Thursday, July 29, 2010

Sip sangria and indulge in incredible Italian wines!


Sip in some summer with our upcoming WINE EDU classes.
TOMORROW NIGHT! 7:30-9pm

Nothing says summer like a refreshing glass of sangria!

In this class you'll taste different kinds of sangria from Mary's
"SANGRIA BAR", plus learn how to easily make it at home. You'll also learn the basics of pairing food with sangria from Mary with small plates created by professional chef Brad Spates.

Want to get on the list for August's EXCLUSIVE wine tasting event with Mary? E-MAIL US!

Saturday, August 14th from 7-9pm

Raise a glass to great food and wine!

Join Cookology and Il Pioppo for a special cooking class devoted to the art of cooking with fine wine. In this 2-hour session you'll learn to make 3 gourmet courses, each using a perfectly paired selection of Italian wine.


Friday, August 20th from 7:30-9pm

Join us for a special tasting session of phenomenal Italian wines!

Italian wine specialist Bridget Sasso of Il Pioppo will lead you through an engaging tasting of Italy's best wines.

Bridget works exclusively with small, family owned vineyards with limited production. Her requirement in the selections is that the owners of the property touch their land each day. Each producer is an organic, biodynamic or conventional grower. Nothing unnatural touches their earth or their plants. In addition to the tasting Bridget will share stories about the families and their vineyards, and how they make their wine. A truly unique tasting experience.

$45 includes instruction, wine tasting, plus paired hors d’oeurves prepared by our professional chefs.

Bridget and Chef Brad at last month's tasting.

Brad prepared a Three Cheese Ravioli with Lamb Sausage Ragu, a Chilled and Grilled Hangar Steak with Arugula and Beef Butter, and a Seared Tuna and Heirloom Tomato Salad.

COMING IN SEPTEMBER: Wine & Herbs with Mary Watson! Mary worked extensively with wine and herbs using plants from her garden at Landsdowne Resort.


Thursday, July 1, 2010

What's in Chef Katie's Fridge?


Chef Katie is a graduate of Johnson and Wales University in Providence, RI, where she earned degrees in both Culinary Arts and Nutrition Sciences. Growing up Katie always loved to cook, but it wasn't until she took a nutrition course in college that she considered making food her life. A self-proclaimed health-food junkie, her goal is to get kids excited about cooking and to show them that healthy food is as fun to learn about as it is to eat!

Take a look inside her fridge as she shares a few of her tips on quick, easy, and healthy meals and snacks.

I typically keep fresh fruit like grapes, berries, and apples on hand all the
time.
I usually have boxes of lettuce, cucumbers, and cherry tomatoes in the veggie drawer to throw together salads. Every week I buy hummus, tzatziki, or fresh cheese. I really liked Manchego, Dubliner, and St. Andre triple creme brie. I'll eat these as a snack along with Wheat Thins or Triscuits.

I also always have skim milk, Greek yogurt, and coffee.
I only drink iced coffee, so I make a big pot at the beginning of the week and keep it in a pitcher in the fridge to make a to-go cup every morning- it saves me about $20 a week on Starbucks! (GREAT TIP!)

Also: pesto, lemons, and something chocolate!

For quick and easy meals I like to make a big pot of brown rice and throw together a lentil soup with pre-cooked lentils, a bell pepper, an onion, a box of chicken stock, and some cumin, salt, pepper, chopped tomatoes and garlic (all cooked together in one pot).

For a quick pasta salad I'll make orzo then toss in cherry tomatoes, crumbled feta cheese, basil, olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt, pepper, chopped red onion, and chopped cucumbers.

Another easy, healthy meal is chicken paillards over salad: I buy the thinly sliced chicken breast packs (raw), bread them with egg white and seasoned panko bread crumbs and saute them in olive oil on the stove. Serve the warm chicken over mixed greens tossed with sliced red onion, cherry tomatoes, pistachios, goat cheese, and segments of fresh orange and drizzled with olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper; its really yummy!

Katie teaches our kids classes and cooking camps. For a list of upcoming sessions visit our website.