NEW!
“Hands-On”
Junior Chefs Professional Culinary Arts Series: The Fundamentals of Cooking
We’re rolling out a new 3-day series designed specifically for our Junior Chefs with a curriculum developed by Executive Chef Richard McPeake, a Culinary Institute of America graduate. The course is geared for our younger students and is packed full of serious culinary education and hands-on experiences that you’ll be hard pressed to find elsewhere for your budding chef. It’s a no-nonsense approach taught in a way that will challenge and inspire the kids to pursue a lifelong love of all things culinary!
Day 1: Kitchen Fundamentals and Knife Skills
Our first day starts with essential Knife Skills with Chef Richard teaching proper slicing, dicing, mincing, chopping and chiffonade techniques. We’ll practice the proper “hold” of the knife and the ever important “chef’s claw” … skills which will serve your child well for a lifetime. We’ll also cover the basics of proper measuring techniques, how to read a recipe, and the meaning and importance of “mise en place.” We’ll be creating Classic Italian Minestrone with our sliced, diced and chopped ingredients as well as a kid-friendly version of Julia’s Beef Bourguignon. And yes, the kids will be bringing some of each home to share with the whole family! We’ll also make some healthy snacks such as Sliced Apples with Honey Sour Cream Dip and Vegetable Crudite with Creamy Ranch Dip. (Although not required, students may bring their own knifes to class as long as they are in a safe carrying case.)
Day 2: Sauces
Our series of Cooking Fundamentals continues today as we learn how to make some of the basic “Mother Sauces” and how to use them in a variety of dishes. We’ll learn what a “roux” is and how and why to make it. We’ll learn proper whisking techniques as we create three different sauces: Bechamel (which we will use on our made-from-scratch Mac & Cheese); Brown Sauce (pairs perfectly with beef); and Tomato Sauce (to top the pasta we’ll learn to cook and season perfectly).
Day 3: Meats and Poultry
Today we’ll continue our culinary education as we learn how to work with ground beef, meats and poultry. We’ll discover: what to look for at the store, how to handle it and store it properly, and important safety precautions to take when working with meat and poultry. We’ll learn how to braise meat, how to brown meat, and how to deglaze for flavor as we prepare Grandma’s Meatloaf and Braised Swiss Steak. Dry-heat cooking methods will be explored and we’ll learn some coveted secrets to roasting poultry as we prep and roast Herb-Roasted Cornish Hens. Chef Richard also shares his much-loved recipe for Chicken Lollipops (drumettes) with his famous PB&J Sauce.
Students are encouraged to wear a white chef’s jacket (available in our retail store, Kitchenology). (Ages 9 to 14) (Includes tastings and Pro Series Binder for the week’s recipes, notes and handouts from the Chef) Please note that these three classes cannot be taken individually as they build upon the previous day’s experiences. To round out the student’s culinary education, a Junior Chefs Professional Culinary Arts Breadmaking Class and a Junior Chefs Professional Culinary Arts Desserts Class are available on the Thursday and Friday following this series and may be taken separately.
3-Day Series: Mon. 6/6, Tues. 6/7 and Wed. 6/8 10:00-3:00 $345 for all 3 days
(also offered on 7/11-7/13)
Instructor: Richard McPeake
NOTE: You do not need to be a member of our Junior Chef Academy in order to take Junior Chefs classes.
Friday, April 8, 2011 at 1:29PM |