Seasoned Kitchen teaches the art of cooking
Heather Saunders - May 1st, 2008I’m a terrible cook. I mean really terrible. If I tell you that I’ve messed up macaroni and cheese before, hopefully you get how serious I am. So I was a bit nervous to attend one of the Seasoned Kitchen’s cooking classes.
I’ve been to the Seasoned Kitchen and it is top of the line, meant for those who are serious about their meals.
Located at 106 N. San Francisco St., it sits neatly beside the Monte Vista Hotel. I went Monday, April 14 for their authentic French crepes cooking class. The class was taught by a young French woman named Aude. That’s how authentic they were. Aude gave us a wealth of information.
We learned about the history and superstitions of crepes, general information and tips to help us undertake these tasty delights on our own.
Crepes were eaten all the way back into antiquity for the celebration of the fertility season, until the Pope decided the celebration was sexually immoral. The celebration was replaced with a celebration of light called Chandeleur. Chandeleur celebrates the presentation of Jesus Christ to the temple on the second of February. This date remains the official date for the start of making crepes.
According to superstitions, in order to have a prosperous new year, you must flip the first crepe of the year with your right hand while holding a coin in your left. I’m thrilled to say that I will have a prosperous new year. But I’m getting ahead of myself.
It was an intimate setting; seats for 12 people circled around a professional line stove and counter area.
It was predominately women and I was easily the youngest there. Many of the guests knew one another based on their shared culinary interests, but those who were new, like myself, were welcomed and encouraged as if we were regulars. Tony, the owner, sat and interacted with everyone. You could tell he genuinely loved his store and the relationships he’d developed with his regulars.
We made two kinds of crepes, savory and sweet. Savory crepes were more like dinner crepes. They were made with buckwheat flour, making the crepe itself much more substantial and not the delicate version most people think of. Hard cider was added to the batter, which was called galette, to lighten it up and further distinguish it from pancakes and other flat pastries.
Aude and her assistant Linda made the first few and then threw everyone in there. Each and every one of us successfully flipped our crepes – one-handed, mind you — welcomed our success for the year and then sat down to dine.
The savory crepes were filled with an array of meats, veggies and cheeses. I made mine with black forest ham, a gorgonzola and cream mix, walnuts and spinach leaves. Others lined their crepes with bruscetta, mushrooms, salmon and cheese.
Even with such substantial fillings, the savory crepes were light. Crepes served in this fashion shouldn’t be overstuffed. As Aude said, you might as well have a burrito instead. It was an unexpected sensation for me, but it was absolutely delicious.
The sweet crepes were made with wheat flour and embodied all the delicacy you would have expected. The traditional batter was made with the hard cider and rum. The alcohol cooks out, but the flavor of the rum remains, making all the toppings a bit sweeter.
And there was an array toppings: coffee and chocolate ice cream, Nutella, sour cherry jam, sliced bananas, strawberries and an orange banana strawberry puree. These were heaven. The crepe was sweet and light, a perfect dessert.
Everyone had a chance to make more than a few crepes and even take them home if they wished. It was a fun evening and I learned a lot. Now when someone asks if I can cook, I will say “Yes, crepes.”
Usually the classes cost $40 a sitting, but the price varies with the schedule. Times are usually 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and the days vary, but again, hours can vary as well. I wish they would do “college nights” or some equivalent. I had a fantastic time, but $40 is steep for me as a student. If they ever offered a discounted class, I’d be there in a heartbeat.
Their schedule for the next few weeks is as follows: May 2 is the free First Friday Artwalk, May 7 is Spring Thai, May 13 is Gluten free cooking, May 15 is Ravioli and May 17 is Kids Cook.
You can call or go online for more information or make a reservation at (928) 213-5942 or seasonedkitchenaz.com.