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A group of friends went to
the CIA for a cooking class (notes by Sara).
No, no, not THAT CIA...
| We began our visit to the
CIA (Culinary Institute of America in Napa Valley) with a welcome and
orientation from the staff. We fortified ourselves with some sparkling
wine and hors d'oeuvres and went over the menu. The table is set, but
before we can eat, we must put on our toques, assemble our ingredients, and
oh yeah, cook 15 dishes for the next three hours! Judy feels
enlightened by the toque. Patrick decides to drink first and cook
later... |
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| We broke up into teams and
found our stations in the gorgeous state-of-the-art training kitchens.
Whew! A hot summer day amidst hot kitchens but we were too busy to
think about that. Fear of failure was gallantly fought off with
champagne or humour. |
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| Here we are getting down to
work on our dishes. The biggest challenge? Figuring out
how to time the prep and cooking of all of these courses so that we finish
up at the same time. |
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| We made everything from
foccacia and eggplant pudding, to sea bass, lamb and stuffed quail, to creme
brulee and chocolate souffle. Some of the highlights were the barolo
wine risotto, fresh corn polenta, and fresh brocconcini made from a block of
cheese curd! Frederick back from the fish tank, Ivan just heard we
don't have to wash up, Joy's Secret Ingredient #1, and Ginni decides this
won't be so bad after all.. |
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| Final touches are applied:
the haricots vert are sauteed with the arugula, flatbreads and prawns
grilled, roasted quail resting, tossing the clams... (Frederick is praying
to the Food God in the last shot). |
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| A sampling of our proud
display! Big thanks to the CIA who donated this event---for their
guidance, generous gift of time, and incredible fresh ingredients. |
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| A toast and finally a glass
of wine and a stunning dinner finished off with a dessert buffet. Lots
for fun and lessons were had by all. |
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