Chef's School

Audrey told me that her son, Brandon, was interested in learning how to cook. Well, a bell went "ding" in my head, and I was off and running. The first thing Brandon and I did was to cook a meal together...one for which he planned the menu. We slaved making Baby Back Ribs, broccoli, Caesar Salad with homemade dressing, garlic mashed potatoes and best of all...a homemade apple pie. The meal was a huge success.

A day or so later I wandered into a new kitchen store in Simi Valley and noticed that they had cooking classes for teens. I looked at the price and about had a heart attack. I said to myself, "Self, you can teach a class just as well as they can." Not wanting to do the whole thing alone, I called my good chef buddy, Dale Falkenstein, and he agreed to work with me. Brandon and the three Hunt girls, Kelsey, Jennifer and Haley, became our students.

We designed a 4 session class and those kids worked. They all looked so adorable in their custom aprons, and Brandon even had a chef's hat. The first day Dale taught them knife skills and they chopped their way to fresh salsa and all the goodies necessary to make a homemade marina. They then made homemade pizza dough and each took home a pizza, a pot of sauce for pasta and a bowl of pico de gallo.

The next day we showed them the 'mother' sauce....a simple white sauce, which they converted into delicious mac and cheese, broccoli cheese soup, and roasted corn chowder with bacon. I also demonstrated how to make a roasted vegetable soup.

The third day was pan frying and sauteeing. Delicious marinated pork chops with a citrus pan sauce served with mashed potatoes with sofrito was entree #1. Dale guided them through making chicken with an apple cream and mushroom sauce which they served with oven roasted potatoes with rosemary and garlic. Yum.

Our last session taught them delicious dinner rolls and homemade pie crust, into which they put a Hershey Bar chocolate cream pie topped with tons of whipped cream.

Their final session will be next week. The four of them are going to plan a menu and cook for both families plus Spence and I and Dale and his wife. I can't wait. Should be yummy.

I must admit I was EXHAUSTED after the week, but a happy camper, and the kids were amazing....and think of the hundreds of dollars we all saved!!!!