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Newsletter • February 2010
From the Editor
Happy 1 Year Anniversary to The Simple Gourmet Kitchen!!
It has been one year since we converted the local pizzeria to our cooking class and catering kitchen. The timing was perfect; Simple Gourmet was in its 6th year and ready for more! By opening our own kitchen we were able to offer more cooking classes, host guest chefs, offer cooking camps for kids, start our food to-go program, and have a successful food drive. We thank you all for supporting us!!
Our First Annual Food Drive was a success! We collected 426 pounds of food!! We are so grateful for your generosity. We cannot wait to do this again at the end of the year.
We are kicking off 2010 with some fun additions to our website. Now you can search for cooking class recipes (they will be posted at the end of each month) and for our archive of newsletters. This is our first step towards providing a searchable recipe database. Enjoy!
Also new… we are now hosting our team events and cooking parties in the test kitchen at Surfas, in Culver City. Surfas is truly a chef’s paradise and one of our favorite stores. We love cooking in their kitchen.We have so many fun new things that we will be offering to you this year but for now... have a look at our February and March schedule of classes. Go to our blog on our website and check out our 1 year anniversary video. Look who is coming to our kitchen as a guest chef in March. Become a fan on our Facebook page. We hope to cook with you this month!!
Eat great food!
Melanie and Taji
February in Southern California is that awkward time between Winter and Spring. Mostly sunny, sometimes rainy and a little chilly. You may feel like there’s nothing interesting in season right now – just anxiously awaiting the strawberries and asparagus of Spring. In fact, two of the most nutritious vegetables are at the height of their season: Chard and Kale. These two leafy greens usually get a bad rap for being too bitter, but we love them! Our theory is that people toss them aside because they don’t really know what to do with them. Here are some tips:
Chard is actually related to beets and has a little sweetness to it. It's leaves are softer than Kale and it’s stems are crunchy. Chard is best simply sautéed with some garlic and olive oil. Our trick: add a little swirl of honey to combat any bitterness. Cook for a few minutes until bright green.
Kale is related to cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower. Its leaves are very firm and sometimes tightly curled. It needs longer cooking than chard and is especially good added to soups like minestrone.
Check out our recipe for Creamy Baked Pasta with Chard featured in our Le Creuset class this month.
The single best thing you can do to get faster and more efficient in the kitchen is improve your knife skills. The number one complaint for not cooking more at home is that is takes too long. Learning to use the right knife for the job, and how to use that knife correctly is a truly life-changing culinary moment. Of course there is more - we will share our secret for cutting an onion without tears and show you the most efficient way to cut up a variety of veggies and fruit.
Come to our Knife Skills Class on February 22nd for a primer on kitchen knives. You’ll learn all of the basic cuts and spend most of the class practicing. Practice makes perfect!
Join our Facebook fan page! Check out our tweets on Twitter! Follow us and you'll be the first to hear about upcoming special events, our favorite restaurants, recipes we love and the latest culinary trends.
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February Classes
Fast and Fab with Le Crueset - Join us for a menu full of easy soul-satisfying foods that use this fantastic cookware. Everyone will leave with a gift from Le Creuset!
Valentine's Day Tapas & Mojitos- Celebrate Valentine's Day with an evening of Cocktails and Tapas. We'll make delicious appetizers and learn about mixing the perfect drinks.
Knife Skills - this is a class everyone should take at least once! You will learn to use your most important kitchen tool. We will discuss the three essential knives you should have and practice basic knife skills that will improve (and speed up!) your cooking.
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March Classes
Fast and Fab French - We'll show you how simple French food can be to make at home with these fast and fabulous recipes.
Living Gluten Free - We've put together a batch of delicious and simple recipes where no one will miss the gluten!
Spring Wine Dinner - Get ready for Spring entertaining with this elegant celebration meal featuring the classic flavors of the season.
Updated Passover - Looking for some updated Passover receipes? We'll show you how to make an elegant celebration meal that is simple enough to make on a weeknight.
SPECIAL EVENT: Thai Favorites with Guest Chef Jet Tila - We're thrilled to welcome Jet Tila back to the Simple Gourmet Kitchen! Executive Chef at Wazuzu at the Wynn Encore in Las Vegas, Jet is a renowned expert in all manners of Asian Cuisine.
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New Venue for Simple Gourmet Events!
New for 2010: Surfas in Culver City is now on our list of locations for Team Buildling Events and Private Cooking Parties!! This culinary super-store has long been among our favorite places to shop. Best of all, each participant receives a discount for the store!
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