Cooking at the Cottage 

Easy and Elegant Appetizers
It's one of our favorite styles of holiday entertaining -- tantalizing small bites, a glass or two of wine, and plenty of good company and conversation! Sometimes these gatherings are planned; at other times, they occur spontaneously. Either way, they're always fun occasions!

IN THIS ISSUE, we're setting the table with a few elegant, yet easy, appetizers that start the fun, or become the meal themselves. We have six mouthwatering recipes to inspire you: a Cranberry-Pistachio Cheese Ball, Artichoke, Spinach & Tomato Phyllo Cups, Cucumber Crostini with Whipped Feta & Olives, Sausage-stuffed Mini Potato Skins, Holiday Thyme Peas & Pepitas Crostini, and Broccoli-Cheddar Trees. Cheers to the season!
Easy and Elegant Appetizers
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WHAT'S COOKING AT THE COTTAGE
January Classes
Thursday, January 8th ● 6:30 - 9:00 pm ● "NO SOUP FOR YOU ~ Part Two!!!" ● Demonstration Class ● John Varanese - Varanese ● $45.00 Yev Kassem, aka The Soup Nazi, was a fictional character in the sitcom Seinfeld. He was a stone-faced immigrant chef with a thick Stalin-esque moustache, who was wCall to Registerell known throughout New York City for his delicious soups. He demanded that all customers in his restaurant follow his meticulous (and seemingly arbitrary) soup ordering instructions to the letter, lest they be refused service by his insistent avowal. "No soup for you!" The customer is then refunded and denied his or her order. The restaurant is based on Soup Kitchen International in New York City. We thought it would be fun to recreate some of the soups on this menu board. If you misbehave, the message from Chef John is "NO BREAD FOR YOU!"  Menu: Black Bean Soup ● French Onion Soup ● Clam Bisque ● Chicken and Broccoli Soup

SOLD OUT!  Friday, January 9th ● 6:30 - 8:30 pm ● "Date Night" ● Hands On Class ● David Moeller - Sullivan University ● $95.00 for two  Menu: Duck and Caramelized Onion Empanadas ● Seared Pork Tenderloin with Wild Mushroom Cognac Sauce ● Salted Caramel Cheesecake with Spiced Pecan Crust

SOLD OUT! Saturday, January 10th ● 6:30 - 8:30 pm ● "Date Night" ● Hands On Class ● Mike Cunha - Sullivan University & Limestone ● $95.00 for two  Menu: Spinach and Artichoke Dip with Crispy Pita ● Medallion of Beef Tenderloin with Red Wine Demi Glace ● Brown Sugar Maple Bread Pudding with Brandy Sauce

Monday, January 12th ● 6:30 - 9:00 pm ● "Plant Based/Gluten Free Superfoods for a Super You" ● Demonstration Class ● Mat Shalenko - June Health and Wellness ● $45.00   Start the New year right by learning about these foods to jumpstart your healthy resolutions. Menu: Ginger Miso Soup with Carrots, Green Onion and Shiitake Mushrooms ● Red Lentil Curry with Quinoa and Amaranth ● Spinach and Orange Salad with Hemp Seeds, Goji Berries and Cacao ● Roasted Tempeh with Sweet Potatoes and Kale ● Flax Seed Graham Cracker Tart with Almond Butter, Blueberries and Banana

SOLD OUT! Friday, January 16th ● 6:30 - 8:30 pm ● "Date Night" ● Hands On Class ● David Moeller - Sullivan University ● $95.00 for two  Menu: Wilted Spinach Salad with Chevre, Pears and Hot Bacon Dijon Dressing ● Seared Beef Tenderloin with Roasted Garlic Pan Sauce, Vegetables and Stone Ground Grits ● Lemon Curd Tartlets with Macerated Berries

SOLD OUT! Saturday, January 17th ● 6:30 - 8:30 pm ● "Date Night" ● Hands On Class ● Mike Cunha - Sullivan University & Limestone ● $95.00 for two  Menu: Pernod Laced Shrimp on Herbed Grit Cakes ● Boneless Pork Chop with Sauce Dijonnaise and Prosciutto Ham ● Flambéed Apples and Pecans on Biscuits with Vanilla Ice Cream

Monday, January 19th ● 6:30 - 9:00 pm ● "Authentic Spanish Tapas Party" ● Demonstration Class ● Gail Crawford - Jefferson Community & Technical College ● $50.00  Tapas are a wide variety of appetizers, or snacks, in Spanish cuisine. The serving of tapas is designed to encourage conversation, because people are not so focused upon eating an entire meal that is set before them, and are a great way to entertain.  Start by learning to make an authentic Mojito Cocktail.  Enjoy sipping it while you learn to make Ensaladas ~ salad with Marcona almonds and Manchego cheese, Champinones al Ajillo ~ mushrooms in garlic sauce, Tortilla a la Espanola ~ potato and onion omelet, Espinacs a la Catalna ~ Catalan spinach, Empanadas ~ meat and vegetable turnovers, Gambas Ajillo ~ spicy garlic shrimp and Mejilones al Gail ~ mussels in Gail's special sauce.  For dessert, enjoy a Flan ~ baked custard with melted caramel sauce.

Thursday, January 22nd ● 6:00 - 9:00 pm ● "Croissants, Danish & Turnovers" ● Partial Hands On Class ● Barbara Turner - Sullivan University ● $55.00 Nothing is more delicious in the morning with your coffee than a delicate French pastry. The art of Viennoiseries or French breakfast pastry is challenging but is well worth the effort.  Viennoiseries are a type of leavened buttery puff pastry. It comes in three types, Croissant, Danish and Puff pastry. Menu: Croissants ~ a rich, flaky pastry so delicate it melts in your mouth ● Chocolate Croissant ~ pains au chocolat ~ croissant dough wrapped around a delicious chocolate center ● Danish ~ similar to croissant dough, but with eggs and more dense than a croissant ~ delectable pastries filled with either cheese or cherry filling ● Puff Pastry Turnovers ~ flaky handmade puff pastry with a sweet apple center and iced with a vanilla glaze

Saturday, January 24th ● 6:30 - 8:30 pm ● "Date Night" ● Hands On Class ● Mike Cunha - Sullivan University & Limestone ● $95.00 for two  Menu: Roasted Corn Chowder with Garlic Herb Croutons ● Filet of Salmon with Braised Leeks, Capers and Lemon ● Lemon Cheesecake with Bourbon Marinated Berries

Monday, January 26th ● 6:30 - 9:00 pm ● "A Tour of Italian Cuisine - Marche" ● Demonstration Class ● Sandra Gugliotta - Dining Elegance Caterers ● $50.00  We will be revisiting different regions of Italy on our second tour - complete with new dishes. This is the tenth of a series of monthly classes exploring the different regions of Italy!  This region is host to a deep Adriatic Sea with rocky beaches, small hills inland ancient towns and heavy forests.  Known for a town called Ancona and white Verdicchio wines, the cuisine of the locale is fish, various hunted small birds, olives & pork dishes.  Many dishes incorporated both herbs and spices.  Menu: Stracciatella - Egg flaked chicken broth ~ a light, yet flavorful, chicken broth heated and flaked with a mixture of eggs, Parmigiano Reggiano, fresh lemon and parsley flakes ● Zucchine al Guanciale ~ thinly sliced zucchini, pan sautéed with a bacon, onion and tomato reduction and served as a side dish to many protein dishes (this is an old style dish and is rarely seen in common modern day cooking) ● Petto di Pollo Trifolati ~ Truffle Infused Chicken  ~ seasoned chicken breast pan fried in extra virgin olive oil then finished off in a pan of melted butter topped with thinly sliced prosciutto and brushed with truffles; deglazed with cognac and cream and sprinkled with Parmigiano Reggiano served atop a toasted and buttered bread slice ● Scroccafusi - Baked Carnival Delights (from the town of Macerata) ~ a simple lemon and liqueur infused egg dough oven baked and sprinkled with sugar, served warm

Tuesday, January 27th ● 6:30 - 9:00 pm ● "Introduction to Sushi" ● Hands On Class ● Lelia Gentle - DreamCatcher Farm ● $65.00  In this class you will learn how to make proper Sushi Rice, how to select sushi grade fish, as well as a discussion of necessary ingredients and equipment. We will review all the different kinds of sushi including Maki Sushi (Hosomaki, Futomaki), Nigiri Sushi, Gunkan Sushi, Temaki Sushi, Oshi Sushi, Chirashi Sushi and Inari Sushi. Class will include hands on making of an Inside roll and an Outside roll. In class, you will sample our version of a Cucumber Roll, Salmon Skin Roll, Grilled Asparagus Roll, Ebi Nigeri, Spicy Squid Roll, Philadelphia Roll and a Dragon Roll with Eel. For dessert, we will have Fresh Fruit Splashed with Midori

Thursday, January 29th ● 6:30 - 9:00 pm * "Homemade Pizza Pies & Traditional Barese Focaccia Bread" ● Hands On Class ● Luigi Gelsomini - Luigi's Pizzeria & Pasta ● $55.00  Have fun while you learn to make pizza dough, rolling and shaping the hand stretched dough until you get the hang of it! Chef Luigi is an expert pizza maker so you don't miss this one! You will be making amazing pizza crust and focaccia bread with your family in no time! Menu: Neapolitan Pizza - thin crust ● Panzerotto ● Traditional Cheese Calzone ● Stromboli Calzone ● Eggplant Calzone ● Spinach Calzone ● Traditional Barese Focaccia Bread

Friday, January 30th ● 6:30 - 8:30 pm ● "Date Night" ● Hands On Class ● David Moeller - Sullivan University ● $95.00 for two  Menu: Shrimp and Grits with Spicy Red Eye Gravy ● Seared Chicken Breast with Mushroom and White Bean Ragout along with Roasted Vegetables ● Banana Pecan Bread Pudding with Bourbon Sauce

Saturday, January 31st ● 11:30 - 2:00 pm ● "Basic Stock & Mother Sauces" ● Partial Hands On Class  ● David Moeller - Sullivan University * $55.00   A great sauce begins with a great stock. This class will teach you the basics of making stocks from scratch as well as using these stocks to make the "mother" sauces. Menu: Chicken Stock ● Veal Stock ● Shellfish Stock ● Roux ● Béchamel ● Veloute ● Espagnole ● Hollandaise & how to turn these mother sauces into smaller sauces such as Béarnaise ● Mornay ● Hunter Sauce ● Supreme Sauce

Saturday, January 31st ● 6:30 - 8:30 pm ● "Date Night" ● Hands On Class ● Mike Cunha - Sullivan University & Limestone ● $95.00 for two  Menu: Bacon, Garlic and Spinach Quiche with Black Pepper Cream ● Grilled Breast of Chicken with Penne Pasta and Spicy Puttenesca Sauce ● Dark Chocolate Espresso Mousse with Toasted Meringue

Tuesdays, February 3rd  through March 10th ● 6:30 - 9:00 pm ● "Basic Training 101" ● Hands On Class ● David Moeller - Sullivan University ● $495.00 for a Six Week course. A six week series of HANDS ON training, guaranteed to have you cooking like a pro in no time! This class is designed for all students from the beginning cook to the cook who wants to fine-tune their skills and understand the "whys" of cooking! During this course, you will learn proper knife skills, stocks and basic sauce making, soups, salads, vinaigrettes, techniques such as sautéing, roasting, braising, slow roasting, pan frying, deep-frying and grilling. You will learn how to break down a whole chicken into individual pieces & how to truss meat correctly. You will learn about cooking beef, chicken, seafood, vegetables and starches. After this course, you will feel much more confident in the kitchen & motivated to try out new dishes and create your own recipes!   Feel free to bring your cook's knife and an apron to class each week, if you wish.

Wednesday, April 1st through May 6th ● 6:30 - 9:00 pm ● "Intermediate Training" ● Hands On Class ● Mike Cunha - Sullivan University ● $495.00 for a Six Week Course   A six week series of HANDS ON training, designed for those who have completed the Basic Training series and are looking for more. No worries; if you haven't taken the Basic Training series, but are comfortable with elementary cooking skills and are looking to fine tune your techniques or challenge yourself, this series would be perfect for you! During this course, you will concentrate on working with the five Mother Sauces, starches including Rice Pilaf, Polenta, Risotto & Grits, explore the diversity of the Egg by making the Perfectly Poached Egg, Fluffy Omelets, Crepes& Custards (both sweet & savory). Learn to perfect your cooking techniques by Braising, Shallow Frying, Poaching and Sautéing, learn different preparations for veggies such as Asparagus with Hollandaise Sauce, Broccoli Casserole, Ratatouille and Lyonnaise potatoes and try your hand at basic baking skills with Biscuits, Muffins, Flatbreads & cookies. Feel free to bring your cook's knife and an apron to class each week.

View all the selections in our Winter Brochure (PDF format).
VIEW ALL OF OUR CLASS OFFERINGS online. 
Our Full Cooking Class Schedule is always on our website 
Click here! -- check them out!   
 recipeone RECIPE: Cranberry Pistachio Cheese Ball
RECIPE: Cranberry Pistachio Cheese Ball
Do-Ahead Steps
Entertaining Tips
 recipetwo RECIPE: Artichoke, Spinach and Tomat
Artichoke, Spinach and Tomato Phyllo Cups
Do-Ahead Steps
Entertaining Tips
Products
 recipethree RECIPE: Cucumber Crostini with Whipped Feta and Olives
RECIPE: Cucumber Crostini with Whipped Feta and Olives
Do-Ahead Steps
 recipefour RECIPE: Sausage-Stuffed Mini Potato Skins
RECIPE: Sausage-Stuffed Mini Potato Skins
Do-Ahead Steps
Entertaining Tips
recipefive RECIPE: Holiday Thyme Peas and Pepitas
RECIPE: Holiday Thyme Peas and Pepitas
Do-Ahead Steps
Entertaining Tips
recipesix RECIPE: Broccoli-Cheddar Trees
RECIPE: Broccoli-Cheddar Trees
Do-Ahead Steps
Entertaining Tips

Wishing you a season full of friends, fun, and great food to share.

Signature

Mark & Linda Kunz Bayens

Cooking at the Cottage

3739 Lexington Rd

 

Louisville, KY 40207
502-893-6700

 


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