Move Over, Rachael Ray
Looking for a fun and different idea for “date night?” Have an anniversary coming up? You might want to do something more creative than the usual fancy dinner out… like, actually cooking the meal yourself — along with 14 other New Yorkers!
Last night husband and I took a class called “Essentials of Tuscan Cooking” at the Institute of Culinary Education on West 23rd Street in Manhattan (OK, I know this blog is about Brooklyn but it is such a quick jaunt from 53BP on the F train, we are making an exception). The school offers an extensive selection of both professional and recreational courses.
At the beginning of class, we were given a booklet containing 12 recipes including Bistecca alla Fiorentina, Crostini with Roasted Eggplant, and Almond & Anise Biscotti (um…. YUM!!), which was the menu that our 16-person class was going to prepare that night. We were split into three “teams” and each assigned several dishes to prepare. Our cheerful instructor Michelle was there to help us along the way and answer questions when needed (I had no idea what a chive looked like). The entire cooking process took a couple of hours — when it was completed and our delectables were plated and ready to be served, the assistant instructor had already magically transformed 2 of the workstations into an elegant dining table set with white cloth tablecloths, silverware, artfully folded napkins, and bottles of wine. The class then sat down together to enjoy the fruits of our labor, the highlights being a Wild Mushroom Risotto that one of our fellow teammates prepared, and of course the Oranges with Marsala Glaze for dessert — prepared by yours truly and the husband. (One last shout-out must go to Jim from Delaware, who made the bellissimo biscotti!)
Our one-night 5-hour class was a reasonable $90/per person, which included all the ingredients, recipe booklet, instruction, dinner and wines. Take-home containers were also provided so you could enjoy some of your favorite dishes the next day. We had a blast and would highly recommend this for a fun night out for couples or a group of friends. Mangia!