Recap: Valentine’s Cooking Class

I want to send out a huge thank you to all the participants in my That’s Amore: Valentine’s Cooking Class that took place last Saturday in the test kitchen at Hendrix. I had a blast teaching all of you the three aphrodisiac-inspired menu, and so happy that you found everything we made so delicious.

For those of you reading this that didn’t get a chance to attend, we made three succulent dishes in honour of Valentine’s Day:

• fig + goat cheese crostini with prosciutto
• spicy basil + almond pesto pasta topped with roasted tomatoes
• dark chocolate lava cake

I always try my best to make sure that when I’m teaching cooking workshops that I’m using the best, authentic ingredients (shout out to that pricey block of Parmigiano-Reggiano, and not that fake, processed stuff). I also try to break down my recipes into simple, easy-to-follow steps that you can replicate at home without running the risk of throwing your frying pan across the room in frustration.

I think the hit of the afternoon was definitely the lava cake, and it was fairly simple to make (recipe will be posted soon). The group learned quite a bit in just two hours, and even did well with all the food trivia questions I tossed out. Everyone went home with a bag full of their extra goodies and copies of all the recipes.

Thank you to the Toronto location of Hendrix Restaurant Equipment & Supplies for the use of their beautiful test kitchen and their super-helpful staff. If you haven’t had a chance to shop at this store yet and you’re a foodie like me, then this is the shop for you. They have some great weekly deals (including a few which have helped me organize my kitchen after purchasing some great Cambro storage containers).

For more images, check out the Now You’re Cooking Facebook page. If you’re interested in attending the next public workshop (or a cooking lessons at your home, hosted by yours truly), don’t hesitate to send me a message via the contact form.