Cooking Classes at Love to Cook!
| We have a great line-up of classes underway! It's a great way to spend an evening or day! We look forward to having you in our kitchen soon! Cooking classes make a great date night too! Get all of the details on our website's Cooking Class page or Click the Class Titles below.
Thursday, November 4 - Turkey 101 - 6:30 p.m.- The star of the Thanksgiving dinner table is undoubtedly the turkey. We all want to astound our dinner guests with a juicy, succulent bird, but it can be a little tricky. Resident Chef, JaDene Denniston has the secrets to brining, basting, roasting, carving & more. Your step by step guide to poultry perfection. All the answers you need for a no-fail Thanksgiving turkey plus more, including what to do with all those leftovers! Don't miss out on this great class.
Saturday, November 6 - Fabulous Fondue -11:00 a.m.- Fondue is becoming a popular (not to mention delicious) holiday tradition. With the endless combinations of goodies to dip and all the creamy options to dip them in, there's something for everyone. If you are looking for a casual, hands-on way to entertain or you're starting a new family tradition, whether you like it gooey and cheesy or rich and chocolatey, Resident Chef, JaDene Denniston has what you're looking for.
Tuesday, November 9 - Gluten Free For The Holidays - 6:30 p.m.- More and more people are eating gluten-free. This can be especially hard at the holidays. Whether you yourself are gluten free or you are cooking for someone who is, no one should have to miss out on the treats we associate with the holiday season. Leah Nielsen has reinvented holiday classics with a gluten free flare. This is the essential class for anyone with a gluten free diet.
Wednesday, November 10 - Cooking with Cast Iron - 6:30 p.m.- Our grandmothers wouldn't have prepared a meal without using their cast iron pans. We should take a hint from them! Cast iron produces beautifully browned & perfectly cooked meals. Sue Measom (wife of local cast iron company "Camp Chef" owner) has the knowledge you need to unlock the secrets behind this incredible cookware. All you need to know about seasoning, cleaning, & cooking with these amazing pans and more!
Thursday, November 11 - Christmas Morning Quick Breads - 6:30 p.m.- Quick breads make great gifts at the holidays. They are also wonderful to serve at a holiday brunch or on Christmas morning. Joy Ercanbrack has fabulous whole grain recipes for tasty breads that are definately going to be a favorite treat as well as darling packaging ideas for a quick gift. Swap out some of the holiday junk food for some nutritious and delicious quick breads that you'll be proud to serve to family and guests.
Saturday, November 13- Hands On Gingerbread Houses - 11:00 a.m.- Having a gingerbread house on display during the holidays brings the holiday spirit into your house in a very special way. Come decorate a house that you can admire and be proud of during the holiday season. April Olsen will teach you tips & tricks to make an extrordinary house.
Tuesday, November 16 - Holiday Pies - 6:30 p.m.- The perfect end to any meal is a slice of pie...but not if the pie has a soggy crust and a flavorless filling! Letty Flatt has mastered a fabulous, tender, flaky crust and amazing fillings. You'll be tempted to skip dinner and head straight to dessert! These recipes are sure to make an appearance each year during the holidays.
Wednesday, November 17 - Hands On Whole Wheat Bread - 1:00 p.m.- Come learn from our in-store instructor how to make delicious wheat bread using freshly ground wheat flour. Instructor will also demonstrate how to make our cinnamon/currant variation. Includes pan and one loaf of bread to take home.
Thursday, November 18 - Everything but the Turkey: Sensational Thanksgiving Sides - 6:30 p.m. - Mashed potatoes, stuffing, rolls, vegetables, and other sides are all a huge part of the Thanksgiving meal. Come learn sensational side dishes that are sure to bring a refreshing twist to your Thanksgiving table. Resident Chef, JaDene Denniston has everything you need to pull it off. What can be made ahead of time and frozen? What can be made the day before? All your questions will be answered to help you enjoy this great meal. |
Robust, One-Pot Meals
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The Perfect Pot
|  If we were limited to only one pot in our kitchen, it would be our
enameled cast iron pot. Sometimes termed, "Dutch Oven," the famed
cookware company, Le Creuset, uses the term "Round French Oven" for
their series of enameled cast iron pots. You can fry, boil, sauté, steam
and even bake in this pan for just a few people or for a crowd! Here's
why this cookware is some of the best and certainly among our favorites
in the kitchen.
Enameled Cast Iron - Le Creuset
makes their cast iron in the northern French town of Fresnoy-Le-Grand as
they have since 1925. Their foundries use standard sand casting methods
where molten iron is poured into the various sized and shaped molds,
cooled, then hand finished in preparation for the enameling steps. A
coating of enamel is sprayed on each piece and fired at 800°F. A second
coat is applied and similarly baked. The result is a beautiful glaze on
top of a core of cast iron.
 Best of Both Worlds- The cast iron core evenly conducts and holds heat, while the enameled
surfaces of the pot, inside and out, create a naturally non-stick
surface that is easily cleaned and cared for. The enameled surface
eliminates any seasoning or special care that typically accompanies cast
iron cookware.
Suitable for all Cooking Surfaces- Enameled cast iron may be used on all cooking surfaces: electric,
gas, ceramic, and induction stovetops. The pots are also oven safe to
375°F making them perfect for recipes requiring stovetop browning or
sautéing steps followed by a stint in the oven.
Sizes- Round French ovens are available in multiple sizes. We recommend
having at least two sizes in your kitchen, a small pot for light duty
and smaller quantities, and a large pot for large recipes or when
cooking for a crowd.
Colors - Enticing and bold,
choosing the color of your Le Creuset oven is the hardest part. The
colors are baked into the enamel and hold true forever. The original Le
Creuset color was the classic orange known as "Flame." Recent years have
brought the development of a full palette of colors, the most recent
being a rich purple known as "Cassis." The beautiful glazes make the
pots more than suitable for direct serving at the table.
 Care and Use- The enameled surfaces are incredibly durable, but will fare better
when metal utensils are avoided. This includes metal spoons, whisks, and
hand mixer beaters.
Lifetime Warranty - Le
Creuset enameled cast iron products undergo stringent quality controlled
production. This, and many decades of experience with the products
allow them to offer a lifetime warranty. The initial product investment
definitely returns value for a lifetime and more.
Cousins- Enameled Steel Stock Pots - Another fine Le Creuset product is their
enameled steel stockpots. Thinner and lighter, the steel pots provide
the necessary size and volume required to accommodate stock ingredients -
stalks of celery, whole chickens, and a host of soup-making items.
These pots double well as colorful pasta pots.
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Smart Stew and Stew Pot Tips
|  Tip #1: Use an old trick of soup makers, save the rind of a wedge of Parmesan cheese, and throw it in the pot. The hard cheese rind adds a layer of flavor and builds more of the fifth taste sensation, umami.
Tip #2: As with any cookware, take care when placing or moving enameled cast iron cookware on glass stovetops. The weight of the cookware placed forcefully on the glass may lead to damage.
 Tip #3: Avoid cutting with a knife on any enameled surface. The knife's edge may create micro-cuts on the surface of the enamel.
Tip #4: Before washing or exposing cookware to an extreme change in temperature, allow the pan to cool for a few minutes.
Tip #5: Always match the size of the pot with the size of the burner. The heat or flame should not be allowed to "climb" the sides of the pot.
Tip #6: Use inexpensive cuts of meat such as chuck roast when stewing. Stewing, a form of slow cooking, will magically tenderize the meat and melt any tough, connective tissue. More expensive, or lean cuts of meat, will toughen during long, slow cooking.
Tip #7: Because enameled cast iron holds heat so well, take care not to overheat the pot in the early stages of cooking such as when bringing liquids to a boil. A high heat will stay with the pot long after the burner's dial has been turned down.
Tip #8: Enameled cast iron retains temperature and may be used to keep cold foods cold for a short time. Thoroughly chill the pot and lid, place salads, or other chilled foods, in the pot to serve.
Tip #9: Always use a trivet, silicone pad, or hefty potholder when placing a hot enameled cast iron pot on the table or countertop.
Tip #10: While enameled surfaces are odor and stain resistant, a periodic treatment of the pot's surfaces with Le Creuset's Cookware Cleaner will remove any gray trail marks and polish the pot back to perfection.
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Q & A's
|  Q: Some pot lids have a pattern of bumps on their underside. What are they for?
A:
The little bumps on the inside of the lid are condensation points. As
the stew heats, steam forms and rises. The lid catches the airborne
molecules of water, and when there are enough, they condense back into
liquid form. The bumps facilitate condensation and allow the drips to
return to the pot more evenly instead of collecting at the edge of the
lid.
 Q: What is a phenolic knob?
A:
A phenolic knob is a type of lid handle that can tolerate oven heat,
yet stay cool to the touch during stovetop cooking. Le Creuset's lid
knobs are phenolic knobs that can withstand a 375°F oven. Stainless
steel (18/10) knobs are available that can withstand any oven
temperature.
Q: Can food be stored in my French oven?
A:
Yes! The enameled surface is inert and non-reactive and can safely
store food. Allow the pot to cool well before placing in the
refrigerator.
Q: My stew is too watery. What can I do to thicken it?
A:
Stews generally have a thick quality. This can be achieved in a variety
of ways depending on the recipe. Here are a few ways to have a thick
stew: (1) Dredge the stew meats in flour and brown in oil as the first
step, (2) Use a slurry of cornstarch and cold water; add small amounts
to the stew until the desired thickness is reached, (3) Begin the stew
with a flour and butter roux, or (4) Add potatoes, rice, or pasta; their
starches will help thicken the stew.
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Cookbook Review
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| Real Stew by Clifford A. Wright. Published by Harvard Common Press, Boston, MA. Copyright 2002.
Clifford A. Wright, Author of 12 Cookbooks
Winner of the James Beard Foundation Cookbook of the Year in 2000
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With this cookbook, we were treated to a culinary trip around the world. Mr. Wright has assembled over 300 recipes that fall into the broad category of stews. He includes all of the standards that we would normally conjure up as a stew, but he takes the genre leaps and bounds beyond the norm to favorites from other cultures and cuisines. While some recipes boast foreign sounding names, all are imminently accessible for the average American kitchen. The book's recipes are organized by dominant ingredient: beef, veal, lamb, pork, fowl, fish, or vegetable. The processes revealed in the recipes' instructions are designed to help us layer flavors and build pots full of deliciousness. Peppered throughout the book are tantalizing sidebars that provide interesting tidbits of knowledge and tips for advancing our culinary skills. We're set for a winter's worth of hot and hearty meals with this book in hand.
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Three Everyday Stew Recipes
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Old-Fashioned American Beef Stew
View & Print
It's hard to discuss stew without an old-fashioned beef stew coming to mind. This recipe returns the classic tastes of our grandmother's stew. It uses four types of root vegetables so abundant this time of year. The method uses a dredging of flour on the meat pieces and a browning and caramelization step that builds deep, succulent flavor. Add a crust of bread, and the meal is complete.
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Italian Sausage and Pepper Stew
View & Print
This simple stew is ready in quick order. Generous numbers of sweet bell peppers and onions are sautéed first, then joined by hot Italian sausages, tomatoes, and herbs. The spicy heat from the sausages permeates the stock and vegetables. The resulting combination of flavors lives up to the hearty "stew" moniker, and it's all accomplished in under an hour.
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White Bean, Rice, and Potato Stew
View & Print
From the Aragon province of Spain, this vegetable stew is now one of our favorites! Beginning with dried beans - inexpensive and full of valuable sustenance - they are joined with their nutritional complement, rice. Potatoes, onion, and garlic lend their flavors while paprika adds a bit of color. We garnished the soup with diced Canadian bacon and a bit of chopped parsley.
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Recipes from Real Stew by Clifford A. Wright through permission of Harvard Common Press, Boston, MA. Copyright 2002. All rights reserved.
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