And I do mean amazing.  Since the wines were handpicked by William Bincoletto, who was on hand as our Special Guest Sommelier for the night.  If you don’t already know William, you can drop into Vines Riverbend Wine Merchants to meet him:  William has been working as Principal Sommelier at Vines since 2006. William was formally educated as a Sommelier in France and Italy, with additional training in Germany, and he was Alberta’s first certified Sommelier.  The depth of William’s knowledge is astounding, and his teaching skills  have been finely honed during his time as “Sommelier in Residence” at the NAIT School of Hospitality, where he has worked closely with some of Canada’s greatest Chefs, including Sursur Lee, David Adjey, and Rob Feenie.

So it was with more than a little trepidation that I began my discussions with William around holding our class.  But working with him was an absolute pleasure.  His knowledge and experience are daunting but his demeanour is totally relaxed!  And we quickly agreed that we would present our class as a 7-course sit-down meal.  And that between courses our guests would be invited to gather around the stove, to watch or to cook, the choice would be theirs to make.

We started the night with canapés, which were accompanied by a glass of sparkling Vouvray, from the Loire.  Our guests got to know each other as they chatted, bubbly in hand, over Thundering Ground Bison and Horseradish Crostini, and Crab filled Filo Tartlets.  Then we ushered them to the table for course number two, a Wild Salmon Tartare that William paired with a glass of 2009 Greywacke Wild Sauvignon from Marlborough, in New Zealand.  I was particularly proud to present this course since I caught the salmon myself when I was in Tofino last July!  A gorgeous wild Chinook, I chopped it up finely then marinated it briefly in lemon juice, mixed it up with some chopped capers and shallots, and served it with a Cucumber Salad.  (The recipe follows.)  And to make the pairing even more special, I was lucky enough to meet Kevin Judd, owner of Greywacke, at a recent wine tasting at Vines.  Kevin is an extraordinary and inspiring winemaker:  I’ve been enjoying his finely crafted Sauvignon Blancs for many years since I’m a huge fan of Cloudy Bay, where Kevin was winemaker for 25 years before venturing out on his own with Greywacke.

Next we moved on to what most of us agreed was the star pairing of the night.  I had prepared ahead of time a Curried Parsnip Soup, with local parsnips from August Organics at Old Strathcona, and Michelle’s fabulously nuanced homemade Madras Curry Powder.  William had chosen a glass of 2009 Bellingham Old Vines Chenin Blanc, from the Coastal Region of South Africa, to pair with our soup.  And it was an inspired choice, bringing out the best in both the food, and the wine.

Course number four was inspired by William and his Italian heritage.  My desert island food is Risotto, without a doubt.  And William asked me to prepare a Risotto al Barolo on the night, both cooked and paired with an utterly delicious 2006 Rivetto Barolo from Piemonte.  Our students took a break from the table and helped out as we spent the 20 required minutes at the stove, lovingly stirring the Barolo followed by homemade chicken stock into this delicious Risotto, which we made with Ferron’s Carnaroli Rice (you can buy it at the Italian Centre.)  We were really excited to present the same Barolo in the glass, and on the plate!

Course number five, and it was time to bring on the meat.  I picked up some gorgeous Medallions of Alberta Beef from Real Deal Meats, which I seared and set aside while I whipped up a pan sauce of Amontillado Sherry, Creme Fraiche and Morel Mushrooms.  The mushrooms were dried, and from the West Coast:  I bought them from Mona Food, our local source for an amazing selection of wild foods.  And William poured a glass of 2007 La Ferme du Mont Chateauneuf-du-Pape “Cotes Capelan” as a match.  Chateauneuf-du-Pape with fillet steak, I think that’s all I need to say on this!

At this point we were starting to get a little full.  But our appetites were piqued by Lydia Charalambakis, our second special guest of the night.  Lydia is co-proprietor of Everything Cheese, and we were lucky to have her here to tell us the stories behind the cheeses that she selected to pair with William’s incredibly generous contribution to the night:  a bottle of 1977 Warre’s Vintage Port, from his own cellar.  We feasted on a selection of four scrumptious artisanal cheeses, but the star pairing was, without a doubt, the Fourme d’Ambert Cru:  Port with Blue Cheese, a food and wine pairing beyond compare!

And finally, the dessert.  I like to serve dessert after the cheese course, as they do in France.  So I took my dessert inspiration from France too, with a pair of Tarte Tatins, made with Granny Smith apples from Steve & Dan’s Fresh BC Fruit.  While our guests lingered over their cheese and port, I caramelized the apples in the pans then topped them with all-butter Puff Pastry, baked them, plated them then served them up with a homemade Vanilla Bean Ice Cream.  And William poured us each a glass of 2005 Chateau Guiraud Sauternes.  Divine!

It was a long night, but a great night.  We really took our time, and spent over 5 hours enjoying our evening of Food & Wine.  And William guided us through each pairing with insight and with humour.  I learned a great deal about wine, and the discipline of matching food with wine, that night.  So a week later, rested up and raring to go, we’re planning our Match Food & Wine class number two.  And we’ve decided that next time a Thursday night won’t do.  So our next class will be on a Friday, so you can sleep off all that food the next day.  If you’d like to join us, we’ll be hosting our second Match Food & Wine on Friday June 22nd.  I’ll have it available for booking online very soon …..

Wild Salmon Tartare

Ingredients

400g Salmon fillet (I used wild Chinook)
juice of 1 lemon
2 shallots, finely chopped
2 tsps capers, rinsed and finely chopped
2 tsps fresh chives, finely chopped
sea salt and freshly ground white pepper

Method

• Skin the salmon, removing any brown flesh, and use a pair of tweezers to pull out any bones.
• Dice the salmon finely.
• Mix the salmon with the lemon juice, shallots, capers and chives.
• Season to taste with sea salt and white pepper, and more lemon juice to taste.
• Allow the flavours to infuse and the lemon juice to “cook” the salmon for about 10 minutes.
• Serve with Cucumber Salad and some good whole grain, rye or sourdough bread.

Cucumber Salad

Ingredients

1 medium cucumber
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
2 tbsps extra-virgin olive oil
freshly ground white pepper

Method

• Halve the cucumber lengthways, then use a spoon or a melon baller to scoop out the seeds.
• Slice the cucumber finely then put it in a colander and toss it with the salt.
• Leave the cucumber to drain for about 30 minutes then rinse it with cold water and dry it well with paper towels or with a tea towel.
• Dress the cucumber with the vinegar and olive oil and season to taste with white pepper.
• Serve with the Salmon Tartare.

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I first visited Thailand in the mid-1990′s, and fell in love with the country and its people then.  And with the exquisite food.  Thai food is an artful and delicious blend of five elements:  salty, sweet, sour, bitter and hot.  And Thai cooks are masters at balancing these five elements to achieve perfect results.  Fish sauce,  or nam bplah, provides much of the salt flavour in Thai cuisine.  Made from fish, most commonly anchovies, that have been fermented with salt for a year or more, fish sauce is one of the essential ingredients in your Thai store cupboard.   And the sweetness in Thai dishes often comes from sugar, either processed cane, or coconut or palm sugar too.  I like to use palm sugar when I’m cooking Thai, for the hint of caramel that it lends to my food.  The sour element can be achieved with lime juice, or with tamarind, its seedy pulp massaged with warm water then strained to make a thick and tart tamarind water.  And the hot?  From chillies of course!  Of all shapes and sizes.  But my favourites are the searingly hot red and green bird’s eye chillies for sure.  And finally the bitter element, which can be achieved with herbs and with bitter green vegetables, like the crunchy and flavourful Thai eggplants that I love so much.

When I teach Thai cooking I like to take things back to the basics.  So I usually include a home made curry paste in every Thai class.  There’s no question that there are some very good commercial curry pastes available on our supermarket shelves, and I often use them myself for a fast and easy meal.  But there’s nothing like grinding your own curry paste in a Thai granite mortar and pestle to understand the complex and exotic blend of flavours that make up a fresh Thai curry paste.  My curry pastes are a mixture of spices, chillies, cilantro roots (or stems), kaffir lime leaves, shallots, galangal, lemongrass and, last but not least, a pungent dollop of Thai shrimp paste, more fermented fish to help balance those five Thai flavour elements for you.

And I always include some seafood in my Thai classes too.  Yesterday we made Thai Fishcakes, which we served up with a homemade pickle of carrots, cucumbers and shallots.  And we steamed some Sea Bream, after we’d pan-fried it gently to add some flavour to its skin.  Then we adorned it with a medley of Thai aromatics, like garlic, ginger and chillies, and some fish sauce, sweetened with a hint of palm sugar.  After 10 minutes of steaming the Sea Bream is incredibly aromatic, and melt in your mouth tender:  it’s always a hit.

As if that’s not enough, I don’t think any Thai class is complete without noodles of some kind.  I love the hot and sour tang of a Thai Glass Noodle Salad: Mung Bean Vermicelli dressed with fish sauce, chillies and lime and mixed with lots of flavourful herbs plus some slivers of pork tenderloin with a few just-cooked shrimp, or  seared but rare fillet of beef.  But yesterday we cooked up a classic Pat Thai:  rice noodles with wok fried egg, tofu and dried shrimp, seasoned with tamarind water, fish sauce and sugar and finished with Chinese chives, preserved radish and bean sprouts.  Then a final sprinkling of toasted, chopped peanuts and some bird’s eye chillies in fish sauce on the side.  Heaven!

Usually I finish up my Thai class with some fresh fruit:  some Asian mangoes from Lucky 97; or some sweet, juicy rambutan.  But yesterday, inspired by my dessert-loving colleague Michelle, we conjured up a yummy Coconut, Peanut Butter & Chilli Ice Cream.  I’m pretty proud of this one and if Michelle and I ever find the time to put together a Get Cooking cook book, it’s going to be dessert number one.

If you haven’t been to a Cook Thai class at Get Cooking and you’re hoping to fit one in soon, put May 20th in your calendar, because that’s when I’m planning to hold the next class.  I’m hoping to have it available for booking by the end of this week.

If you have any thoughts or comments, or just experiences with Thai food that you’d like to share, please leave them below.  I’d love to hear form you!

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Those of you who have been following my schedule will know that I took a few weeks off at the beginning of January, but classes started off with a bang on January 22nd and we’re right back into the swing of things now.  And I do mean we.  Because I’ve teamed up with my friend Michelle Peters-Jones, who’s going to be assisting at my classes and helping me make Get Cooking the best that it can be.  If you’ve taken a Cook Indian class at Get Cooking you already know Michelle, since she teaches the East Indian classes with me.  And a lot of you will know her from her fabulous blog.  I’m lucky to have her on board, and really excited about the ideas we’re working on to grow and improve Get Cooking together.  It’s so much better to have someone to bounce ideas off of, and to share the load!

My first week back at the stove kicked off with three Cook Moroccan classes, and we cooked up some of my all-time favourite Moroccan foods.  But as always it was the simple dishes that stole the show.  Moroccan Carrot Dip is always a big hit:  a fresh and tangy combination of local carrots, olive oil, vinegar and spice, with a hint of Harissa Sauce to heat things up.  It’s fast and delicious, and perfect with some of the Happy Camel’s delicious Pita Bread.  And a Tagine of Lamb with Almonds & Prunes is hard to beat, especially when it’s made with Tangle Ridge Ranch lamb.

I taught four classes that first week back, my record so far.  And the fourth was one of my own personal favourites, British Gastropub. We cooked up some Digby Scallops with a Pea Puree and Bacon; Alberta Rabbit braised in a Cider & Cream Sauce; a delicious Bread & Butter pudding made with Panettone and dried cranberries; and much more.  And I have some of my Moroccan Class clients to thank for the amazing fresh rabbit, since the rabbits came from their neighbours’ farm!

Last week saw my first ever Cook Pasta & Sauces class, which was a lot of fun, if rather filling!  I put together a menu of my own family’s favourite pasta dishes, including Mario Batali’s Lasagne Bolognese and River Cafe’s Slow Cooked Sausage Sauce.  My kids were a bit put out when they discovered there weren’t any leftovers at the end of the night!  Then on Sunday we taught Cook Spanish to a private group.  The highlight was probably the Paella, a heavily spiced version with local chicken drumsticks.  But my favourite dish was, without doubt, the Croquetas:  another simple masterpiece, these scrumptious Croquetas are made with a thick béchamel mixed with chopped serrano ham, then breadcrumbed and deep-fried ….. the most delicious tapa ever, if you ask me.

And looking into the next few weeks we have a smorgasbord of delicious classes ahead.  Some are fully booked, but there are still a few spaces to be had.  If you love wine and would like to know more about pairing wine with food, join us and William Bincoletto for  a night of matching Food & Wine.  Or come and meet John Schneider of Gold Forest Grains while we Cook Brunch on February 26th.  And there are still two spaces up for grabs at my Cook Berkshire Pork class:  I’ll be joined by Nicola Irving, of Irvings Farm Fresh, who’s going to be showing you how she makes her utterly delicious pork sausages.  What are you waiting for?!

We have exciting things planned for May and June as well, and the schedule will be available very soon.  Given the demand for my Thai and French Bistro classes there will be more of both for sure.  And Michelle has talked me into a dessert class too.  Those of you who know me will know that I’m more of a savoury kind of gal.  But desserts are always a hit, so I’m sold, thanks to Michelle.  And I’m thinking about a Kids’ class too, maybe one for Parents and Kids.  If you have ideas you’d like to run by me, leave me a comment so I can take your ideas on board.

So that’s it from me for now.  But I promise not to leave it so long until my next post:  which is already under way.   It’s going to be a short essay on Salt.  If you’ve been to a class at Get Cooking you’ll have an idea of what to expect!

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A native of India, basil has been cultivated since ancient times. Revered by both the Greeks and the Romans, this aromatic, leafy herb imbues the cuisines of the Mediterranean as well as those of Southeast Asia with its unique fragrance: indeed basil is an essential ingredient in a wealth of dishes from around the globe.

Ocimum Basilicum, or Sweet Basil, is the most common cultivar found in the West, along with Ocimum Basilicum Genovese, the emerald-green herb at the heart of the much-loved Italian Pesto alla Genovese. Traditionally pounded in a mortar with pine nuts and garlic then mixed with extra-virgin olive oil and cheese, the Genoans classically use their Pesto Sauce to dress a delicious combination of pasta, potatoes and slender green beans. But it’s equally delicious served with fish or meat, spread on homemade pizza, swirled into soups ……

Ocimum Basilicum Horapa is the variety of sweet basil that we know as Thai Basil. And together with Holy Basil and Lemon Basil it is one of the trinity of Asian basils whose distinctive characteristics help define the aromatic swagger of Thai cooking. Stirred into Thailand’s pungent red and green curries as well as its stir-fries and salads, its sweet, licorice tang is at the heart of this great cuisine.

Basil is notoriously finicky to grow, but with adequate drainage and plenty of sun it will flourish inside or out. It can thrive in a pot on a sunny windowsill, but likes to be watered from below. And planted in a sunny, sheltered spot it will grow easily out of doors once the danger of spring frost is past.

In its dried form basil loses its intense character, so I would urge you to use it fresh. It will keep in your fridge for up to a week, although its tender leaves have a tendency to turn black at lower temperatures … and if you’re like me, it won’t last that long!

Basil is grown year-round in greenhouses, so it’s readily available to the home cook, even to those who don’t grow their own! I buy my fresh basil throughout the year at Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market, from West Country Herbs & Morinville Greenhouses. So when the cold, short days of winter are getting me down I often whip up a batch of homemade pesto to bring a hint of summer into my winter kitchen.

And in the heart of summer, what could be better than a plate of juicy red tomatoes, thickly sliced, drizzled with your best olive oil and finished with sea salt and black pepper, and handfuls of torn basil leaves? And for an added treat, some slices of fresh mozzarella will turn your tomato and basil salad into a perfect light meal: with some crusty Italian bread to mop up its fragrant juices this is summer on a plate.

Pesto alla Genovese

100g fresh basil leaves
8 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
25g pine nuts
2 cloves garlic, crushed
sea salt
50g Parmesan, grated (plus 2tbsp if not using Pecorino)
2tbsp Pecorino Romano, grated (optional)

• Put the basil, oil, pine nuts and garlic in a blender and blend on high until pureed.
• Place in a bowl and stir in the cheese, then season to taste with salt.
• Use right away, or store in the fridge covered with a film of olive oil to preserve the colour of the pesto.

Let me know if you made the recipe. Submit your pictures on my facebook page or leave a comment below.

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Proprietors Lydia Charalambakis and Tania Hrebicek opened their doors on October 29th, 2010, just a year after their initial decision to venture into the world of cheese. Friends since their University days in Toronto, Tania moved to Edmonton six years ago, and it was during a visit from Lydia in September 2009 that the two friends formulated the idea for a gourmet cheese shop in Edmonton’s Riverbend. Just two months later they’d incorporated the name, and Tania was on the hunt for premises to house their dream!

Both Lydia and Tania had worked in the financial industry before starting Everything Cheese. So as part of their planning process they attended an intensive course at The San Francisco Cheese School, where they learned “how to procure, sell, care for and serve premium cheese”. And they started attending cheese conferences, like the American Cheese Society Conference that took place in Seattle in August 2010.

And from the outset they knew that they wanted to offer their customers more than just cheese. So in June 2010 they headed to New York for inspiration at The Fancy Food Show, looking for foodie gems to stock their shelves. And stocked they are, with premium pastas, pulses, oils, vinegars and more. I quickly snapped up some hard-to-find specialty vinegars, and was thrilled to see brands like Seggiano, Rustichella d’Abruzzo and Belazu that I’m familiar with from food shops in the UK.

My own passion for cheese is so great that last year I attended not one, but two, intensive courses on making cheese! I went to Texas, then to Vermont, to make some extraordinary raw and pasteurized cheeses under the tutelage of the wonderful and inspirational Larry and Linda Faillace of Three Shepherd Cheese. So when it comes to artisanal cheese I have to admit to being a fan from the start: I’ve been seeking out and enjoying handcrafted cheeses since I was in my teens.

And my absolute favourite meal is a simple one, of warm, crusty French bread, good wine and great cheese! So I was quick to attend a recent event at Vines, Riverbend Wine Merchants, matching a selection of Vines’ wines to a selection of Everything Cheese’s delicious cheese. Of six inspired matches, the pairing of a 2007 Sette Ponti Crognolo Sangiovese, Merlot from Tuscany, with Testun al Barolo-Piemonte cheese, was a heavenly match, bringing out the best in both: and a perfect example of the flavour transformation that can take place when you match great cheese with great wine!

The motto at Everything Cheese is authentic, inspired, delicious. And authenticity is what Lydia and Tania are looking for when they make their cheese selections. So at Everything Cheese you’ll find a wide selection of denomination-controlled cheeses, all staying true to the original recipes and following the traditional methods in their production. And you’ll find hand-crafted and farmstead cheeses that ooze with pungent aromas and flavours too. Plus Lydia and Tania are continuing to bring in new cheeses for you to try: just this week they’re stocking both Italian Mozzarella di Bufala and Quebec’s Fromagerie Perron cheese curds, both for the first time.

A big draw for me personally is that their British Isles cheeses are imported through Neal’s Yard Dairy, an old favourite of mine. I’ve been a fan of Neal’s Yard since the early 1980’s, when I used to visit their first London shop in Neal’s Yard, Covent Garden: it was a tiny space, crammed floor to ceiling with cheese, and all of it produced in Britain and Ireland. Neal’s Yard’s support was responsible for an explosion in demand for handcrafted Britsh and Irish cheese. And Everything Cheese is stocking some real stars, like Kirkham’s Lancashire, Appleby’s Double Gloucester and Ireland’s Ardrahan, Cashel Blue and Gubbeen. If you’d like to try some, why not attend the Royal Wedding – British Isles Cheeses tasting on April 26th: tickets are $40 per person and include wine pairings with Vines.

But the British and Irish cheeses are just the tip of the iceberg. I could live on the unctuous classic French Brie de Meaux alone, and it’s there …. along with Brillat-Savarin, Epoisses, Morbier, Comte ….  not to mention a fantastic selection of amazing artisanal cheeses from Italy, Spain and beyond.

And what about our own Canadian artisanal cheeses you say? Our homegrown cheesemakers are following traditional methods to produce a wide array of artisanal cheeses that are every bit as good as their Old World cousins. From Ontario, Quebec and BC to Alberta’s own award-winning Sylvan Star Cheese, the Canadian options are vast. Go visit Everything Cheese and let Lydia and Tania’s expertise be your guide!

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This is partly because the test classes were just so much fun.  But also because I absolutely love to cook.  And to share food with family and friends, around my table, in my home.  And now I’m getting to extend that experience to a much wider audience, but still around my table, and in my home.  It doesn’t get much better than that!

Over the past four weeks 30 fantastic volunteers have made their way to Get Cooking, to watch and to eat, to cook and to learn.  A few were friends and neighbours, some others were friends of friends. And quite a few were followers of Live Local, whose electronic newsletter helped spread the word.   All came with enthusiasm and good will, and an appetite too!  And they all took the time to complete a lengthy questionnaire, because their feedback will help Get Cooking take shape as the introductory pilot classes come to an end.

Over the next week I’ll be revisiting my list of Classes, and clearly differentiating between my themed Demonstration Classes, and my smaller hands-on Master Classes, that will focus on specific skills.  But as an over-riding theme, Get Cooking classes will continue to focus on global flavours, and local foods!

Over the four weeks we’ve cooked Italian, French and Moroccan foods.  They’re some of my favourite cuisines:  but there’s a whole world of flavours still to explore.  And I hope you’ll come join me as I journey through some of the great cuisines of the world!

For the vegetarians and vegans amongst you, I’ll be posting a brand new category of offerings.  Last Sunday’s class focused on Vegan, Italian Style … from the foods of the Mediterranean basin, through the Americas, South-East Asia and all the way to India and beyond, there are so many amazing vegetarian dishes for us to discover and enjoy.

So watch this space:  I’ll be posting Get Cooking’s class schedule online by the end of the week!

And leave me some comments, because as I get planning I’d like to take your ideas on board too…..

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This class was excellent!  The courses were unique yet followed a consistent them.
Conrad Andrelunas

Fantastic class.  Very informative and enjoyable!  I look forward to using what I’ve learned in the kitchen.
Dallas Thompson

Get Cooking provided a relaxed and comfortable environment to learn about and enjoy quality food.  Highly recommended for all experience levels.
Mike Brennan

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A couple of weeks ago I drove out to Round Hill to meet Nicola and Alan Irving on their farm and to take a tour of their operation. Their black Berkshire pigs almost stole the show: they’re friendly and inquisitive, and exceptionally happy in their Round Hill pasture. The Irvings clearly enjoy tending their pigs, and handle them extensively to minimize the animals’ stress. And it shows!

But the Irvings’ own story was the biggest inspiration for me: in just five years their business has grown from sausage-making with bought-in meat to a full-scale farm with its own meat processing facility that services markets and restaurants all over Edmonton and beyond.

Along with their two young children, the Irvings arrived in Alberta, from the UK, in July 2005. And they quickly discovered that the kind of sausages they enjoyed back in England were hard to find in their new home. They were making their start on an acreage in Vimy, when with the help of a neighbour Nicola started learning some sausage-making techniques. By 2006 Nicola was producing the first Irvings Farm Fresh sausages … lean and delicious, without fillers and additives, her sausages were an instant success.

Soon the Irvings were raising their own pigs. They chose Berkshire Pigs from the start. A Heritage variety better known in the UK, Berkshire Pigs yield a premium pork that’s high in flavour and marbled with fat. It’s a rich, delicious, juicy meat that is known as kurobuta, or black gold, in Japan, where it’s prized as much as Kobe beef.

With a growing business, plus pigs of their own, the Irvings soon outgrew their Vimy acreage. So in September 2008 they moved their family, and their farm, to Round Hill. They bought a 78 acre farm with 25 acres of pasture, ideal for their Berkshire pigs. And early in 2009 they opened their brand new meat processing facility too. They’ve continued to invest in this impressive facility, and it in turn has allowed them to expand to a point where they’ve had to hire employees, both full and part-time.

I first discovered Irvings Farm pork at Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market not long after moving to Edmonton in 2009. With my British background, I was drawn to their back bacon and sausages, and to their gammon steaks and hams too. The Irvings’ back bacon is a real treat, and I urge you to try it. It’s cut from the loin, unlike streaky bacon, which is cut from the belly. Cured onsite and vacuum–packed, it has a 4 week shelf-life. But it’s so good that it’s unlikely to wait that long in your fridge!

That’s not to say that you shouldn’t try out the Irvings’ sausages too: you should! There are varieties to suit every taste, from Old World to New. My personal favourites are the Traditional Lincolnshire, seasoned with organic Alberta-grown sage, and the Indian Masala Mild Curry Sausages, aromatic with East Indian spices but not blistering with East Indian heat!

But bacon and sausages are just the tip of the iceberg. Irvings Farm loin chops are so juicy and flavourful that my mouth is watering just thinking about them. I have some in my fridge, and they’ll be on my table tonight!

And if you like your pork roasted or stewed, then an Irvings Farm shoulder roast will be perfect for you. The Irvings sell skin-on roasts, so you can have crackling with your pork roast too. To get your crackling to crisp perfection take your pork out of its vacuum pack and let the skin dry out, uncovered, in your fridge for a day or two. Then score it, without cutting through the fat, and rub it with sea salt before you put it in the oven to roast.

The Irvings are at Old Strathcona year-round, and they’ll be at City Market from next week too! Or you can order their pork from Eat Local First. (For more retailers and products, check out their site.)

And over the coming months I’ll be revisiting Irvings Farm Pork as I bring some of their specific products to you as my Ingredients of the Week. Just watch this space!

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Preserved Lemons are one of the key condiments in Moroccan cuisine: preserved in salt and lemon juice, the lemons lose their sharp edge and develop a milder, unique and lemony tang that is a characteristic flavour of Moroccan food.

Also known as Pickled Lemons, commercial brands can be found in many specialty food stores. I tracked them down at El Safadi Brothers at 11316 134 Ave, but they’re so simple to make that I’d encourage you to try out a batch at home: the brighter, fresher flavour of these home-made preserves beats the commercial varieties hands down.

If you’re making your own, try to use organic, unsprayed lemons: you’ll be using the lemons skins in your cooking, and don’t want to be eating chemical sprays! And use sea salt, or kosher salt, to avoid the more chemical taste of commercial table salt.

In Morocco, preserved lemons are best loved in the classic Chicken Tagine with Preserved Lemons and Olives, but you’ll find them deliciously combined with fish and lamb as well, and in salads they provide an unparalleled, piquant tang.

You can use your lemon preserves to add the swagger of North Africa to other dishes that you make at home. Combined with chopped, fresh herbs and stirred into couscous they make a perfect partner for most grilled meats and fish. Or add them to sautéed green beans, to roasted squash and to salads of all sorts.

For more inspiration, Paula Wolfert and Claudia Roden are two of the many wonderful food writers whose books will inspire you to take on Moroccan cuisine at home. Or why not book a Cook Moroccan class at Get Cooking today? We’re taking group and private bookings now, and will be offering scheduled classes to get you going soon!

Lemons Preserved in Salt and Lemon Juice

Ingredients

8-10 organic lemons
8-10 tbsp sea salt or kosher salt (1 tbsp per lemon)
a few coriander seeds, a bay leaf, a cinnamon stick and a dried chili (optional)
more freshly squeezed lemon juice, to cover
1.5 liter preserving jar

Method

1. Sterilize the preserving jar.
2. Wash and scrub the lemons.
3. Cut the lemons into quarters lengthwise, but do not cut them all the way through: leave the stem ends intact so that the lemons still hold together.
4. Pack 1 tbsp salt into each lemon, rubbing it into all of the cut surfaces.
5. Squeeze the lemons, stem side down, into the prepared preserving jar, packing them in as tightly as possible, and adding the optional spices if you’d like. Use more or less lemons depending on the size of your lemons and of your preserving jar.
6. Put the lid on the jar and set aside for 2-3 days until the lemons have softened, pressing them down more every day to encourage their juices to flow.
7. After 2 or 3 days the lemons will be bathed in their own juices. Pack them down again then cover completely with more freshly squeezed lemon juice and set aside in a cool place for one month, until they are softened. The lemons will keep for 6 months to a year.
8. To use, scoop out and discard the flesh then rinse the lemon skins in cold water.

Have you tried Preserved Lemons before?  Or are you trying out the recipe above?  Post your pictures to my facebook page, or leave me a comment below — I’d love to hear about your experiences with Preserved Lemons too!

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Get Cooking got started on Sunday afternoon with an Introductory Class on Italian cuisine.  It was a learning experience for my students …. and for me!   What was planned as a 3-hour class stretched into 4 as my class of 9 students lingered over a 4-course Italian feast.  Some of the students got cooking, while others sat back with a glass of wine from Vines of Riverbend, happy to watch … and  to taste.

What I learned from my first class was that 9 students in my kitchen is a perfect size group for a Chef’s Table style demo, but not really ideal for getting my guests involved in the actual cooking in a meaningful way:  for a real hands-on experience, there just isn’t the space.

So as I continue to develop my lesson plans, I’ll be focusing on offering more Masterclasses, focused on specific recipe types and skills.   Masterclasses will be just right for groups of 4, working individually, or in pairs:  we’ll cover less ground, but you’ll get cooking everything that you see!

And for those of you who want to sit back with that glass of wine and enjoy a sumptuous meal as you watch and learn, I’ll be offering lots of demo style classes too:  you’ll get involved as much – or as little – as you choose!  I’ll show you techniques and skills as I go, and encourage you to try them out too – but you’ll be here to relax, to meet some new friends, to eat some delicious food …..  treat it like a good night out, but you’ll be learning to make the dishes you’re enjoying too!

Sunday was a lot of fun.  It was a casual, convivial gathering of fantastic people, filled with foodie insights and advice.   Some people cooked.  Others were content to ask questions and to watch.  And everyone was eager to know more about Edmonton’s fantastic producers and where to buy their food.  We’re so lucky to live in a city where we can get to know some of the amazing individuals who produce the food that we eat.  They’re right there, at our farmers’ markets, for us to meet!

See more images from my first class. Leave a comment below and tell me what you think.

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The post Get Cooking’s First Class, and What I Learned! appeared first on .