From the Editor

And the Oscar goes to…we love the movies as much as food!  Meryl Streep was spot on as Julia Child and we have been enjoying bringing those French classics back to cooking class based on popular demand. 
 
Speaking of cooking classes that is exactly what we have been focusing on lately… we have some fun classes coming out. 
Exec Chef at Wazuzu in Vegas and TV personality, Jet Tila is teaching in our kitchen at the end of this month.   We will get to hear stories of what it is like to open a restaurant for Steve Wynn while learning how to make unbelievable Thai dishes.  We are bringing Saveur classes back starting in April.  If you register for class you will get a subscription to the magazine and goodies from Saveur.  We just locked in Lillian Chao, former food writer for Gourmet Magazine.  She is currently writing a piece for the LA Times and will be in Los Angeles this summer so we asked her to teach a dumpling class in our kitchen, in July !! 
And if you have kids – we are about to post our Summer 2010 Kids Cooking Camp schedule!!!  This year we are doing 9 weeks of camp for kids age 8-14! It is a week of culinary fun including a trip to the Redondo Beach Farmer’s Market every Thursday and  mock Iron Chef Challenge on every Friday!! (Come see us at the Meadow's School 14th Annual Camp Expo -  April 17th.)
 
Corporate Teambuilding is one of the things we love doing most.  It appears companies are getting their budgets back for teambuilding this year and we are ready with new menus and events.  It's a great way to entertain clients and bond with your team.  If you are a competitive group, we are the industry leaders in mock Iron Chef Competitions and other kitchen challenge events.
 
And then there is our catering…In Fall of last year we launched our Parties To-Go, which has been a huge hit.  If you don't need full service catering you can still have our yummy food at your party!  We are very excited to launch our Eat Local At Home program next month.  We are going to partner with Grow, Manhattan Beach.  We have cahllenged them to give us a weekly box of assorted produce from local California farms only!  We will take this surprise assortment and turn it into wonderful, fresh dishes that are available for pick up and purchase.  It will be a fun way to eat locally and everything will be guaranteed amazing because it will have been grown close to home and in season!!  More details will be coming soon, but in the meantime, contact us if this sounds good to you so we can get a feel for how many people are interested in this program.
 
We hope to cook with you or feed you soon!
Eat Well!
Melanie and Taji 

 Most of us buy lettuces pre-washed and bagged in “designer” mixes these days. While there’s nothing wrong with taking a little help from the store to get a bit more salad into our lives, it’s worth taking a minute to call out some specific greens you might be missing. And what better time for embracing salads than March, when the first bits of Spring are peeking into our lives. Here are some of our favorite greens and how to eat them. Many are available year-round in the grocery store, but you’ll find some rare varieties only available at Farmer’s Markets right now. Go eat your greens!

  Arugula – This peppery little guy is probably our most-loved. It’s at it’s best simply tossed with olive oil, fresh lemon juice and some thick shavings of Parmesan cheese. Also try using it chopped up like an herb (for pesto or flavored sour cream).

 Sorrell – Only available in Farmer’s Markets during Spring, this green beauty is similar to spinach, but with a sweeter taste. Get young, small leaves and toss with olive oil and rice wine vinegar and crumbled mild goat cheese.

 Tatsoi – This is one you might not have heard of, but it worth a trip to the Farmer’s Market. It’s a Japanese green that is similar in texture to spinach, but has the flavor of mustard greens. It’s intense and flavorful! Try it tossed with grilled chicken, lime juice, crushed peanuts and grapeseed oil for a quick “Chinese Chicken Salad.”

 Butter Lettuce – Simple, delicate and buttery, this lettuce is a great choice for pairing with delicate dressings or using for lettuce wraps. We particularly love it with seared scallops. Join us for our Fast & Fab French Cooking Class to learn how to make a Scallop and Butter Lettuce Salad with Creamy Tarragon Dressing.

 

More and more people are experimenting with Gluten-free diets, so we thought we’d take a closer look. For some, this diet is a “healthy eating” experiment, but for many it’s a required diet in response to an autoimmune disorder called Celiac Disease.

 We’ve done some research and put together some fantastic recipes for our second Living Without Gluten Cooking Class this month. Here’s some basic information about making the gluten-free switch:

 Foods with Gluten include:

• wheat (AKA kamut, spelt, farro)
• barley
• rye

 Gluten is also used as a food additive in some foods (thickening & binding agents – ketchup, sausage).

 Grains/starches that are naturally gluten-free include:

• potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams
• rice (white, brown, wild)
• cornmeal, maize, amaranth
• buckwheat
• millet
• quinoa
• legumes (beans, soybeans – gram flour from chickpeas)
• nut flours (such as finely ground almond)

 Beverages:

• most alcohol (even those derived from barley or rye like whiskey) DON’T include gluten from their original source
• most beers DO contain gluten

 Check out www.celiac.com for a comprehensive list of what to avoid and what fillers to look for on prepared food labels.

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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 delicous and simple recipes where no one will miss the gluten.

 

Spring Wine Dinner - Get ready for spring entertaining with this elegant celebration meal featuring classic flavors of the season.

 Updated Passover - Looking for some updated Passover recipes? 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.

Click Here to View March Classes

April Classes

Sustainable Seafood Primer - Which seafood is the most sustainable choice? We'll tackle this question and make some delicious seafood dishes using only sustainable choices.

  Paella Party - Learn the secrets to making Spain's classic celebration dish: Paella! Wash it all down with a selection of Spanish wines.

 

Healthy Start: Cooking with Healthy Oils - In this class we'll examine which oils are good for us and the best way to incorporate them into our diet.

Saveur - Tuscan Classics - Simple Gourmet has partnered with the editors of Saveur magazine to bring you an evening full of Tuscan classics. Registration for this class includes a FULL YEAR subscription to Saveur magazine!

Click Here to View April Classes

We're very excited to offer two new classes for Kids and Teens in April.

 Kids Baking Workshop - In our baking workshop just for kids (ages 8-14), your child will learn basic baking skills that will help them gain confidence in the kitchen.

 

 

Teen Cooking Series - In this series, your teen (ages 15-18) will learn basic cooking fundamentals that will help their confidence and culinary skills.