Pillage, plunder, and . . . pan fry?
I spent last weekend in Greenwood, Mississippi, attending the Viking Cooking School. For those of you who may not be aware, Viking, which makes professional cooking appliances and accessories, is headquartered in little Greenwood. As part of their corporate headquarters, they have an on-site store and a cooking school, where mere mortals such as myself can learn some of the tricks and tips of professional chefs. My class started at 10 a.m. on a Saturday morning, and our cocktail party menu was comprised of the following:
1.) Marinated Feta Bruschetta
2.) Mint-Marinated Lamb Kabobs with Yogurt Dip
3.) Jalapeno-Lime Glazed Shrimp
4.) Homemade Potato Chips with Blue Cheese and Scallions
5.) Phyllo Chess Tartlets
Classes are traditionally made up of 12 people who split into teams of four. Each team prepares the entire menu.
We had the best time! Our team successfully completed all recipes with no major snafus. Instructor Beth Purifoy flitted around the sizable kitchen, offering suggestions and answering questions as needed. Cooking with the Viking appliances and gadgets was certainly fun, but it was even more fun cooking with new people who share a passion for food. I met William and Paula, a sweet couple from Memphis who had driven down to take the class. (They weren't shabby in the kitchen, either.) I also got the chance to meet four delightful long-time friends who traveled to Greenwood together as part of a birthday celebration. Everybody pitched in, and we ended up with quite alot of delicious food.
Of course, then came the best part. We all got to sit down together and eat! Conversation and laughter were flowing freely, and we all congratulated ourselves on a job well done. Now that my class is over, I have a tidy little book of all the recipes we made, as well as a wonderful memory. I'll definitely be back!
1.) Marinated Feta Bruschetta
2.) Mint-Marinated Lamb Kabobs with Yogurt Dip
3.) Jalapeno-Lime Glazed Shrimp
4.) Homemade Potato Chips with Blue Cheese and Scallions
5.) Phyllo Chess Tartlets
Classes are traditionally made up of 12 people who split into teams of four. Each team prepares the entire menu.
We had the best time! Our team successfully completed all recipes with no major snafus. Instructor Beth Purifoy flitted around the sizable kitchen, offering suggestions and answering questions as needed. Cooking with the Viking appliances and gadgets was certainly fun, but it was even more fun cooking with new people who share a passion for food. I met William and Paula, a sweet couple from Memphis who had driven down to take the class. (They weren't shabby in the kitchen, either.) I also got the chance to meet four delightful long-time friends who traveled to Greenwood together as part of a birthday celebration. Everybody pitched in, and we ended up with quite alot of delicious food.
Of course, then came the best part. We all got to sit down together and eat! Conversation and laughter were flowing freely, and we all congratulated ourselves on a job well done. Now that my class is over, I have a tidy little book of all the recipes we made, as well as a wonderful memory. I'll definitely be back!
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