Cooking Classes | My Sweet and Saucy

Archive for the ‘Cooking Classes’ Category

New Cooking Classes

Friday, September 5th, 2008

Cooking classes are definitely a huge passion of mine. As some of you might know, before I went into the pastry field I was actually studying to be an elementary school teacher. All of my life this is the job I thought I was going to go into and was blessed to be able to work as an aide for many years. I absolutely loved teaching, but felt that God was leading me into a new passion and I jumped head first into it and have never turned back since. However, God knew He didn’t give me the love for teaching and sharing my passions with others for nothing and has helped me find ways in this new field to share and bless others. I feel so honored to be able to help and guide others that share my same passion for desserts and food and inspire those that never knew they had it within them. I have loved being able to teach classes at Prep Kitchen Essentials in Seal Beach and at my church Rockharbor in Costa Mesa and now I am excited to announce a new opportunity that I have been given. This month I am starting to teach cake decorating classes at MiraCosta College in Oceanside, CA. I am teaching three separate courses that consist of three classes each. Here are the three classes…

Module 1 – Basic Cake Decorating (9/08-10/08) $120

This relaxed and friendly course takes you through the basics of using a
variety of icings to decorate typical cakes required for birthdays,
graduations, etc. You will be shown techniques related to piping, use
of modeling paste for flowers and ornaments, and the covering of cakes
using a variety of icings tools and equipment. This will be taught as a
beginners level course. Perfect for either the recreational cake
designer or the individual who wishes to gain professional skills.

Module 2 – Wedding Cakes (10/08-11/08) $120
This course is suitable for creative cake-makers who may have completed
a beginners cake-decorating course. The course will primarily focus on
the techniques and styles needed to decorate beautiful wedding cakes.
Please do not sign up for this class if you are not familiar with the
basic principles of cake decorating.

Module 3 – Specialty Cakes (11/08-12/08) $120
This course caters for participants who wish to advance their basic
skills. Learn a variety of new, contemporary techniques using icing and
fondant, allowing you to create beautiful and unique cakes. On
completion of the course, students will have a greater understanding of
cake design and the satisfaction and confidence to further their
abilities.

The classes still have spots left in them and are priced quite low for how much information you will be learning in them. If you are interested in signing up just check out their website and they can give you all the information. Hope to see some of you there!

Well before leaving I wanted to share some photos with you from my cooking class at Rockharbor. This class was on appetizers and we had a great time! The menu was…

Sun-Dried Tomato Dip with Pita Chips

Caribbean Shrimp Salad with Lime Vinaigrette

Crostini with Fresh Mozzarella, Arugula, Prosciutto, & Olive Tapenade

Bruschetta

I wanted to pass on this recipe of Ina Garten’s from Barefoot Contessa. Her recipe for Sun-Dried Tomato Dip is fantastic and extremely easy…a double winner in my book! I highly recommend that you try it!

Tags: cake decorating classes ca, cake decorating classes oceanside ca, cooking classes california, great appetizer recipes, prep kitchen essentials cooking classes, rockharbor church, Sun dried tomato dip
Posted in Cakes, Cooking Classes, Desserts, Recipes, Wedding Ideas | 27 Comments »

Cooking Class Menu Plus the Cookbook Winner

Tuesday, August 26th, 2008

Hope everyone had a great weekend! Last Friday night I taught a class at Prep Kitchen Essentials and we had a great time. The class was on Fresh & Easy Dinners and it turned out to be a fabulous night! But before I share all the delicious details from the class with you I wanted that thank you all for you for your great inspirational ideas. I loved reading each and every one and couldn’t pick a favorite, so instead I let the random number generator choose the winner (I know…I’m pathetic)! Anyways, the winner is BRANDI!!! Congratulations Brandi and I hope you enjoy this book as much as I do!

Well, onto the menu…

Caribbean Shrimp Salad with Lime Vinaigrette

Panzanella

Rigatoni with Grilled Summer Vegetables & Feta Cheese

Bake Pork Chops with Radicchio Slaw

Creme Fraiche & Lemon Sorbet

Here are some photos from the class…First off is the Rigatoni with Grilled Summer Vegetables & Feta Cheese!

Next is the Bake Pork Chops with Radicchio Slaw & Panzanella..

And the last dinner item was my favorite…the Caribbean Shrimp Salad with Lime Vinaigrette!

And sadly I didn’t get any good photos of the delicious Creme Fraiche & Lemon Sorbet, but here is at least one photo of the bowl!

Well, I couldn’t leave without sharing one recipe with you so here is my favorite from the night…enjoy!

Caribbean Shrimp Salad with Lime Vinaigrette

adapted from Cooking Light

4 servings

4 cups chopped cooked shrimp (about 1 1/2 pounds)

5 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar, divided

2 tablespoons chili garlic sauce (such as Lee Kum Kee)

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon grated lime rind

1/4 cup fresh lime juice (about 3 large limes)

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

2 garlic cloves, minced

Dash of salt

8 cups fresh baby spinach

1 cup chopped peeled mango (about 1 large)

1 cup julienne-cut radishes

1/4 cup diced peeled avocado

1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions

2 tablespoons unsalted pumpkinseed kernels

Combine shrimp, 2 tablespoons vinegar, and chili garlic sauce in a large bowl; toss well. Cover and chill 1 hour.

Combine remaining 3 tablespoons vinegar, oil, and next 6 ingredients (through salt) in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk.

Mix together the spinach, shrimp mixture, mango, radishes, avocado, green onions and pumpkin seed kernels. Drizzle with vinaigrette and serve.

Tags: baked pork chops with radicchio slaw, caribbean shrimp salad with lime vinaigrette, creme fraiche and lemon sorbet, long beach cooking classes sweet and saucy, melody brandon cooking classes, panzanella, prep kitchen essentials cooking classes, rigatoni with grilled summer vegetables and feta cheese
Posted in Cooking Classes, Desserts, Recipes, Savory Food | 20 Comments »

Beau-Coup Winner Plus a Recent Cooking Class

Monday, August 4th, 2008

Thanks so much everyone for the comments you left on the last post…you are too kind! I am so glad that you all enjoyed Beau-Coup and I loved reading about your favorite finds! The winner of the $50 gift certificate is Landa from the All-Purpose Blog!!! Congratulations…hope you buy something fun!

Well, two days before that huge cookie order was due I actually had a cooking class scheduled that I would be teaching at Prep Kitchen Essentials. The class had been scheduled a while back and while at first it didn’t sound like I would be able to make it through it with a smile on my face (since my legs were about to go out on me) I ended up meeting a lot of great people, cooking some fabulous food, and enjoying the night. Here are some photos from the class and of course I have to share at least one recipe with you too!

The class was titled: Romantic Italian Date Night for Two and the menu was…

Crostini with Prosciutto, Fresh Mozzarella and Black Olive Tapenade & Pesto

Roasted Tomato & Red Pepper Soup with Pesto Croutons

Pork Tenderloin with Mint Pesto

Ricotta Beignets with Chocolate Dipping Sauce

Here is the homemade Roasted Red Pepper & Tomato Soup with Pesto Croutons.

Here is the Pork Tenderloin and Mint Pesto.

And finally here are the Ricotta Beignets with Chocolate Dipping Sauce.

We definitely had a great time at the class!

Well, as promised here is one recipe from the class…enjoy! Also if you are interested in coming to some of my classes you can check out Prep Kitchen Essentials new class list and sign-up!

Ricotta Beignets with Chocolate Dipping Sauce

adapted from Fiamma by Elizabeth Katz

(makes 6-8 servings)

1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
2 large eggs
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup all- purpose flour
3/4 t. baking powder
1/2 cup finely crushed amaretti cookies (about 16 cookies)
1 cup chopped bittersweet chocolate (5 ounces)
1 cup heavy cream
vegetable oil for frying
powdered sugar for garnish

Whisk the ricotta and eggs together in a medium-size bowl until
smooth. Add the sugar, flour, baking powder, and amaretti and stir
until well blended. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour.

While batter is chilling, put the chopped chocolate in a bowl. In a
small saucepan, bring the cream to a bowl and then pour the hot cream
over the chocolate. Let it stir for a couple minutes and then stir
until smooth. Keep warm or re-warm in microwave for a few seconds in
needed.

Fill a medium-size pot with at least 3 inches of oil and heat until
the oil reaches 360 degrees. Carefully drop the crochette batter by
the heaping tablespoon into the hot oil and cook, turning once, until
brown on all sides, about 3 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove
them and then place them on a paper towel to drain. Dust them with
powdered sugar and serve immediately with chocolate sauce.

Tags: cooking classes long beach ca, crostini, Fiamma, Prep Kitchen Essentials, ricotta beignets with chocolate dipping sauce, tomato and red pepper soup with pesto croutons
Posted in Cooking Classes, Desserts, Recipes, Savory Food | 27 Comments »

Cupcake Class & One of Sweet Melissa’s Recipes

Saturday, June 21st, 2008

Today was a lot of fun as it was the day of my cupcake class at Prep Kitchen Essentials. We had 13 ladies ready to bake, decorate, and eat their way through tons of yummy cupcakes. It was a tight schedule with lots of things to bake, many cupcakes to frost, and lots of decorations to make. I taught them how to make Vanilla, Chocolate, and Carrot Cake Cupcakes. They also learned how to make Vanilla Buttercream, Swiss Meringue Buttercream, Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting, Chocolate Ganache Filling, and Peanut Butter Filling….like I said, it was busy. In addition to cupcakes and frostings, I showed them how to make modeling chocolate roses, use chocolate transfer sheets, texture fondant accents, and pipe flowers. Here are some photos from the fun day!

One of the recipes that we made today was from Sweet Melissa’s Baking Book…it was the delicious carrot cake! I had made this recipe before and loved it and thought I’d share my new found joy with my others. Instead of using the cream cheese frosting that it calls for I opted to use one of Chockylit’s recipes for her Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting since I thought it would pipe better. It was a fantastic recipe and I highly recommend it!

Carrot Cake Cupcakes

adapted from Sweet Melissa’s Baking Book

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
4 large eggs
3/4 cup vegetable or canola oil
2 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 pound carrots, grated medium fine
3/4 cup walnut pieces, coarsely choppe

Before you start

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line two cupcake pans with cupcake liners.

To make the cake

1. in a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and baking powder.

2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whip attachment, beat the eggs at high speed until light and frothy, about 1 minute. Decrease the speed to medium and add the oil, sugar, and salt, and mix until just combined. Decrease the speed to low and add the flour mixture, mixing until just combined.

3. Remove the bowl from the mixer. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the carrots and walnuts.

4. Divide the batter evenly between the cupcake liners.

5. Bake 20-24 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.

Tags: carrot cake recipe, chocolate transfer sheets, cooking classes long beach, cream cheese frosting, delicious chocolate cupcakes, Prep Kitchen Essentials, sweet melissa, swiss meringue buttercream, vanilla buttercream, vanilla cupcakes
Posted in Cooking Classes, Cupcakes, Desserts, Recipes | 36 Comments »

Two More Cooking Class…Plus a Fantastic Recipe

Wednesday, June 18th, 2008

I have been having so much fun teaching classes at Prep Kitchen Essentials! They have a wonderful store, staff, and kitchen…plus they do all the dishes for me! What more could a girl ask for! These past two weeks I have taught two classes there. The first class was “Elegant Italian Entrees”. Yes, although I am a pastry chef I do really enjoy cooking food too and love sharing my passion for it with others. This was a great class with a lot of fabulous food. The menu for the night was Italian Herb & Cheese Pork Rolls, Prosciutto Wrapped Chicken with Homemade Pesto, Parmesan Chicken Over Angel Hair Pasta with Pine Nuts, Feta Cheese, and Tomatoes, and Grilled Cilantro Lime Shrimp with Saffron Orzo.

My favorite of the night was definitely the Italian Herb & Cheese Pork Rolls, so I thought I’d share the recipe with you!

Italian Herb & Cheese Rolls

adapted from Fiamma

Makes 4 servings

One 1 1/2 pound boneless pork tenderloin, cut on the extreme diagonal into 12 slices

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese

1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh sage

1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

3 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 cup dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio

Lightly pound the pork slices until they are 1/4″ thick. Season with salt and pepper. Mix the Pecorino, sage, rosemary, and garlic together in a box and then sprinkle 1 teaspoon of herb mix on each pork slice. Then roll each slice into a cylinder and secure with a toothpick. Season the rolls with salt and pepper.

Place the flour in a flat bowl and then lightly coat the pork rolls with flour, patting to remove the excess.

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat until hot. Add the rolls and cook until browned all over, about 3-5 minutes. Pour in the wine, cover, and simmer until the rolls are cooked through, 3-5 minutes more. Transfer to a plate and loosely cover with aluminum foil.

Boil the cooking liquid until it reduces to a thick sauce, about 5 minutes. Return the rolls to the skillet and shake the pan to coat them with sauce. Serve with any remaining sauce spooned over them.

The second class I taught was a “Basic Cake Decorating Class”. I taught how to split, fill, and frost a layer cake. I also went over a variety of frostings and their uses and we played around with fondant too. As you can see from the photos we weren’t trying to turn out the perfectly decorated cake, but rather practice techniques. Everyone seemed to have a great time and hopefully they learned a lot too! This weekend I have my cupcake class…should be a lot of fun!

Tags: basic cake decorating class seal beach, fondant, Grilled Shrimp with Saffron Orzo, Italian Chicken Salad Lettuce Wraps, Italian Herb & Cheese Rolls, Prep Kitchen Essentials, Prosciutto Wrapped Chicken Breasts with Homemade Pesto
Posted in Cakes, Cooking Classes, Desserts, Recipes, Savory Food | 26 Comments »

Another Cooking Class

Saturday, May 31st, 2008

This past week I got the chance to teach another cooking class at my church Rockharbor. I teach these classes once every other month as a ministry and we always have a great time. This class’s theme was “Perfect Party Foods and Desserts”. I got a lot of inspiration for this menu from fellow bloggers and decided to make Bakerella’s Cupcake Bites and The Pioneer Lady’s Fancy Flower Pots. I wanted to spice these desserts up a bit by using mostly homemade components instead of using store-bought ones…although these would be delicious either way. Everyone had a blast making these desserts and I was thrilled with their creations. I also had to try some out at home after the class so I could have some photos for my portfolio too! For the savory component of the class we made Chicken Salad Lettuce Wraps, but sadly I don’t have any really good photos of those, but trust me, they were delicious! Well, to start off this long post I will begin with the photos of the Fancy Flower Pot desserts. This is the dessert I made the Chocolate Peanut-Butter and Apricot-Pistachio Ice Creams for. I also bought some quality store-bought ice cream and gelato so people would have a variety to choose from. Here are my photos to give you an idea of the process, but I would recommend going to The Pioneer Lady’s website for full instructions.

I tried out two new recipes from Warren Brown’s new book Cake Love, his Vanilla Pound Cake and his Chocolate Pound Cake. Both of these recipes are definitely blog worthy and I will be posting them shortly. To start off the process, you stick the circle cut-outs of pound cake in the bottom and then insert a straw. Then you place your choice of ice cream in and freeze.

Now for your choice of dirt…I pulverized some of Trader Joe’s Chocolate Pistachio Toffee, some oreos, and then bought some chocolate covered sunflower seeds too.

Then you find your hidden straw and insert your flower into it.

Here are some photos of the ladies with their finished flower pots.

Now onto the Cupcake Bites! I don’t really have step-by-step photos for this one, so I would just recommend checking out Bakerella’s blog for the instructions. I used Sweet Melissa’s Red Velvet Cake and Cream Cheese Frosting for these cupcake bits and boy were they delicious. I will post this recipe, along with the pound cakes soon. Well, here are the photos!