Classroom Chatter

Happy New Year Foodies! 

 

Can I still say that on January 10th? I think we get the entire month of January to welcome in the new year. I know that I for one am still adjusting to 2011, in fact I’m not sure I’ve written the right year on a check yet! (Ok, it’s usually around April before I do.)

Other than the inevitable date confusion - this time of year feels shiny and new, full of possibilities, hope for what this new year may bring.  Here at The Culinary Center of Kansas City we see the excitement first hand. Knife skills classes fill to the brim with excited students eager to start chopping and dicing like their favorite TV star chefs, Three day basics classes are all the rage taking students from “kitchen zero to kitchen hero” in just a weekend!

The trend nearest and dearest to me though is the excitement buzzing through our kitchens by students taking classes that not only teach them to make delicious food, but healthy food as well.  So many people resolve to live a healthier lifestyle this time of year, but it is sometimes tough to make those resolutions stick.  As someone who’s lost 100 lbs, I certainly understand this is a struggle, but I’m so proud to hear from our students is that when they leave our classes, they have tools, recipes and confidence to keep the momentum going!

We’ve got quite the line up of such classes this winter too, from lunchtime classes with wellness coach Shelly Murray (next one on January 19th), to Gluten Free classes of all kinds (don’t miss The Basics of Cooking Gluten Free on 1/30), to my very own classes for weight watchers (Don’t miss One Pan Meals for weight watchers on 1/29 and Comfort Foods for weight watchers on 2/19).  There certainly is a lot of healthy excitement around here! 

Classroom Chatter

Oh, I do love this time of year!  This week marked the beginning of Gingerbread Mania here at The Culinary Center of Kansas City! The first lucky people got to come in with their friends and families, make an edible keepsake and leave without cleaning up the mess! (Lucky them!!)

We made gingerbread houses a lot when I was a kid, using gingerbread, graham crackers, candy and all the trimmings, I must admit that they started out as glorious mountains of candy, but as the season wore on, the decorations disappeared mysteriously and by Christmas the houses were bare cookie shacks, most of the festive trimmings having been ingested by a sibling.

One of the best holiday cookie adventures that I remember is one year when we had a “cookie tree party” we baked and baked and decorated trees all over the house with tons and tons of amazing Christmas confections hanging from them.  As a child this is the best kind of party, not only tasty, but a bit magical feeling.  These kinds of traditions always remind me of the feeling you only get as a child during the holiday season, the intense excitement and anticipation of something wonderful to come.  It’s a rare thing to capture that childhood feeling again, it’s a gift.

Rachel Ciordas

Dean of Deliciousness

Classroom Chatter

Hello Foodie Friends!

Guess what time it is? I know, I know you weren’t ready to walk into stores yet and hear Jingle Bells and Frosty the Snowman and suddenly … here it is!

Personally I look forward to this time of year, the falling leaves, the promise of family and friends gathered together around a big turkey, a round of holiday drinks, or exchanging cookies and holiday breads.   It’s even almost time for my annual bake – fest.  Every year I test my arm muscle strength as I knead tons of dough for the 40+ loaves of homemade Romanian christmas bread. (It’s just like the Povitica you may have seen around town, or Polish Babka)  They are a bit of a workout but I ALWAYS get requests and I think that a homemade food gift really tells the other person that you care about them, that you put in the effort to give them something really special from your heart and your culture.

Here at The Culinary Center of Kansas City we do a great job at the holidays.  It’s already parties and tinsel galore around here, and we’ve got all sorts of classes gearing everyone up for the impending season!  This last Saturday I taught a fantastic group of folks an entire Thanksgiving Dinner for weight watchers  from salad to pie.  It was a blast!  On the 11th and 13th of next month  I’ll be back with Holiday Desserts  from cookies for your exchanges to a Banana’s Foster bread you can give away as gifts, to an AMAZING Light New York Cheesecake, and a Cranberry Caramel Apple Tart Tatin…. all for weight watchers.   I cannot wait!

Oh, but there is more holiday fun to be had! We’ve got Celia Shea in teaching us how to make cupcakes that look just like Holiday Ornaments on December 4th and 11th!

Don’t miss our famous Gingerbread House parties with the delightful Diana Cooper on December 5th, 12th, and 19th, now these are really special events where the whole family can make something wonderful and memorable together… that’s what it’s all about right?  Don’t forget about our Holly and Ivy Holiday Dinners with Chef Matt Chatfield’s amazing array of holiday goodness… and none of the cleanup of havin’ dinner at your house! (top that!)

There are so many great festive things going on over here make sure you don’t miss out on the holiday action!

Rachel Ciordas

Dean of Deliciousness

Classroom Chatter

Today at The Culinary Center of Kansas City is all about indulgence in every sense of the word.  Tantalizing  smells, exciting tastes, and beauty… veggie beauty.

OK, slow down… what’s with all the veggie beauty stuff? Well, have you been in on a Wednesday morning to check out our winter farmer’s market yet? Every Wednesday (and starting in November Saturday!) when I open the door it’s like a surprise waiting for me… what new exciting veggies will the guys at “The Organic Garden” have for me today? What will I learn? (As a certified food nerd this IS my very favorite thing to do.)  This morning was no exception, I was greeted by tables of fresh amazing produce, things I love like peppers, squash, and pumpkins and even some I didn’t know existed… did you know there was such a thing as a white sweet potato?  Flame red, deep green, fiery orange, colors that only truly fresh produce boasts, hinting to the intense flavor inside.  Sensory indulgence has begun.

It doesn’t stop there, oh no, Chef Cody Hogan is in today with one of his full day Italian classes.  Ten different sauces, ten different pastas and hundreds of wonderful smells wafting through the culinary center and luckily, past my desk.   He’s tempting our taste buds with the best of the Italian boot from tip to toe and it’s almost too much to resist!!!!

Don’t let us have all the fun though, come by and take a whiff, grab a veggie, check out a class or two and cook up some indulgence for yourself!

Classroom Chatter

from Dean of Deliciousness, Rachel

‘m back in town and after a lovely vacation full of mountains, exotic tastes, and homey hospitality and I’ve finally recovered from jetlagged and jumped back into the full swing of things at The Culinary Center of Kansas City!  We’re full of awesome happenings as usual including teaching my very first class on Fabulous Crockpot Meals for weight watchers on next Sunday September 26th from 5pm-8pm. I’m SO excited it’s going to be fantastic!

But… the real excitement over here is about the American Royal… as many people know we have an AMAZING Midwest BBQ Institute here, and for the very first time we are competing in the American Royal BBQ Competition!!!! And of course we can’t just compete… we’re entering with a team of Chef Richard McPeake, Chef Matt Chatfield, and Bruce Campbell…. a former American Royal winner leading us and all three culinary rockstars!!! This is a recipe for a stellar performance and a great weekend!  Don’t worry, we won’t leave you out!! We’re having a Smokin’ Schoolhouse Party on Friday night Oct 1st to kick off the festivities, with incredible BBQ, a make your own rub station, boasting, tomfoolery… it will be a smokin’ good time!

A few lucky people will also get the chance to spend the WHOLE WEEKEND with Richard, Matt, and Bruce learning all the tips and tricks of the competition BBQ’r as part of the Inner Sanctum! Where else could you get the chance to get one on one BBQ attention from such a team?  We’ve still got a couple of spots left so head over to our website to register for the Inner Sanctum AND the Smokin’ Schoolhouse Party…. I’ll see you at the Royal!

Smokalicious!

Rachel Ciordas
Dean of Deliciousness

“Classroom Chatter”

Exciting travels ahead for our Dean of Deliciousness, Rachel

Well I’ve been all nose to the grindstone over here getting everything ready for the next couple of weeks of fabulous classes at The Culinary Center of Kansas City! We’ve got some great ones coming up including Light and Luscious Summer Desserts with Mari Ruck, Growing a Backyard Garden with the Bad Seed’s Brooke Salvaggio and a slew of other seriously amazing choices but sadly… I’ll miss all of them.

I‘m taking this show on the road and exploring the culinary delicacies of eastern Europe on a 2 week trip to Romania and Bulgaria! I must admit, I’ve been there before, my husband is Romanian and we even had a traditional wedding there BUT I always learn something new and exciting! I’ve made it my mission to learn some of the traditional recipes that my husband’s family makes, to write them down so they aren’t lost forever, and here’s one of my favorites.  It’s what a lady named Tica (pronounced TSEEKA) who lives high in the Carpathian mountains, right above the Dracula castle in Transylvania makes for us every time we go.  (Nope, I’m not making this up here people… it’s super true and one of my favorite places, favorite people, and favorite recipes!!!)

Transylvanian Bulz Recipe:

Basically this is a ball of polenta with a savory cheese filling that’s cooked on a flat top griddle or in a large pan until the outside becomes crispy like a corn chip and the cheese is melty and gooey…

1 c dry polenta (coarsely ground cornmeal)
3 c water
1/2 tsp salt
6 Tb butter
8 oz strong cheese such as Parmigiano or pecorino romano… the traditional Romanian cheese is very similar to pecorino romano
2 Tb oil for the griddle or pan
sour cream for serving

Put the polenta, butter, and salt in a large saucepan with the water. Bring to the boil, stirring constantly, and cook for 5-8 minutes, still stirring, until the mixture is thick. Pour the mixture onto a plate and leave until completely cold. (this is a great dish for leftover polenta!) Divide the mixture into 6 pieces. Place a cube of cheese in the middle of each piece, wet your hands and shape each cake into a round dumpling around the cheese, ensuring that the filling is completely enclosed.  Pour the oil on the griddle or in the pan, add the dumplings, rolling them around in the oil and allow to cook for about 10 minutes until crispy on the outside. Serve with the sour cream.

Classroom Chatter

by Dean of Deliciousness Rachel

The Art Market is Here!

I must admit that we here at The Culinary Center of Kansas City are just looking for a reason to throw a party, so I was thrilled when all of the downtown  Overland Park small businesses decided to get together to throw one! We’re calling it the “Friday Night Art Market.” Every third friday of the month you get to come to Downtown Overland Park, the Kansas City area’s secret art and foodie mecca, and spend all evening checking out art galleries, seeing great cooking demonstrations, perusing unique shops and in general a lovely evening.

Tomorrow July 16th is an Art Market fiesta at The Culinary Center of Kansas City!!! Come down and see us, bring a date! The infamous Vicky (of Vicky’s famous tamales and enchilada casserole) will be hosting cooking demonstrations in our Santa Fe kitchen, we’ll have frosty margaritas for sale, some of our famous Dinners on Demand to taste and we’ll even let you buy some too!

We’ll crank up the A/C and have a cool refreshing drink ready for you!  6pm-9pm  Downtown Overland Park

What does your summer taste like?

asks our Dean of Deliciousness Rachel

This past weekend was long. Four whole days without a cooking class, a demo, an event, or a copier malfunction.  It was the kind of weekend you remember as a child and never ever have as an adult, where the days seem long and aimless and you feel generally cheerful.  For some odd reason I had no goals this weekend, no burning desire to check things off of my mental list or to attempt drastic improvement of anything.  I just relaxed.  Of course I also cooked, but for me that really is relaxing.

What I also did was taste. No don’t tell me you do that every day! You don’t, or at least I don’t.  I eat my lunch at my desk or running out the door or wolf dinner down while starving from a long day.  It’s not the same ya know, that’s only eating.  This weekend I had time to sit and think about what I was tasting, and how those tastes are connected with my idea of a season.  I think the things you can only get certain times of the year are best for that.  During the short freezy days of winter (remember those! not so long ago…) wouldn’t you just kill for a hot pile of sand and a margarita? Or a perfectly ripe peach? No matter how many cantelopes we ship in from Chile in December its not the same as a fresh summer juice filled fruit that tastes like semi-solid honey. That my dears you can only get right now.  Take a moment to relax and taste a bit of summer before it’s gone.

What taste takes you back to lazy summer days?

Classroom Chatter

by our Dean of Deliciousness, Rachel

It’s almost new season finally!  Summer is unofficially starting this weekend and it really feels like it! My chef coat is starting to get a little sticky when I’m demonstrating at the Farmer’s Market on Saturday mornings…. eww.  I’ll take that over chilly rainy wind any day though.  The weather is new, the heat is on and we have a ton of new things happening as well!

Chef Matt had his very first “Executive Chef’s Private Table” class on Saturday.  I can hardly describe how thrilled all the students were, and how much I would have loved to be in their seat! (Note to self: Go to the next one!!!)  Picture this, an amazing 5 course meal, prepared tableside with the chef demonstrating everything along the way, and creating incredible dishes using things like Foie Gras, Kumquats, and Vanilla Poached Lobster and wine pairings for every course.  Wow! Top that for a date!

It was a small class (intentionally intimate) and the students had such amazing things to say about their experiences!  One said “Chef Matt was over-the-top fabulous! I loved his easy going manner and the tips he shared as he moved along the demonstrations. He had a nice rapport with us and created an atmosphere were I was comfortable asking questions.” another said “In the weeks between signing up and showing up, I fretted about having committed to the event — it seemed so indulgent and decadent; I came close to cancelling more than once. But now I know it was money well spent. I learned SO much; ate incredible food; had a wonderful experience — all of it priceless!” Well, that about sums it up now doesn’t it!

Now for other new things, people have been signing up for so many classes this summer that we’ve had to schedule a slew of new ones! I wasn’t sure if you were all aware of all the great new opportunities to break away from the pool for a few minutes and head to the kitchen but here they are!

• We’ve just added another Master Class with Sara Moulton on June 4th… this is a rare opportunity to hang out with a celebrity chef!
• On the heels of Sara we’ve added a Cupcakes class on June 10th with baker extraordinaire Diana Cooper (nothing is cuter than cupcakes right?).
• June 23rd brings another Ravioli and Filled Pasta class with Chef Cody Hogan, I love pasta’s in the summer time, quick easy and no heating up the house with the oven!
• On to July 6th and I have convinced Lon Lane to come back and give us another session of his wildly popular and very well received Upscale Breakfast and Brunch class!
• Chef TJ Stack has graciously agreed to teach a second session of his “Sensational Salads” class on July 11th, Awesome summer food!
• Executive Chef Matt Chatfield preserves all of your garden and farmer’s market goodies in a second session of Preserving Nature’s Bounty on July 14th
• Lon Lane gives us even MORE show stopping Hors D’Oeuvres on August 3rd
• Cody Hogan returns on August 10th for another Über Extreme Pizza class and on August 17th for another Introduction to Fresh Pasta for all of you interested in rolling dough!

Whew, looks like I’m splitting my time between the pool and the kitchen this summer, and so are a lot of you!

Classroom Chatter

This week at the Overland Park Farmer’s Market I showed people how to make French Potato Salad with Radishes and Green Onions.  This is a simple dish, the kind that I really love, it speaks to the kind of food we can all relate to, comfortable, elegant but really simple.  I’ve made this recipe dozens of times and while it contains a few ingredients that may not have been in Mom’s potato salad (capers) it still reminds me of picnics, cookouts,  and time spent with family and friends.  That’s the best kind of cooking, the kind that brings people together and conjures up great memories of the little moments in your life.

Over the next few weeks we’ve got classes full of great memories waiting to be made:

Advanced Cake Decorating: Wedding Cakes on Saturday 5/15 at 10am – Talk about memories! Everyone remembers their wedding cake, what better gift for your daughter, sister, granddaughter, or friend than  a custom hand decorated wedding cake by you!

Smoking 101: The Art of Smokeology on Sunday 5/16 at 10am – This is about summer, BBQ’s, ribs, and more! Just think of all of the backyard fun in your future!!!

Saucemaking: Italian Sauces on Wednesday 5/19 at 6:30pm – Think big family dinners and quick pasta sauces that make you look like a rock star even when it’s a rushed weeknight!

Mmmm… so many great memories  involve the smell of fresh baked goods.  Fresh apple cake with apples just plucked from the tree with  my grandma, home baked bread, cookies one of the first things we’re allowed “help” with as a child. We’re recapturing those moments with Tiny Tots: It’s all about the dough on Saturday 5/22/10 at 10am.

I can’t let you escape without telling you about The Executive Chef’s Private Table: Springtime in France on Saturday 5/22 at 6:30pm.  This is a seriously amazing opportunity.  Chef Matt is cooking up an elegant dinner, and demonstrating everything course by course with a very small group of guests.  This is a chance to get personalized attention with Chef Matt, and a very unique dining experience!