Olive Oil Tasting Class
Tuesday, February 7, 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Tasting olive oil is an art, but it can also be fun and worth learning. As in the case of the wine connoisseur and his wines, a certain amount of knowledge (and quite a lot of practice) is required to objectively classify olive oils according to taste.  Culinary Institute of America alum and executive chef Deb Mortillaro will guide students through the ins and outs of the olive.

With variability in quality, the olive oil consumer runs quite a risk of purchasing a second rate product, which could easily end up completely ruining the very food it is supposed to improve. A good olive oil should subtly enhance the flavors of the specific dish, not distort or overpower them. One should thus get into the habit of tasting any untried olive oil before blindly using it over one’s food. The advantages of using a good olive oil in one’s everyday cooking are legion, not only from the flavor point of view, but also because of the associated health benefits. Deb has recently done an intense study of Olive Oil at UC Davis and will share her new insight to Olive Oil.

(the last class we held quickly sold out)
$40 per person
Pre-paid reservations required.
(412) 391-1709

Cooking with Wine Class

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

6:00 - 8:00 PM

$35 per person.

What happens to wine when heat is applied and other flavors are added?  When do we use red wine to cook with when should we use white?  Does adding wine really make a difference?  Do we add it in the beginning or the end?  What type of wine should be used? All these questions and more will be answered.  Sample sauces will be tasted.

Pre-paid reservations required.

Call: 412-391-1709 or click below.

In case you missed it - here is the recipe you didn't get at the class!

Coq Au Vermouth

The lovely flavor of dry vermouth is created by infusing wine with aromatic herbs, spices, barks and peels, then allowed to mature.
Originally added for medicinal purposes, these extra flavorings make it an ideal cooking wine, particularly for fish and fowl. This is an
impressive dish, light in seasonings but rich in flavor. I like to serve the chicken with cooked basil-flavored pasta mixed directly into the sauce, so all the flavors get absorbed. Or, you may wish to serve it with Cheese Crusted Potatoes and a simple green salad.

Ingredients

2 cups onions, medium dice
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1 chicken, cut into 8 pieces (leave breast on bone)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 carrot, chopped
1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced
4 slices bacon, cut into 1/4-inch bits (optional)
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram, crushed
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
1-1/2 cups dry vermouth
4 green onions, chopped

Directions

Mix the flour with the salt and white pepper. Dredge the chicken in the flour, shaking off excess.

In a large flameproof casserole, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and carrot. Cook slowly until the onions begin to brown and caramelize, about 4 minutes. Stir in the mushrooms and cook an additional minute.

Remove the vegetables from the pan and set aside. Brown the bacon, then remove from the pan and set aside with the vegetables. Add the olive oil to the pan with the bacon drippings and heat over a medium-high flame. When the oil is hot, brown the chicken on all sides, about 6 minutes.

Return the vegetables and bacon bits to the pan with the chicken. Crush in the marjoram and thyme and pour in the vermouth. Bring the liquid to a boil. Cover and simmer on low for 30 minutes.

Remove the chicken and vegetables to a serving platter. Reduce the sauce, add the green onions, pour over the chicken and serve.

Serving Suggestion:

Cook 1/2 pound of pasta, such as fusilli or penne, until al dente. Drain and, when the chicken has finished cooking, stir the pasta into the pot and mix thoroughly with the sauce. Serve the chicken pieces on a bed of pasta and sauce.

Serves 4.