i worked for years at the Viking store in brentwood (which is now an at&t store) – teaching and assisting cooking classes.
it was an interesting job, fairly easy in one way and extremely challenging in others. it was awesome to take a thing i do all day (and generally take for granted) and introduce it to the public. all of a sudden i would remember that i know a lot of things about food that other people don’t – and that people were seeking that knowledge.
a few months ago Viking closed and i stopped teaching classes, but recently Kitchen Conservatory asked me to teach a class of my liking. for once i got to make the menu for a class (i thing i could never do at Viking).
the menu looked like this:
asparagus milanese
tender spring greens with creamy garlic vinaigrette
herb roasted lamb loin with early turnips and chard
strawberry panna cotta
i had tons of fun. and all the students seem to enjoy themselves, too.
having eager and excited students gets me buzzed about cooking all over again.
here are the recipes:
Asparagus Milanese
serves 4
20 spears asparagus
4 farm fresh eggs
2 T oil
parmesan for grating
Put one tablespoon of oil in a large saute pan, heat to medium heat and add the asparagus. Cook until bright green and soft – about one minute. Distribute spears between four plates.
Add the other tablespoon of oil to the pan and heat again to medium heat. Crack the eggs into the pan and cook until the white is firm. Place one egg on each plate, directly over the asparagus.
Grate parmesan on top of egg. Serve immediately.
Creamy Garlic Dressing
2 T lemon juice
2 T apple cider vinegar
1 t dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic
¼ c olive oil
salt
In a blender, blend everything but the oil. Once everything is smooth, add olive oil slowly.
Herb Roasted Lamb Loin
serves 6
one boneless lamb loin, whole
4 T grapeseed oil or bacon fat
salt and pepper
2 T fresh herbs (rosemary, thyme, oregano, lovage, parsley, mint), chopped fine
2 cloves fresh garlic
Preheat oven to 350.
Put garlic, herbs, 2 tablespoons of oil, salt, and pepper in to a blender or food processor – process till a smooth paste.
Rub paste all over the outside of the lamb loin.
Heat the other 2 tablespoons of oil in a over-proof saute pan to medium heat. Place loin in pan and sear all sides till brown and caramelized. About two minutes on each side. Place saute pan in oven according to the doneness you desire – about 3 minutes for medium rare, 6 minutes for medium, and 12 minutes for well done. (I would recommend medium rare).
Pull loin out of oven and let sit on a cutting board for 10 minutes, to rest the meat. Cut and serve.
Strawberry Panna Cotta with Rhubarb Compote
1 c whole milk
1 T unflavored gelatin powder
3 c whipping cream
½ vanilla bean pod
1/3 c honey
3 T sugar
1 quart of fresh straberries
pinch of salt
4 stalks of rhubarb
to make strawberry puree: cut greens off strawberries and process fruit in a food processor
to make rhubarb compote: chop rhubarb into small pieces and put in saucepan with 2 tablespoons of sugar, cook on medium heat until rhubarb begins to fall apart
to make panna cotta:
Place milk in bowl and sprinkle with gelatin, let stand for 3 to 5 minutes. Pour milk mixture into saucepan and heat over medium flame until gelatin dissolves but the milk does not boil.
Add cream, honey, 1 tablespoon sugar, vanilla, and salt. Heat until sugar dissolves.
Remove from heat and stir in strawberry puree. Pour mixture in cups or molds. Refrigerate for about 3 to 6 hours. Unmold and serve with chilled rhubarb compote.
