Class-ified.
I’ve been to a lot of cooking classes over the years. Some have been very educational, and I’ve taken home bits that I’ve incorporated into my own cooking. Some have been… well, entertaining, I suppose, without imparting a lot of information. A few have been pretty much excuses for a place to take my money and run.
I’m happy to report that the Eggshell Kitchen Company on Kavanaugh is doing things right. Went to the class last night where Kathy Webb was doing the Art of Dim Sum. Came away with the class with a head full of ideas and a full belly, too. Food porn and notes on the jump.
It was, to be succinct, an informative night, also very entertaining. Kathy shared a lot of good information and had the class create the dishes. Hands on is good. Gotta say I also very much appreciate the fact that before class even began, we were given the chance to wash our hands -- something that’s woefully overlooked most places I have been. We started out with Spring Rolls, and not only learned how to pack and roll them (and what to put in them) but a good bit of history on how dim sum came about and on the difference between an egg roll and a spring roll.
Then a special bit not listed on the class agenda -- Strawberry Chocolate Spring Rolls. I’m telling you what -- for such a special and unique dish, it’s sure easy to make. You shoulda been there. Let’s just say not only was it easy, but the tasting of said creations was… well received.
We also dabbled into making Vietnamese Spring Rolls, which are made with rice wrappers that have to be soaked in water first. Sure, it’s hard to resist diving into a tasty wrap while it’s still tacky, but what a neat idea for a cool appetizer you don’t have to cook!
Then there were the potstickers -- the class munched on Shrimp and Pork Dumplings and made Chicken Shao Mai. Delicious. It was a very neat class, and was presented in a great setting. I felt like a kid in a candy store the day before allowance day… I wanted to buy everything. There’s all sorts of cool gadgets and whutzits and racks and devices. Somehow I managed to restrain myself. Hey, there are more classes coming up -- like the class next week on summer cooking with Arkansas Governors Mansion chef Jason Knapp. Classes run $50, but for the price you get to try all sorts of neat foods, drink a little wine, and take home recipes. Not a bad bargain. Check out the Eggshell Kitchen Company website for more information.
