On Tuesday, I had the honor (again) of joining the team at Central Market Cooking school in Plano This time, Dean Liesenfelt and his team member, Margaret, cooked up Paella, not 1, not 2 but 3 ways!
Paella, pronounced "pa-e-ya", is named for the pan which is used to cook the dish. La Paella is made of iron, historically or most commonly now, stainless steel. The pan is circular and shallow and has two handles. The word itself has a latin meaning of flat basket.
During the centuries following the establishment of rice in Spain, the peasants of Valencia would use the paella pan to cook rice with easily available ingredients from the countryside: tomatoes, onions and snails. On special occasions rabbit or duck might be included, and the better-off could afford chicken. Little by little this 'Valencian rice' became more widely known. By the end of the nineteenth century 'paella valenciana' had established itself.
The special thing about this evening is that Dean treated us to a slice of Pata Negra For your information, Pata Negra (black footed) pigs are fed acorns and grasses. It develops a meat that is high in fat but is mostly unsaturated. It is exported from Spain to the US. I believe that Dean said that Central Market sells it for like $150.00 a pound? Maybe more? The link I sent says $28.50 for a QUARTER pound. What a treat - it was delicious.
Paella Three Ways
Paella Valenciana
Some of the ingredients: pork, chicken, garlic, onion, green peppers, saffron, Valencia rice, shrimp, scallops, squid rings, grouper, clams, mussels, peas, white asparagus, lemon wedges and multiple spices and stock.
I did not taste this one. The peas turned me off a bit. I bet if I had tasted it, I'd have been fine.
Clam Fideuá (Pasta Style Paella) My Favorite!
Some of the ingredients: small clams, monkfish, tomatoes, garlic, fish stock, saffron, paprika, fieas or spaghetti, mussels.
My total, hands down favorite. I love mussels and clams, noodles, saffron and paprika. No way to lose me here!
Squid Paella Negra
Some of the ingredients: cleaned squid, mussels, shallot, garlic, hot pepper flakes, tomatoes, paella rice, squid ink, broth, clam juice, saffron, parsley.
Tasting notes: a little musty from the ink and slight kick from pepper flakes. I enjoyed this fresh but not leftover the next day.
I had the pleasure of getting the recipes since I volunteered. I don't have the energy to type it all here but if you see something you like, please comment and I'll try to get it scanned and emailed to you.
The February volunteering schedule is full so I won't have any new posts until March, if I can get in. BUT, I now have $40.00 to put towards a class and plan to try and get in on one of Dean's classes as a student.
Showing posts with label for the love of cooking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label for the love of cooking. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Central Market : Sushi 101
I wanted to write about my experience volunteering for Central Market's cooking school. Not because I really think you'll get something out of it but so I don't forget what I learned and experienced. First off, the chef, Dean Lisenfelt and his assistant, Rebecca, as well as Johnny, the other volunteer were *the nicest* people I've worked with in a *LONG* time (sans my current work team :))
I arrived at 5:45 for a 6:30 PM class and started by helping setup place settings for about 24 people. Rolling mats, pickled ginger, soy sauce and wasabi paste. As the students started to arrive, I checked them in and handed out their cards. If you attend 8 classes, you get $40.00 to go towards your next class. As volunteers, when you volunteer for two classes, you get this card filled out for you.
As the class was taking place, I was listening with 1 ear and paying attention to the tasks at hand. I had hoped to glean a little bit about sushi making while assisting the best I could. I made a goal for myself to have at least 5 takeaways, not including 3 new friends :)
1) Nori paper - rice likes the rough side
2) When cutting your roll, dip your knife, let the water roll down the blade.
3) Don't smoosh or pack the rice or Dean gets REAL mad
4) when cutting your roll, don't push down. Let the knife do the work. rock back and forth.
5) any roll, dipped in tempura and covered in Saracha and Duke's mayo is UNBELIEVEABLE.
6) to Serve wine and beer to the students (2 per class is the max) I need to be TABC certified. On my todo list :)
7) don't let your sticky rice get dry
8) get a rice steamer. It will be your best friend.
So while Dean was teaching 1 roll (we taught 5 total), Rebecca, Johnny and I were preparing plates with the contents of the next roll and so on. Crab (with a C not a K as Dean put so well), Spicy Tuna, cucumber done on the Mandolin (see my kitchen wishlist!), avocado, pancetta, smoked salmon, tempura shrimp (my fav) and cream cheese. Not in that order!
When the class was over, we promptly cleaned up and I learned from Rebecca how the kitchen dishwashing works (rinse, sanitize, put away) because she said at the Paella class on Tuesday, I would probably have to do some washing because I would be the only volunteer. No worries! I still remember how to do it :)
Once we had most everything cleaned and neat with a few left behinds came the best part - we ATE leftovers! We had a buffet of all the previous ingredients and we just dug in, noshed informally and made some wonderful small talk. They asked about my children, their ages and I got to share about my blog. I shared with Chef Dean about my homemade chicken stock to which he shouted to Rebecca "Hey Rebecca - Angie ROCKS". What a great feeling and I can't wait to volunteer Tuesday and thereafter. 40 bucks towards a class or not, to be able to glean skills from Dean and his team or to be appreciated by the students, or to be able to bounce my creative ideas off of someone like Dean or Rebecca, is completely gratifying. Not to mention to leftovers I got to munch on!
BTW, I could take the tempura crumbs, that fall off to the bottom when you fry something in tempura and then lay it over the rack, and put it in a bowl of milk and eat. Seriously. Love tempura as much as I love sour cream and anyone that knows me, knows that in my will it says "to be buried in Shepps sour cream until covered".
Look forward to posting about Tuesdays Paella class.
I arrived at 5:45 for a 6:30 PM class and started by helping setup place settings for about 24 people. Rolling mats, pickled ginger, soy sauce and wasabi paste. As the students started to arrive, I checked them in and handed out their cards. If you attend 8 classes, you get $40.00 to go towards your next class. As volunteers, when you volunteer for two classes, you get this card filled out for you.
As the class was taking place, I was listening with 1 ear and paying attention to the tasks at hand. I had hoped to glean a little bit about sushi making while assisting the best I could. I made a goal for myself to have at least 5 takeaways, not including 3 new friends :)
1) Nori paper - rice likes the rough side
2) When cutting your roll, dip your knife, let the water roll down the blade.
3) Don't smoosh or pack the rice or Dean gets REAL mad
4) when cutting your roll, don't push down. Let the knife do the work. rock back and forth.
5) any roll, dipped in tempura and covered in Saracha and Duke's mayo is UNBELIEVEABLE.
6) to Serve wine and beer to the students (2 per class is the max) I need to be TABC certified. On my todo list :)
7) don't let your sticky rice get dry
8) get a rice steamer. It will be your best friend.
So while Dean was teaching 1 roll (we taught 5 total), Rebecca, Johnny and I were preparing plates with the contents of the next roll and so on. Crab (with a C not a K as Dean put so well), Spicy Tuna, cucumber done on the Mandolin (see my kitchen wishlist!), avocado, pancetta, smoked salmon, tempura shrimp (my fav) and cream cheese. Not in that order!
When the class was over, we promptly cleaned up and I learned from Rebecca how the kitchen dishwashing works (rinse, sanitize, put away) because she said at the Paella class on Tuesday, I would probably have to do some washing because I would be the only volunteer. No worries! I still remember how to do it :)
Once we had most everything cleaned and neat with a few left behinds came the best part - we ATE leftovers! We had a buffet of all the previous ingredients and we just dug in, noshed informally and made some wonderful small talk. They asked about my children, their ages and I got to share about my blog. I shared with Chef Dean about my homemade chicken stock to which he shouted to Rebecca "Hey Rebecca - Angie ROCKS". What a great feeling and I can't wait to volunteer Tuesday and thereafter. 40 bucks towards a class or not, to be able to glean skills from Dean and his team or to be appreciated by the students, or to be able to bounce my creative ideas off of someone like Dean or Rebecca, is completely gratifying. Not to mention to leftovers I got to munch on!
BTW, I could take the tempura crumbs, that fall off to the bottom when you fry something in tempura and then lay it over the rack, and put it in a bowl of milk and eat. Seriously. Love tempura as much as I love sour cream and anyone that knows me, knows that in my will it says "to be buried in Shepps sour cream until covered".
Look forward to posting about Tuesdays Paella class.
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