Long time no write! So, it's been a while and things have been beyond hectic and I'm so glad that it's settling out a bit and I'm really ready to get back to writing. Brent's 40th surprise party and trip were a total success and I'll get the post up about Belize soon but for now I'm ready to tell you about a great experience I had a while back at Beet's Cafe! I took a cooking class there that I had auctioned on while at the Umlauf Garden party which I posted about here (an awesome event by the way). I can't remember the exact name of the class but it was basically an intro class into raw cooking. I don't eat an exclusively raw diet but I do enjoy the food and how it makes me feel, so wanted to learn a few techniques. So, I bid on this class also because they were going to teach basic knife skills. In my head I had envisioned a more hands on sort of class where they would watch your skills and give you pointers and that didn't happen. The students (I would say 20 or so) sit in chairs and are given handouts and then it's a series of demonstrations. While in the class I was disappointed simply because it did not fit my preconceived notion, however, as the course went on I was distracted by the beautiful veggies and the wonderfully informative instructors. I was afraid they were going to push their raw-vegan beliefs on the students but they really didn't do that. I learned a lot, about eating raw, where to buy things, and about incorporating raw into my diet but didn't feel like I was judged because I do partake off eggs and such. Whew! I was so glad when they made their creamy almond mild. I would never have known how to strain it through a cheese cloth and the almond milk was the creamiest I've ever had. It was nothing like what you buy in the store, which seems so watered down now. You can view the recipe here but I can guarantee there's some technique that's just easier seen than read. Again, I though I was at first disappointed with the lack of hands on practice, that all melted away when I went home to create the various menu options that I learned. Upon first report when I left class, I thought I had wasted my time and money but I was oh-so-wrong and it took about a week to realize the true beauty of everything I learned. Thanks so much to the Chefs! Cream of Zucchini Soup, lick the bowl good! This was the not-tuna-pate or something like that. I don't like onions so I didn't save the recipe but it looked amazingly like tuna salad. I have tried to make Kale salad SO many times. It always tasted like I pulled a weed out of the garden and just started chomping, which is unfortunate a) because I love Kale and b) because I've had kale salad so many times and loved it. I can't give away all the secrets so you'll have to take the class to learn the secret! Their Mediterranean Kale Salad was perfectly fantastic. One of these contraptions is definitely on my wish list for purchases. I wasn't fooled that it was pasta, and that's not the point, but he texture of the zucchini noodles was far better than I expected. I was impressed. No meal is truly complete without dessert and a fabulous, incomprehensibly vegan (no milk or dairy) Chocolate Mousse was created. Nice ending ladies! There is sincerely nothing bad I have to say about this experience. I learned a ton and have definitely used the skills a few times and hope to do so more and more. If nothing else I definitely suggest visiting Beets for lunch or a delicious, mostly guilt free dessert! The beautiful display case at Beet's Cafe
2 Comments
Anne Hablitzel
9/9/2010 04:06:19 am
Looks like you learned a lot. Did you ever buy and make spaghetti squash? Very interesting to make and with your favorite spaghetti sauce, delicious!! If you do/did, let me know how you like it?
Reply
Leave a Reply. |