KNIFE SKILL TECHNIQUES
Thursday, March 12th
6 PM – 9 PM
$95.00
Basic knife skills are an important component of any culinarians repertoire
– whether you plan to earn a living in the kitchen or simply cook for your
family and friends. Learning to handle a knife correctly will be safer, speed
up your prep time and result in uniformly cut food products that will cook more
evenly. The mastery of classic knife skills and methodology will also vastly
improve the look of your food, garnishes and plate presentations.
Thursday, March 12th
6 PM – 9 PM
Knife Skills & Techniques:
Learn to hold and cut correctly I Knife Safety
How to purchase a quality knife I Learn to hone and sharpen a knife
Learn the following knife cutting techniques…
Julienne I Paysanne
Bruinoise
Batonnet I Mincing
Chiffonade
Lozenge I Bias
Rondelle
Dicing an Onion I Apple Swan
Use your knife skill techniques to create two salsas…
Tropical Mango Pineapple Salsa & Mexican Salsa Fresca
$95 per person
In addition, save 10% on ALL non-sale priced retail purchases totally over $200
including Wusthof knives the day of class only! This is a great opportunity to
update your old knives or add a specialty knife or two to your collection.
13 in stock
IRELAND PUB NITE
Friday, March 13th
6 PM
$115.00
Friday, March 13th
6 PM
Recipes include:
GAELIC SALMON with IRISH WHISKEY SAUCE
– pan seared filet of wild caught salmon,
served with Irish whiskey sauce and colcannon potatoes
IRISH WHISKEY SAUCE
– a creamy pan reduction sauce of flambéed
Jameson’s Irish Whiskey with chicken broth,
Dijon, crème, fresh thyme and rosemary
COLCANNON IRISH POTATOES with BACON
– smashed red potatoes with sautéed
shredded cabbage, bacon and green onions
IRISH PUB SALAD
– artisan baby lettuce, green apple fans, farmhouse white cheddar
and homemade creamy bacon buttermilk dressing
BUTTERMILK DRESSING with BACON
– creamy buttermilk dressing with charred green onions,
fresh thyme and thick-cut bacon
IRISH CRÈME BRULE with BAILEYS
– crème brûlée with a big kiss of Baileys Irish Liqueur,
‘hand torched’ brown sugar crust, garnished with berries,
crack the caramelized crust of this crème brûlée for a delicious, creamy treat!
$115 per person
Out of stock
FRENCH MACARON WORKSHOP
Saturday, March 14th
10 AM – 3 PM
$145.00
Chocolate I Lemon I Raspberry I Salted Caramel I Cheddar
Spend an informative day in the Le Chat Gourmet kitchen with Chef Vincent,
perfecting proper techniques for blending the batter and creating
stunning domed and footed French almond macarons.
Saturday, March 14th
10 AM – 3 PM
Skills & Techniques:
Making Classic French Meringue Macarons
Creating the ‘infamous feet’ I Coloring Macaron Shells
Macaronage (yes there is such a technique, the key to success!)
Using a Pastry Bag and Decorating Tips I Making French Buttercream
Le Chat’s recipe is the real deal from France, thus ingredients
are weighed in grams for precise measurement using a food scale
Recipes include:
FRENCH MACARONS
– introduced in France by the Italian chef of
Queen Catherine de Medici during the Renaissance,
French macarons are delicate sandwich cookies
with a crisp exterior and nougat-like, chewy interior
FRENCH MACARON SHELLS
– each individual cookie is known as a macaron shell,
formed by ‘macaronage’, properly whipped egg whites,
fine almond flour, confectioners’ sugar and food coloring are
worked until the batter is smooth, shiny and flowing like honey.
The macaron batter is then piped into discs on silicone
lined baking trays using a pastry bag with decorating tip
FRENCH BUTTERCREAM
– rich and creamy, French buttercream has a taste
and consistency similar to custard or pastry cream,
made using unsalted butter, pasteurized eggs,
sifted powdered sugar and choice of flavor
DOUBLE CHOCOLATE MACARONS
– chocolate macaron shells topped with cocoa dust,
filled with dark chocolate French buttercream
LEMON POPPY SEED MACARONS
– yellow macaron shells scattered with poppy seeds,
filled with lemon French buttercream
RASPBERRY MACARONS
– pink macaron shells
filled with raspberry French buttercream
SALTED CARAMEL MACARONS
– blue macaron shells topped with sea salt flakes,
filled with caramel French buttercream
TOMATO SOUP ‘Lunch is Served!’
– homemade tomato soup, one of life’s perfect comfort foods,
served with savory cheddar cheese macarons,
move over saltine crackers there’s a new sheriff in town!
CHEDDAR MACARONS
– yes, you read that correct!, we’re making delicious savoring
mararons to accompany our tomato soup for lunch!,
cheddar macaron shells with a creamy cheese filling!!
$145 per person
Note: Bring a container to take home the extra macarons!
Out of stock
TRAVELING the SPICE ROUTE WORKSHOP
Sunday, March 15th
10 AM – 3 PM
$145.00
TRAVELING THE SPICE ROUTE
What an amazing role spices have played in history, romance, politics, religion,
medicine, war and of course cooking. Spices take you on a culinary journey
around the world without ever leaving your kitchen. The earliest evidence of
spices used by man was over 50,000 B.C., imagine what we use in our modern
kitchen’s today were being used in food prep or preservation over 50,000 years
ago! By the close of class, you will never use that pinch of pepper or sprinkle of
cinnamon with the same mindset or walk down the spice aisle without conjuring
up visions of exotic tastes from faraway places. In this class we will explore the
flavors of different ethnic cuisines by creating a variety of hand mixed spice
blends using a pestle and mortar, discuss whole, ground, smoked and toasted
spices plus storage. Join Le Chat Gourmet as we travel back through time
discovering the history of spices while learning to use spice blends that will
take your food from ordinary to extraordinary!
Sunday, March 15th
10 AM – 3 PM
Spice Recipes Include:
Taco Seasoning I Indian Curry Powder
Peri Peri Seasoning I Homemade Chili Powder
Tuscan Spice Blend I Marrakesh Spice Blend
Recipes include:
INDIAN CHICKEN CURRY
– succulent chicken cooked in a creamy curry yogurt sauce
made with tomatoes, sweet onions, fresh ginger
and our curry powder spice mix, served with basmati rice
CURRY POWDER
– hand blended curry powder with turmeric, cumin,
cloves, coriander, cardamom, mustard seeds,
cinnamon and cayenne pepper
MOROCCAN FISH TAGINE
– we’ll sauté sweet onions in a tagine,
then add fire roasted tomatoes, garlic, chicken broth,
mini sweet bell peppers, red potatoes, lemon,
tilapia fish filets and our exotic Marrakesh spice mix
MARRAKESH SPICE BLEND
– hand blended spice mix of paprika,
|cinnamon, ginger, cayenne pepper, cloves,
cardamom, allspice and cumin
TUSCAN OLIVE OIL DIPPING SAUCE
– who can resist bread with dipping sauce at an Italian
restaurant (not me!), we’ll make ours with Tuscan spice mix,
Italian olive oil, fresh garlic and parmesan cheese,
served with lovely warm artisan bread
TUSCAN SPICE BLEND
– hand blended Tuscan spice combination of oregano,
basil, rosemary, parsley and red pepper flakes
PORTUGUESE PERI PERI CHICKEN KEBABAS
– we’ll make our hand blended Peri Peri spice mix then
use it in a marinade for our char grilled chicken skewers
resulting in a sauce that’s garlicky, spicy, lemony,
tangy and utterly addictive!
PERI PERI SPICE MIX
– hand blended peri peri spice combination of
sweet paprika, garlic, onion, coriander, oregano,
cardamom, ginger, parsley and dried chili pepper
CHICKEN TACO KEBABS
– char grilled skewers of chicken rubbed
with our homemade taco seasoning
TACO SEASONING with HOMEMADE CHILE POWDER
– once you make this you will ‘never’ use store bought again!,
hand blended taco spice combination of cumin, garlic powder,
onion powder, paprika and homemade chili powder
HOMEMADE CHILE POWDER
– hand ground whole cayenne peppers,
cumin seeds, black peppercorns, kosher salt
“This is one of my favorite classes to teach, using whole spices
to create our own spice mixes for maximum flavor.
I multiply the Taco Seasoning recipe and always have a jar ready
for cooking, plus the Moroccan Fish Tagine is on of my
all-time-favorite dishes!” – Chef Vincent
$145 per person
9 in stock
SPRINGTIME in TUSCANY
Thursday, March 19th
6 PM
$120.00
Thursday, March 19th
6 PM
Recipes include:
TUSCAN STEAK with ROSEMARY
– char grilled filet mignon steak topped with rosemary compound butter,
served with gratin potatoes
ROSEMARY COMPOUND BUTTER
– creamy butter combined with fresh rosemary
ITALIAN POTATO al FORNO GRATIN
– oven baked layers of thinly sliced potatoes,
fresh herbs and garlic cream sauce
SPRING ITALIAN PANZANELLA SALAD
– ribbons of spring asparagus, English cucumbers,
sunburst cherry tomatoes and toasted ciabatta bread croutons
with homemade creamy parmesan and fresh herb dressing
ITALIAN CHOCOLATE ‘Stracciatella’ GELATO
– homemade chocolate gelato ice cream
with fine shavings of European dark chocolate,
served with fresh berries
$120 per person
9 in stock
SAUCE MAKING WORKSHOP
Saturday, March 21st
10 AM – 3 PM
$145.00
Espagnole I Velouté I Béchamel I Tomato Coulis I Hollandaise & more!
A superb sauce created to accompany food and enhance its flavors can turn
a simple dish into a gourmet creation. In this culinary workshop, Chef Vincent
will reveal the fundamental techniques and skills in creating classic sauces
including the essential five ‘mother sauces’ of French cuisine listed by Auguste
Escoffier in the 19th century from which ‘all sauces’ derive. Sauce making
often is what separates the home cook from professional chef but with a
few new found techniques we will have you creating sauces like the pros!
Saturday, March 21st
10 AM – 3 PM
Techniques & Skills:
Create the Classic French Five Grande ‘mother’ Sauces
Espagnole I Velouté I Béchamel I Tomato Coulis I Hollandaise
Secondary Sauces – sauces made from the mother sauces
Discuss Thickeners – Cornstarch I Arrowroot I Butter I Heavy Cream I Roux
Deglazing I Blooming a Sauce I Emulsion & Reduction Sauces I Bouquet Garni
Recipes include:
BEEF BONE STOCK
– we’ll begin by roasting beef bones with our mirepoix
to create optimum caramelized flavor, then add to
a large stockpot with herbs, cover with water
and simmer until reduce to a rich, savory beef stock
ESPAGNOLE BROWN SAUCE
– this ‘mother sauce’ is a basic brown reduction sauce
made from homemade beef stock
DEMI-GLACE BEEF SAUCE
– a rich brown secondary sauce
made from Espagnole sauce and beef stock
HOMEMADE CHICKEN STOCK
– a flavorful stock made with a whole chicken and mirepoix
MIREPOIX
– a combination of carrots, celery and onions
used to create a depth of flavor for stocks, soups and sauces
FRENCH BÉCHAMEL SAUCE
– also known as white sauce, this ‘mother sauce’ is made from
a blonde roux and milk, then used as the base for other sauces
FRENCH MORNAY CHEESE SAUCE
– a secondary sauce made from
béchamel sauce and shredded cheese
CHICKEN VELOUTÉ SAUCE
– a velvety ‘mother sauce’ made from
chicken stock and a blonde roux
BLONDE ROUX
– a combination of flour and butter cooked together,
then used to thicken sauces
TOMATO COULIS
– a ‘mother sauce’ made with
fresh tomatoes and a bouquet garni
BOUQUET GARNI
– an aromatic combination of fresh bay leaves, thyme
and parsley wrapped in a cheesecloth pouch
HOLLANDAISE SAUCE
– an emulsion sauce made from egg yolk
and clarified butter, often served with eggs benedict
and steak, one of the five ‘mother sauces’
CLARIFIED BUTTER
– we’ll render the milk fats from the butter creating
a clear liquid butter sauce which can now be
used in cooking at a higher temperature
ARTSTIC CRUDITÉS VEGETABLE PLATTER
– our sauces will be served with a crudités vegetable platter,
warm artisan bread, pasta and poached chicken
$145 per person
13 in stock
TASTE of GREECE WORKSHOP
Sunday, March 22nd
10 AM – 3 PM
$145.00
THE GREEK KITCHEN
Chef Vincent recently returned from cooking in Greece, with ancient ruins,
olive tree dotted hillsides, the scent of lemons and oregano in the breeze.
Join Le Chat Gourmet in kitchen as we explore the culinary wonders of Greece
learning unique techniques while preparing delicious authentic Greek cuisine!
Sunday, March 22nd
10 AM – 3 PM
Recipes include:
CLASSIC GREEK MOUSSAKA
– this moussaka is loaded with layers of flavor,
grilled zucchini & eggplant, Greek meat sauce, fresh thyme,
caramelized red onions, fried Yukon gold potatoes,
smoked sea salt, parmesan cheese and Greek béchamel sauce
GREEK MEAT SAUCE
– a slow cooked sauce with ground beef, red onions, garlic,
crushed tomatoes, red wine, parmesan and Greek spices
GREEK BÉCHAMEL SAUCE
– I had never made béchamel n this format until visiting Greece,
so good, so unique and an integral part of real moussaka!
GREEK LEMON CHICKEN & RICE SOUP ‘Avgolemono’
– short grain rice, homemade chicken broth, carrots,
Yukon potatoes and poached chicken breast,
finished with avgolemono sauce made with
lemon juice, eggs and chicken broth
HOMEMADE CHICKEN BROTH
– whole young chicken, carrots, celery, peppercorns
SEVEN LAYER FETA CHEESE PIE
– seven layers of phyllo pastry, crumbled feta cheese,
extra virgin olive oil, oregano and poppy seeds
GREEK ORANGE CAKE
– “I LOVE this cake…moist and delicious with such
a unique cake batter unlike anything I’d every created
until my recent trip to Greece!” – Chef Vincent,
made with fresh orange cake batter, phyllo pastry
and homemade orange juice syrup
$145 per person
5 in stock