Beans! It's the answer to the riddle, "what's highly nutritious, inexpensive, satisfying, delicious, and easy to cook?" Putting more beans on the table provides fabulous opportunities for shifting our eating in healthier directions.

 

IN THIS ISSUE, we're ladling up three soups that showcase beans in one of their best roles - in hearty wintertime soups. Cooking beans is easier than you think. We show you several methods including a reintroduction to the magic of pressure cooking. Plus, answers to key bean questions! 

Our COOKING CLASSES are packed with kitchen inspiration and plenty of fun and laughter. REGISTER EARLY for the best selection! Plan an evening out now! Access the WINTER 2013 Class Schedule and details for each class here.

Monday, January 28th ● 6:30 - 9:00 pm ● "Enjoy a Six Course Meal on a Cold Winters Night" ● Demonstration Class ● Alex Perez - Hunting Creek Country Club ● $50.00  Formerly of Lillys Bristo, Alex's memorable style of cooking will be on full display during this six course meal. You won't want to miss this opportunity. Menu: Mini Bakers - as a starter, small fingerling potatoes stuffed with sour cream, chives and apple wood smoked bacon ● Butternut Bisque with crème fraiche, honey crisp apple and chopped proscuitto for the first course ● Oxtail Ravioli, sautéed arugula with a mission fig demi glace, shaved manchego with a white truffle oil drizzle for the second course ● Grateful Greens Local KY Bibb Salad with fresh Bosc pears, Capriole goat cheese, pickled onion and candied pecans with a champagne vinaigrette for the third course ● Pan Seared Bone in Pork Chop, caramelized mashed potatoes, grilled asparagus with a crimini mushroom cream sauce for the fourth course ● Chocolate Terrine with a Berry Coulis for the fifth and final course

Wednesday, January 30th ● 6:30 - 9:00 pm ● "NO SOUP FOR YOU!!!" ● Demonstration Class ● John Varanese - Varanese ● $45.00  Yev Kassem, aka The Soup Nazi, was a fictional character in the sitcom Seinfield.  He was a stone-faced immigrant chef with a thick Stalin-esque moustache, who was well 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: Mulligatawny Soup ● Crab Bisque ● Mushroom Barley ● Turkey Chili

Thursday, January 31st ● 11:30 - 2:00 pm ● "A Festive Luncheon" ● Demonstration Class ● John Plymale - Porcini ● $45.00  The holiday season is behind us so now is the time to gather a group of friends, enjoy catching up and learn something in the process. Menu: Roasted Potato Chowder ● Applewood Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin served with Sauteed Granny Smith Apples and garnished with Apple Juniper Chutney ● Zabagloine Trifle made with Marinated Figs  and Sour Cream Poundcake topped with Freshly Grated Nutmeg

Thursday, January 31st ● 6:30 -  9:00 pm ● "Catch of the Day" ● Demonstration Class ● Lelia Gentle - DreamCatcher Farm ● $45.00  Preparing fresh fish, at home, is so quick and easy. We will discuss selection, handling, storing & freezing of fresh seafood as well as basic tips for baking, sautéing and searing. This class has put many of us on the path to confident seafood cookery!  Menu: Mini Shrimp Salad Sandwiches ● Sauteed Salmon with Spicy Ginger Mushrooms served with a Wild Rice Salad  ● Grilled Rainbow Trout with Herbs De Provence and Walnut Oil ● Seared Tuna Chirashi with Black and White Sesame Seeds over Seasoned Brown Rice with  sliced fresh Daikon Radish

SOLD OUT! Saturday, February 2nd ● 6:30 - 8:30 pm ● "Date Night" ● Hands On Class ● Mike Cunha - Sullivan University & Limestone ● $90.00 for two   Menu: KY Style Eggs Benedict- biscuit, poached egg, country ham, red eye gravy ● Maple Poached Duck Breast with Sun Dried Cranberry Demi Glace ● Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie

Monday, February 4th ● 6:30 - 9:00 pm ● "A Tour of Italian Cuisine - Marche" ● Demonstration Class ● Sandra Gugliotta - Dining Elegance Caterers ● $50.00   This is the nineth of a series of monthly classes exploring the different regions of Italy!  This region is host to a deep adriatic see 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: Olive Ripiene ~ stuffed olives with large pitted green olives stuffed with a hearty beef, pork and liver filling with eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg breaded and fried ● Muscioli alla Marinara ~ stuffed mussels are seasoned mussles & muscioli arrosto ● Zucchine al Guanciale ~ pan stewed zucchini with pancetta, onions and tomatoes ● Pollo in Potacchio all'Anconetana ~ stewed chicken with onions, white wine, rosemary, crushed red pepper and fresh tomatoes ● Calcioni ~ stuffed half moon cheese ravioli with sweet parmigiano cheese

Wednesday, February 6th ● 11:30 - 2:00 pm ● "Going Retro ~ The Classic Casserole Made Over" ● Demonstration Class ● Lelia Gentle - DreamCatcher Farm ● $45.00  A casserole, from the French word for "saucepan", is a large, deep dish used both in the oven and as a serving vessel. The word casserole is also used for the food cooked and served in such a vessel (which is often a one-dish meal itself), with the cookware itself called a casserole dish or casserole pan.  This class will revisit some old favorites with perhaps a new flavor or a healthier twist, with ideas for using leftovers and freezing.  You won't find any canned soups in these dishes, which means lower fat and sodium.   Menu: Breakfast Cheese Strata with Fresh Herbs ● Classic Chicken Divan ● Green Bean Casserole with Carmelized Onions ● Black Bean & Mushroom Tortilla Bake ● Bread Pudding with Whiskey Sauce

Wednesday, February 6th ● 6:30 - 9:00 pm ● "Mardi Gras in the Big Easy" ● Demonstration Class ● Richard Lowe - formerly The Coach Lamp ● $45.00  Richard's Louisana fare is the real deal - migrating to Louisville after Hurricane Katrinia - he has worked in some of New Orleans best restaurants! Come celebrate Mardi Gras with Richard, as he has done for many years in the Big Easy, and learn the secrets used to create that distinct N'Awlins flavor profile. Menu: Grits & Grillades ~ a dish generally served at breakfast or brunch of slow cooked meat and vegetables served over grits ● BBQ Shrimp Po Boys ● Chicken & Smoked Sausage Jambalaya ● The Infamous King Cake ~ flown in directly from Richard's favorite bakery in New Orleans

SOLD OUT! Friday, February 8th ● 6:30 - 8:30 pm ● "Date Night" ● Hands On Class ● David Moeller - Sullivan University ● $90.00 for two   Menu: Lump Crab Cakes with Horseradish Dijon Sauce ● Pork Tenderloin with Wild Mushrooms, Apples, Caramelized Onion and Cognac Sauce ● Bananas Foster Bread Pudding with Pecans

SOLD OUT! Saturday, February 9th ● 11:30 - 2:00 pm ● "Valentine Sweets ~ Cookie Workshop" ● Hands On Class ● Cathy Frederick - Cathy's Designer Cookies ● $55.00  The sweetest day of the year is just around the corner so come and let's learn to create masterpieces worthy of this day!  Students will learn the how to's of cookie decorating, including outlining and flooding, a beautiful watercolor technique, learning to pipe royal icing and other decorating techniques that can be used on different seasonal cookies.  The class will also view a demonstration of "How to create your own Royal Icing Lay-ons". (Those little dimensional candies, used for decorating cookies and cupcakes that you have been purchasing.  Now you can make your own!)  Each student will take home four decorated cookies as well as the recipes for Cathy's sugar cookies, gingerbread cookies and royal icing.  Cookies that will be made include: A Beautiful Cameo Cookie using Fondant and Royal Icing ● A Fancy Lace Corset Cookie ● A Watercolor Sparkle Heart Cookie ● A Passionate Kissing Lips Cookie

SOLD OUT! Saturday, February 9th ● 6:30 - 8:30 pm ● "Date Night" ● Hands On Class ● Mike Cunha - Sullivan University & Limestone ● $90.00 for two   Menu: Chicken & Sausage Creole in Puff Pastry ● Sauteed Pork Schnitzel with Blue Cheese and Crème Fraiche ● Double Chocolate Chip Cookie Sundaes with Chocolate Sauce

Monday, February 11th ● 6:30 - 9:00 pm ● "Just Put That in Your Pan & Smoke It" ● Demonstration Class ● Lelia Gentle - DreamCatcher Farm ● $45.00  No need to go out in the d cold and snow to get that great smoked flavor.  We'll be smokin' with the Cameron Stovetop Smoker - smoking chicken, seafood and veggies that is.  Come learn the how-to's and the convenience of using a stove top smoker.  We'll be discussing how the different wood chips affect specific foods and how long to smoke different items. This will open the door to an endless list of possibilities on your stove top. Menu: Smoked Trout Pate ●  Mixed Greens with Smoked Eggplant & Goat Cheese ● Quinoa with Smoked Shrimp & Smoked  Peppers ● Smoked Pork Tenderloin Medallions with Apple Chutney ● Smoked Green Beans & Mushrooms with Roquefort Cheese and Walnuts