From Argentina With Love

Classes At Colorado Free University!

I'm so thrilled to announce that I'll be teaching a couple of new classes at Colorado Free University!

The Empanadas at Home Workshop, is an "everything you ever wanted to know about empanadas" class, where participants will learn to prepare Empanadas Mendocinas (spiced beef and onion with olive and hard-boiled egg), Empanadas Margaritas (tomato, basil and mozzarella), Ham and Cheese Empanadas and Tuna and Roasted Red Pepper Empanadas.  The three-hour long Empanadas at Home Workshop will provide detailed information (all compiled in a packet for you to take home) on the history of the empanada and its regional variations, making dough from scratch (and different types of dough) plus hands-on basic and advanced sealing (repulgue) techniques.   After participants take part in preparing the recipes, you'll sit back and enjoy the fruits of your labor with some wine and music, plus a chat on the yerba mate tradition, Argentina travel, and an Empanadas tips and troubleshooting Q & A. This will be a wonderful workshop you won't want to miss!

There's still time to register for this Saturday's class February 4, 2012 from 9:00am to 12:00pm, but there are just a few spots left!  Additional class times are on March 24, 2012 from 1:00pm to 4:00pm and May 5, 2012 from 1:00pm to 4:00pm.  The cost of the class is $56 for non-members and $44 for members, with a $20 materials fee payable in class.  

The Spanish and Argentinean Tapas Class will be another fun and wonderful culinary experience you'll want to add to your calendar!  In this hands-on workshop, we'll talk about what tapas are, and why these small plates are the perfect answer for simple entertaining.  These simple, flavorful dishes are a tradition across Spain, where they make a great small meal or snack alongside a cold beer or glass of wine.  We'll prepare Tortilla de Papa, stuffed mushrooms, eggplant caviar, pork and beef meatballs, and breaded fried cod and garlic shrimp.  

The first class will be held on Saturday, February 11, 2012 from 1:00pm to 4:00pm (only a couple of spots left in this class!) with additional classes on March 31st from 1:00pm to 4:00pm and on May 19th from 1:00pm to 4:00pm. The cost of the class is $56 for non-members and $44 for members, with a $20 materials fee payable in class. 

Colorado Free University offers gift cards (Valentine's Day is right around the corner!) and also makes the perfect date night or girl's night out.  I also loved what Sandra Gutierrez has to say in her essay, 12 Great Reasons to Take a Cooking Class.  See you there!

Masters of Food and Wine, Part II--Cooking Class with Chef Estruch

 

Masters of Food and Wine, Mendoza: I attend a cooking class hosted by famed Spanish Chef Montse Estruch.  Her restaurant, El Cingle, is situated at the base of Montserrat mountain, where she creates dishes known for their subtle flavors and floral elements. 

The plate she creates exemplifies her cooking philosophy: the plate is alive  with color and made from fresh local ingredients.  Her aesthetic is completely Spanish and visually stunning--Picasso himself would be jealous! 

The dish is this:  a black olive tapenade, spread across the plate like a comma.  A delicate dollop of hummous  made from pureed garbanzos, onion, sugar, salt, cilantro, anise, chile and fresh yogurt.  A rounded spoonful of roasted eggplant caviar, paired with sticks of roasted red peppers.  Squares of goat cheese feta for a cubist look, while slivers of sweet potato chips cut the savory flavor of the dish.  Delicate halved fresh figs accompany fresh cherry tomatoes.  The whole thing is topped off with a drizzle of olive oil, crushed almonds and pistachios, escarole and flower petals.

Almost all of the ingredients used  are economical and simple, and grown locally in Mendoza:  eggplant, onion, red pepper, tomato, goat cheese, sweet potatoes (those from nearby Guaymallen are said to be Argentina´s best), almonds, and of course, olive oil.

The audience isn´t filled with wealthy foodies, but with local chefs, eager to learn.  Chef Estruch complies, and presents the same dish 3 different and equally stunning ways.

This is her recipe for success: lively color, fresh local ingredients, and the camraderie of chefs eager to learn from each other.