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Sunshine up to way past sundown. It is now time to take off the chef coat, apron and pass out in my cozy nest. The kitchen is clean, floor is being vacuumed by the robot and the island is already seeing the reset for the next class. Hats off to restaurant owners who do this day in and day out all day long. I just cannot imagine that type of schedule. My cooking passion is satisfied late this evening and I'm beyond grateful for the women that showed up for this evening's Italian night in at FPK. I don't always listen to the conversations and chatter that take place around the island. I'm typically going in circles doing behind the scenes things and focused on what needs to be done to make this meal happen in a timely matter amongst the organized chaos. There is a lot going on when you are preparing a meal from scratch, start to finish. Once in a while I'll hear a phrase or sentence that was said out loud throughout the evening. These two stuck with me this evening. buona notte
Gather, teach and let them loose to prepare their meal. These kids are amazing. They watch, ask questions, divide into teams and make it happen. Taste, season, fillet, chop, dice, grill and work as a team.
We learn AND we eat together. Some eat habanero peppers and others watch in amazement 🤔🌶️ Each group had the same ingredients to create a meal for their team- working together, dialing in the spiciness and flavors they like. Fresh tortillas hot off the grill. I showed them once. Roll, press and griddle and they finished it off with zero help from me. "Thank you for being so passionate for these children and sharing your talent ♡♡♡ you're amazing." "Cannot wait to come back!" "Thank you for all you do with these kids." And we say THANK YOU for bringing your children and friends to cook with us. Oh what a night.... Late November back on Thursday Eve... Sung to the tune of Frankie Valli's song (1975)... and the words changed just a little bit. .
A great night in the kitchen learning all about the French macaron. With so many variables, there is much that can go wrong with the beautiful, tiny, tasty cookie. Thankfully we had great success with this mighty French cookie! Opening night with pastry chef Debbie Kirschner at Flour Pot Kitchen. Did you miss out on our sold out macaron classes? We would be happy to offer more late winter, just say the word and we can make it happen.  What's love got to do with it?
For me, absolutely everything! I was thinking about this after parent feedback from the last few classes with kids. Imagine this. You take your kid to a strange kitchen, an almost (weirdo lady) {me} in a chef's coat starts joking with you. You have no idea what is about to take place. She hands you an apron and starts right in talking to you. You might know somebody in the room gathered around the island and you might not. It feels strange. The lights are bright, there is a spread of food in front of you that makes no sense. What in the world have my parents gotten me into? Sometimes the kids stare at me and bewilderment. Do they understand what I'm even saying? Many of these kids have never used knives, the stove or have even eaten vegetables let alone spend any time in the kitchen at home. Often times there's no interest at home in their own kitchens. I'm not sure why or how, but somehow a little magic takes place in this kitchen. I mean I know there's not really magic but let's just pretend it really does happen. When I see kids in back-to-back classes, it is amazing to see the transformation take place in their personalities, their comfort zone, and their willingness to get their hands dirty. The excitement, and their willingness to try and make things work is amazing. It's almost like a leaf in the Spring. Budding & curling out, relaxing and spreading to grasp what comes it's way. I see it. I see them get comfortable, ask questions, try new foods, new techniques and be a part of the team in the kitchen. These kids are amazing and I am honored to spend time with each and every one of them that come to our classes. I LOVE my job and those I get to teach. That's what love has to do with it.  When I was in the 8 to 11-year-old range I wanted a dollhouse in the worst way. So much so that I would get on my bicycle and pedal up to the dollhouse store that was up on Edmonds way - the one that almost outlasted time and...modernity.
I would collect whatever coins and money I could find laying around the house hoping to purchase something little - miniature - to keep for a future dollhouse that I dreamed about owning. Sometimes I would only have enough money to buy miniature food, a pot for cooking, or a newspaper. All real life-looking miniatures that I would tuck them away for future. When I was feeling very creative I would wrap little blocks of wood with paper to make it look like presents were under my miniature Christmas tree or create books, coloring each page, or take shoe boxes and turn them into rooms, decorating the walls with craft paper to create my own dolly house and use my random assortment of miniatures. The beautiful miniature dollhouse I wanted in the window of this store was way out of my price range by several hundred dollars, completely finished ready to play. It was adorable. I would stare at it - wishing and dreaming... Our neighbor, Bob, was a builder. He called me Beaver..probably back then I very much looked like a tomboy and I reminded him of Leave it to Beaver - that's my guess. Maybe my family will know why he called me that. Anyway, Bob would let me come over to his wood shop in his garage. I would tell him about the dollhouse I dreamed about owning but could not afford it. Bob came up with a design and built me a beautiful, larger than-life-dollhouse - a mansion. It took him a long time to build this house for me but he did it. Time has marched on and I had grown up. My paper route that I had is how I paid off my doll house. I remember him letting me make payments. I can't remember how much I paid but I know it felt like a huge amount. I never did have the money to finish the dollhouse that Bob built for me. I tucked away my doll house treasures and carried that big, unfinished wood structure from the time we got married until the time we moved into our current home, where I sold it at a garage sale. I found little plastic furniture for this dollhouse I picked up at a thrift store last month. It did not take Marina long to figure out what to do with the furniture. I quietly watched from afar at her moving the furniture from room to room, giving the people hugs and rocking them, before she moved them to another room in this house. It was the most precious thing I think I've seen all year. Being a mother to six sons, it has been an entirely experience seeing our three dollies grow up before our eyes - the precious, tender side of a one-year-old girl is also a beautiful thing. 40 years later I get to play miniatures and a dollhouse with our grand dollies. When I first received a message about a Harry Potter themed cooking class for a birthday several months ago, two things came to mind.
1. This past fall I had been thinking about literature/movie themed cooking inspired classes. To me it was confirmation that I needed to make it happen with some future classes. 2. I was in a panic.... I had never seen a Harry Potter movie in MY life. I knew very little about it except it was magic, and a kid with round glasses. I scoured thrift stores looking for the movies, for at least one to watch, any props I could use to decorate with without spending a fortune, I picked up the Harry Potter cookbook from the library- flipped through it, reading bits and pieces as the weeks went by. Such a fun theme, great kids, amazing parent helpers and a birthday with memories to last a life time from spending time in the kitchen with her friends and family.  There are no doubt many great joys in this life we all get to live... but getting three granddaughters is pretty darn awesome. I mean three boys would have been amazing as well... But seriously, I still feel like I'm living a pinch me life! Now if and when there are more grand babies, it sure would be nice to throw some boys in the mix.
We waited 30 years for this! If I had my way, I'd make sunshine stay until the end of October. Sunny, crisp, fall days. Leaves floating through the air and spider webs everywhere. The changing of the seasons is a wonderful thing. But for now? Let's enjoy the lazy, last days of summer! Which aren't lazy by any means by the way. Where did those lazy days go from years gone past? I'm not even sure it was in my generation.... or perhaps it's just in the south? In our little orchard, the apples are starting to fall off the trees, one or two every couple of days are on the ground below, that once hung on the branches so low. I had a leftover round of pie crust, waiting to be used. Turned out it was just enough to make this cute little apple tart. 🍏🍎 What's your favorite apple to eat and to bake with?  |
Inspired by the loves of my life. the hunger in my stomach and my SPONTANEOUS nature.
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