The first thing you notice upon arriving at this place is that it looks very chic—you get that impression right from the outside of the venue. Upon entering the studio, you will notice that there are two classrooms. At any point, there could be two completely different classes happening here.
I arrived slightly early and met my instructor, Chef Christina, who was preparing the classroom for the upcoming class. Shortly after, Michael from Blue Polo Interactive and some other bloggers arrived. We mingled and chatted as we waited for the others. While waiting, we were offered white and red wine, and for those who don’t drink, apple and cinnamon flavored water was available, which is said to support detoxing the body. Once all the bloggers arrived, we got to work—we got to cook.
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The first dish we made was a pastry filled with pear, raspberry, and brie. We each received a pastry and cut it into quarters. Then we diced pears and raspberries, added some cheese, rolled them into little parcels, and popped them into the oven. The aroma was absolutely wonderful.
Next was a Tuscan white bean crostini. We diced red peppers, onions, and garlic, then mixed in white beans and oregano. To this, we added red-wine vinegar, chopped fresh parsley, olive oil, and a bit of black pepper before spreading it on a piece of French bread. Deliciousness followed. The smell was incredible.
After that, we made date-filled cakes. We started by mixing cream, butter, and sugar into a doughy substance. Then we pitted and mashed dates with forks. The dough was flattened, topped with the date mixture, and rolled into a football shape before baking. This was by far my favorite dish, and Chef Christina made me feel like it was something I could easily make at home. I am excited to try it again!
Then came some s’mores shooters. We didn’t really prepare these from scratch; we helped by adding some finishing touches. It was fun nonetheless.
Next up was apricot chicken. We had apricots, onions, red bell peppers, and chicken cut into thin strips. We created a flavorful sauce from olive oil, unsalted butter, chicken stock, fresh rosemary, a pinch of cinnamon, and Tabasco sauce. The amount of Tabasco added depended on individual taste and preference.
This was an enjoyable experience. Chef Christina was very knowledgeable and made learning these dishes a delight. One of my favorite parts was smelling the dishes cooking while preparing others. Most people ate their creations at the event, but I brought some home for my husband, NYCTalking editor Angel Rodriguez, to try. His comments follow at the end of the post—yes, my husband is reviewing my cooking!
I received a cool little box with promotional material, a discount code, and an apron that my husband is modeling for you.
Editor’s Note (Angel Rodriguez): I would be hard pressed to say anything negative about something my wife made, so I enjoyed the dishes she brought home. I ate some that night and some the following evening after work. Good stuff. I wish I could have attended the class, but I think my wife would enjoy such events more, though I am sure I would enjoy it too. One dish, the white bean crostini, had a strong garlic flavor—definitely flavorful! I also like red bell peppers, so this was right up my alley. She did well on this one, and it was good for me, too.
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Here is a detailed recipe on how to prepare “Purses filled with pear, brie and raspberry” from Cook & Go!
1 puff pastry sheet, thawed
8 oz brie
24 raspberries
2 pears sliced and caramelized
Preheat oven to 400ºF.
Unfold on a lightly floured surface:
1 puff pastry sheet, thawed. Using a rolling pin, roll the sheet into a 10×15-inch rectangle.
Cut into 24 (2 1/2-inch) squares. Divide the brie, raspberries, and pears among the pastry squares.
Bake for 15 minutes or until the pastries are golden brown.
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