End of an Era

For over 8 years, I have taught at Great News here in San Diego.  The cooking school will close at the end of the month, and the store will close due to the retirement of the owner at the end of July.  At this point, I will not have a teaching venue here in my home town.

Although I am sad about this, my heart aches for the wonderful staff in the cooking school and the retail space who gave their heart and soul to make Great News such a special place for their customers.  My pal Phillis Carey and I are working on finding another space, and will keep you posted on where we will be. Here are a few of my favorite moments from the last 8 years.

Partnering with Specialty Produce to teach the Farmer's Market Box class has been a special time for me and my students.  I'm teaching my last FMB class this Thursday night, and have a feeling I'll lose it while I'm teaching, that's how special it's been.

Aside from the Farmer's Market Box, I look forward every year to the orgy of food, fun and frivolity at the Diva/Queen event that I do with Phillis Carey.  For 2 days over a weekend, the two of us, along with every assistant in the place, put out food from 2 different menus to 52 happy students each day.  It's a huge undertaking but we have so much fun together that it more than makes up for the aches and pains the next week.  Dressing up in tiaras,  funny shirts, or aprons, we never failed to get the holidays off to a great start.

Our first year

We have been blessed with some awesome assistants

Serving a lot of food

Phillis with her second favorite thing: butter.  Her first favorite is wine!

I LOVE this woman!

Chestnut roulade

Gorgeous

And, one year I taught this 4 days after I broke my shoulder; thanks to some amazing assistants we had a ball!

To all of you who came to classes, or bought my books,  I'm so grateful that you trusted me to teach you--you've been generous with your praise and I am touched beyond words that I've been able to do something that I truly love.  Not many people can say that, and for that I am so grateful.

My Weekend

Every holiday season my friend and colleague, Phillis Carey (aka Queen of the Kitchen) and I (aka Diva of Do-Ahead) teach together to sold out classes at Great News here in San Diego---we don tiaras, and crazy t-shirts (hers says "this is how I roll", mine says "SHE, who must be obeyed") we rattle pots and pans making some of the best food for our students.  It's a blast for us, and we think the students really love having both of us in the same room, talking, joking and generally sharing our love for food and family.  Here are a few snaps from the weekend---enjoy! (we sure did!)

A lot of prep goes into a double class

Jessica getting us organized

Students are ready---and hungry!

Composing Phillis' salad--endive, spinach dressed with cranberry vinaigrette, toasted walnuts roasted red grapes, and Point Reyes blue cheese (swoon!)

The finished salad---amazing!

Using the mandoline to slice the sweet potatoes

Serious slicer--you need a kevlar glove to protect yourself!

Herbed popovers with Phillis' salad

Roasted Butternut squash soup with candied bacon garnish

Prosciutto palmiers, simple do-ahead appetizer

Candied bacon (swoon!)

Mixed greens with roasted pears, candied pecans, and pear Chardonnay Vinaigrette

All wrapped up and Ready to go: Pork Tenderloin stuffed with wild rice, cranberries and sausage

Lobster Pot Pie

Shaved Brussels Sprouts with caramelized shallot glaze

Port wine Reduction Sauce for the Pork

Finished Pork Tenderloin

Gettin' Saucy

What a dish!  Pork, port wine reduction, Brussels Sprouts, and Sweet Potato and Leek Gratin

Gingerbread Tiramisu with poached pears, and Toffee Crumble

Chocolate Gateau with Chocolate ganache filling, and salted caramel pecan glaze

Wishing you a great week.