly brown it.

While it’s baking you want to mix the remaining ingredients. Using a mixer add the ricotta and blend until smooth. Then add the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. The last step is to add the honey and orange zest. Once everything is combined and smooth. Pour mixture into your prepared crust. Bake for 40-45 minutes at 325-degrees. Center will be slightly giggly. It will stiffen while cooling.

Before starting the appetizer Chef Jeff took a few minutes to review proper knife handling. He taught us proper technique and also a few tricks. Once comfortable we began prepping all of our remaining ingredients so when we begin cooking we wouldn’t have to stop to cut our vegies. This process is called mise en plas. It’s a French term for “putting in place” all the ingredients. Once done we organized all the ingredients on separate baking sheets and set all but one aside.

We started next on our polenta bites with a gorgonzola and olive tapenade. Polenta is one of those things that is very easy to make. You start off bringing your vegetable broth to a slow rolling boil. Then you slowly whisk in the polenta to avoid lumps. Once combined you keep stirring until the polenta has absorbed all the broth and begins to pull away from the sides of the pot. Once done we took the finished mixture and evenly distributed it across a baking pan. We let it cool in the fridge while we started our tapenade.

The tapenade is something I would totally change. I hate olives and this is very heavy on the olives. Using the food processor we combined our garlic, sun-dried tomatoes and olives in the bowl and pulsed until the ingredients were roughly chopped. Then we began adding ¼ cup of olive oil and pulsed to combine. 

The final step was assembly. We used a square cookie cutter to form small bite size 2”x2” squares of polenta and topped them with the olive tapenade. Rather than wait until the end we took that opportunity to sample our first course. I topped my polenta bites with just a little gorgonzola. I won’t lie but these were not my favorite. They needed something but I’m not sure what.

After finishing the appetizer course it was a perfect time to take a break. While we explored the store the kitchen staff was cleaning up our mess and prepping for the main course. Chef Jeff joined us and showed off some of the tools he was using and explained what made one better then another. 

After about 15 minutes we returned to the kitchen and jumped right into our main entrée preparation. We started by working on the sauce. Every good pan sauce starts with butter and this entrées lemon sage cream sauce is no different. Using a saucepan we melted the ½ the butter over medium heat and then added our shallots and cooked until softened. Once soft we up’d the head to medium-high and added the cream, wine and broth. Once boiling we lowered the heat to medium and simmered the liquid until it reduced to about 1½ cups from the starting 3 cups of ingredients. Once reduced we removed it from the head and added the remaining butter and incorporated. Right at the end we added the chopped sage and lemon juice. We put aside on very low head just to keep it warm.

Next we seasoned our chicken with salt and pepper before wrapping each breast in a strip of prosciutto in a spiral. Then using canola oil we seared our chicken wrapped in prosciutto until nicely browned. Then we put the chicken on a baking sheet covered in foil and baked in a preheated 350-degree oven for about 15 minute of until the chicken wrapped prosciutto reaches 165-degrees.

While the chicken was baking in the oven we started our side. Our side for the evening was a broccoli sautéed in wine and garlic. To cook the broccoli we started with a large pot of water as “salty as the sea” on medium heat. We boiled the broccoli for about 3 minutes before draining it and blanching in to stop it from cooking any farther. You want your broccoli to be tender but not mushy.

In a skillet we cooked our shallots in a little canola oil until softened. Then we added the garlic and cooked until fragrant. Next we took our broccoli and added and tossed it until well coated with oil and garlic. Next we added the chili flakes and white wine and cooked until the sauce reduced by ½. We removed it from heat and added lemon zest and juice and parsley and tossed until combined.

The final step of the process was to plate the meal. We put our chicken and broccoli on the plate and put a healthy ladle of our lemon sage sauce over the chicken. We then all sat down and enjoyed the fruits of our labor. Everyone was in agreement that it was delicious. This is definitely a sauce I will make at home. It was quick and simple and extremely tasty.

Our dessert was served next and it was topped with fresh raspberries. While also very flavorful and delicious it didn’t quite set to its optimal firmness and as such was a little loose in the center. It is definitely a dessert I will give another try because I enjoyed the flavors but I would modify the recipe to make individual size cheesecakes instead of a larger one.

While the class started off a bit awkwardly Chef Jeff rose to the occasion and got all of us involved and interested in the process. While we enjoyed our desserts he recapped each recipe and added a few personal tidbits to help us repeat the menu at home. It was a great experience and I will be sure to take another classes hopefully sooner than later. 

Task 42 - Take a Cooking Class (Perfect Pizza at Home)

Class Description: If you aspire to make great pizza at home, then this class is for you. However your personal pizza tastes run, we’ll start with the basics: first the dough, made from scratch, for the essential base. Then we’ll craft a delicious sauce and discuss fun ingredients, including fresh produce and delicious cheese. Finally, we’ll cover the baking methods so that every time you open your oven door you’ll pull out a perfect pizza that’s tastier than takeout.

From that I think you can understand why I wanted to take the class. This is the 9th class I have taken at Sur La Table’s Natick Cooking Studio and every time I learn new things to make cooking both more fun and easier to accomplish. Taught by chef Instructor Clarissa Lord-Norton and special guest Andris, inventor and manufacturer of the Baking Steel, I learned how to make delicious pizza in the comfort of my own home using better quality and healthier ingredients. Class started with an introduction and explanation of how Andris developed the baking steel.

We learned that after using many different pans, stones and other gear hoping to make a better pizza. he discovered the perfect tool was in a pile of steel scraps left over at the family steel business. Steel is more a more conductive cooking surface then stone and as a result pizza and other things cooked on it will cook faster, more evenly and even at a lower temperature. This allowed him to “create the crust you love”.

His invention is made locally by his family business the Stoughton Steel Co in Hanover, MA. It’s a ¼” thick piece of 14”x14” steel which is virtually indestructible. In fact you have to be careful because if dropped on your foot it’s going to hurt. You treat the steel like you would any pizza stone and preheat it in the oven before starting your pizza.

While our baking steel was preheating we learned how to make a Neapolitan New York style pizza dough. It is the starting point and most important part of any pizza. It was a very simple process where we combined flour, sugar, salt and yeast in a bowl. Once combined we added olive oil and water until the mixture formed a ball. The next part they made go fast by having already prepared some for us to use but if you are on your own you would then take that dough and put it in a refrigerator for at least one day to allow it to rise. Then you would pull it out a few hours before you wanted to cook it and allow it to return to room temperature.

We took the already made dough and used it to create our different pizza’s each with their own unique tastes.

Pizza Bianco with Four Cheeses was the first of the three unique and tasty pizza’s we made. We started off cutting and grating all the ingredients. There are four different cheeses in this pizza each providing a punch of flavor. They were Fontina, Pecorino, Parmigano and Asiago. Along with the four cheeses we added a healthy dose of Garlic and Rosemary. Once the prep work was done we rolled out our dough to the desired size and transferred it to a well coated with cornmeal pizza peel. Then we brushed our rolled out dough with olive oil and added the garlic and rosemary before taking our four cheese blend and liberally covering the pizza.

For our next pizza we used different dough. Andis shared with is his No Knead Dough recipe and brought three premade batches for us to use for our Classic Pizza Margherita pizza. He also explained why it’s important to grate your own cheese rather than buying the pre-grated. They use a starch to keep the cheese from clumping in the bag and that addition can change the flavor of the cheese. Grating your cheese fresh eliminates that problem and allows the full and uninterrupted flavor of the cheese to shine through. After rolling our dough we assembled our pizza’s on a pizza peel as we had previously done. Again we brushed with a little olive oil then generously sprinkled the buffalo mozzarella before toping with fresh sliced Roma tomatoes and fresh basil.

Our last pizza, a Pizza with Italian Sausage, Broccoli Raab and Fresh Mozzarella, took a little more work. First we removed the casing on our sausage and in a skillet we cooked that before adding the onions and garlic. Once the onions were soft we combined the tomatoes and red pepper flakes and simmered. The last part of the process is to blanch our broccoli raab. We drop it into a pot of boiling water to cook it but not too much then it gets transferred to a ice bath to stop it from cooking any more. Once all the ingredients are prepped we roll out our dough and transfer it to a pizza peel. Then we use out sauce and coat the pizza before adding the cheese and then topping it with the Broccoli Raab.

Of course we tried all three along the way. By the time we left we had stuffed our faces with some of the best pizza I have had in a long while. It certainly has encouraged me to take my Baking Steel out of the cabinet and into the oven. 
 

 

Task 42 - Take a Cooking Class (Fast, Delicious on a Budget)

I have taken many cooking classes at Sur La Table with a variety of different chefs. Today I took Fast & Delicious on a Budget with Chef Betsy Proom. I picked this class because one of my largest expenses is food. It takes roughly 30-40% of my discretionary budget every month and anything I can learn to help trim that budget number down is a good thing.

This class touted itself as teaching how “with a bit of creativity and a little planning, you can make the most of a tight budget and prepare balanced and satisfying meals that you’ll be proud to serve year-round.” and promised that “Soon you’ll be creating dinners that save you time, money and peace of mind without sacrificing flavor.”

The menu consisted of a few things I thought sounded delicious and if they were easy to make I would certainly make them again. The menu was 4 different entrees; Citrus-Marinated Chicken Thighs with Spinach – Angel Hair Pesto Pasta with Tuna and Broccoli – Pork Chops with Cider Pan Sauce – Farro Risotto with Kale and Goat Cheese.

When we arrived Chef Proom gave us a quick introduction and went over the basics of knife skills before tasking us with the prep work of cutting dicing and chopping all the ingredients we would need for the four recipes. For those who don’t know how to use a knife properly this portion of the class is invaluable. Having proper knife skills keeps you safer in the kitchen but it also makes light work of all the prep that is required.

Next we began the process of making the marinade for out Citrus-Marinated Chicken Thighs with Spinach. Once the marinade was done we added it to the chicken thighs and let it marinade while we moved on to our next entrée to prepare.

The next item for us to prep is our Pesto sauce. We combined the garlic, pine nuts, basil, parmesan and extra virgin olive oil and using a immersion blender thoroughly mixed the ingredients to taste. In a sauté pan we sautéed our broccoli and tuna together while our pasta was cooking. Once cooked we added the pasta and pesto to the sauté pan and combined with the broccoli and tuna. Our first entrée of the night was ready for us to sample. It was perfectly cooked and very flavorful. While we enjoyed the product of our hard work the kitchen staff had begun the process of preparing for the next entrée. We took a quick break having reached the halfway point of class to browse the store’s many kitchen gadgets.

When we returned we took our chicken which had marinated for a good 30-45 minutes and pat dried it before using a stainless steel skillet to sear the flavors in. We learned how to tell when chicken was ready and learning that when it was the pan would release it for us to flip. Once the chicken was cooked we removed it from the pan and added the reserve marinade to the pan. This addition allowed us to get all the flavor in the pan released. We added the chopped spinach and mixed it with the marinate allowing it to wilt. Once wilted and properly mixed we plated it without chicken and enjoyed our second entrée of the night. The pan sauce we created was so flavorful and tasty I would have definitely enjoyed another round of that.

While we ate our second entrée the kitchen staff prepped our pork by marinating them with sparkling apple cider. Once completed we again pat dried our port chops and seasoned with salt and pepper. Using a non-stick skillet this time we added the pork searing in the flavors. The ideal temp for port is 137 degrees. After flipping our chops we continued to let them sear as we began the process of making out final entrée of the night a farro risotto with kale and goat cheese. The idea was to serve these to together. We had already rinsed our faro and allowed it to sit. Now in a large saucier we melted the butter and olive oil before adding the shallots. We cooked them until translucent and then added our fresh oregano. Then we added the drained farro to the pan and cooked it allowing it absorb all the oil and butter. The key to knowing when to add liquid is to drag your spoon down the center of the pan if the liquid doesn’t immediately cover the now exposed pan it’s time to add one ladle at a time. You continue to add one ladle at a time until roughly 4 cups has been reduced and absorbed into the faro. Once complete fold in the kale and lemon zest.

Now that the risotto is done we returned to the pan sauce for our pork chops. We took our pork from the skillets and put them on a baking sheet to put in the oven. Meanwhile we removed all but about 1 teaspoon of liquid from the skillet leaving the brown bits behind. We added the shallots and cooked until tender before adding the remainder of our apple cider, chicken broth, mustard and thyme. Once it was all perfectly mixed and cooked we platted our pork chops with our faro risotto and added the sauce over the top drizzling it on the pork.

We sat down to eat as the kitchen staff began the long process of cleaning up after us. Our chef Betsy allowed us time to enjoy our meals before checking in on us and talking about different things we could have done and answering all our questions. It was an excellent experience and now I have four more excellent meals to add to my repertoire.

Task 42 - Take a Cooking Class (Modern Sauces)

This class was originally scheduled for earlier in the month when I was in Hawaii but I asked Clarissa the executive chef if she would run another session. She said yes I couldn’t have been more pleased to have had the opportunity to take this class. Sauces are one of those things that can really transform a dish from the mundane into the extraordinary.

The class roster was all store employees and as such it qualified as a private event and we were able to bring a bottle of wine to compliment out meals.Once we were all in class and hands washed we wasted no time getting right to it.

We started with the smoked-salmon Benedict bites with hollandaise. Hollandaise was our first sauce and it was a classic but lemony hollandaise. She had already clarified the butter for us and put us to work mixing the egg yolks, lemon juice, water, and salt. She taught us how to get it whipped to the perfect thickness. Next we added the clarified butter slowly without it breaking.  She taught us how we might rescue a broken sauce by either adding another yoke or by emulsifying the mixture with a vitamix. Once all the butter was mixed in we added the lemon zest.

Once the sauce was done we added our smoked salmon, cheese and chives and seasoned with salt and pepper. We then put a healthy serving on baguette slices and lightly broiled until the mixture was bubbling.

Once change to the menu was the addition of a Mac and Cheese. We put our pasta in the water to boil while we made our sharp cheddar cheese Mornay sauce.  We made a roué or butter and flour over medium heat which we then added milk too. Once wisked smooth we added the sharp cheese and parmigiano-reggiano cheese to the mix until everything was melted. We salted and peppered to taste. Once donw we combined with our cooked pasta and poured it into a casserole dish. We sprinkled it with more parmigiano-reggiano and baked.

Next we worked on our vinaigrette. We took our vinegar, oil, whole kernel and regular Dijon mustard and mixed it together. The key is 1 part acid to 3 parts oil. We also finely sliced apples and fennel and mixed with our dressing before mixing again with our spinach. The result was a light and refreshing fall salad.

Before moving on to the main course of Pork Tenderloin we prepped our desert.  Our dessert to cap off a great meal is a warm chocolate cake with a vanilla bean anglaise. We started by combining the cocoa and flour. This we used to coat our buttered ramekins. It is very important to make sure that when done you cannot see the white of the ramekin.

Next we worked on the anglaise. We took our milk and heated it almost but not to a boil. We added to this warm mild out vanilla seeds. Once added we removed from the heat and let steep for a while. Once done reheated the now vanilla-infused milk on medium heat until it began simmering.

In a separate bowl we mixed our eggs, sugar, and salt. The key was to mix well without it becoming frothy. Next we took a ladle of our vanilla milk and combined it with out egg and sugar mixture. Once acclimated we then poured the egg and sugar and ladle of milk mixture in the simmering milk. We continued to stir until the it thickened.  We then used a chinoise to strain the mixture to remove any egg that might have cooked.

In a stand mixer we added eggs and sugar and beat on high until it was thick and yellow. We added out Liquor and then using a spatula fodled in out chocolate until well combined. We then folded in the flour. Once done we spooned the mixture into our ramekins leaving about ¾ of an inch empty.

We set all that aside and began our final sauce a orange-rosemary balsamic butter sauce we would later add to our port tenderloin.

In a saucier we reduced our vinegar and orange juice and rosemary by half. Once boiled down we removed it from heat and took our stick of butter and began stirring it into our balsamic reduction until gone.

Next we seasoned our pork and seared it in a pan creating a nice golden crust before putting it in the oven to finish cooking. If there is a lot of fat in the pan pour it off but do not rinse. Drop a good amount of rinsed but not dried spinach into the pan and toss it around to encourage it to wilt. It will incorporate the flavors from the pan and a little water on the spinach from rinsing it.

Next we plated the spinach and put sliced pork on top and drizzle with the butter sauce.  As we ate our salad, mac and cheese and pork while our ramekins of chocolate cake were now in the oven backing. The salad was light and refreshing and the pre-made candied walnuts added a little something extra. The mac and cheese was creamy and golden on the top and is definitely one of those comfort foods I’ll be sure to make this winter.

The pork was tender and the balsamic reduction sauce complimented the pork perfectly.  The only mistake I made was eating too much and nearly forgot about the chocolate cakes baking in the oven.

When the cakes came out I knew I was going to have to have one. We placed the cakes in the center of our plates and drizzeled our anglaise sauce around it and accented with powdered sugar and raspberries.

It was a great experience and Clarissa treated as she treats all her students. She kept us focused on the tasks at hand while ensuring that we all had a good time in the kitchen. We all left stuffed to the gills and I think we all learned a few things. I know I did. As a added bonus we each took home an autographed copy of Martha Holmberg's Modern Sauces cookbook.