Spring and Summer 2011 


Classes

-Small classes, held in my home kitchen in Watertown, Massachusetts
-Emphasis is on healthy seasonal ingredients and skill building 
-Tuition is $80 per class/bring a friend and get a discount
-Contact me (sally.p.vargas@gmail.com) to register and for further information
-Custom classes/dinners for small groups: contact me and we can work it out!





Saturday April 2 11:30 -3:00 Fast and healthy for spring
Market fish roasted in a light tomato sauce/spring vegetables, Greek style shrimp with tomatoes and feta, Quinoa salad with beets and radishes, Spatchcocked Chicken with dukkah

Saturday, April 16 11:30 – 3:00 Homemade pasta
We’ll use a simple hand crank pasta maker to make fresh fettucine and ravioli

Saturday April 30   11:30 – 3:00 Bread baking basics
No-knead bread baked in a pot, basic dough for traditional loaf bread and whole grain bread, flat bread

Saturday May 7   11:30 – 3:00 Clean and healthy yogurt desserts
Frozen yogurt with orange, rosewater and honey, Honey yogurt “cheesecake” with granola crust, Chocolate "frozen" yogurt dessert, Yogurt panna cotta with berries

Saturday May 21 11:30 – 3:30 Basics of water bath canning: Jam 
Strawberry rhubarb jam, mixed berry jam, apricot and cherry jam, jam tea cake

Saturday June 18   11:30 – 3:00 Fast and Healthy for summer 
Market fish with romesco (red pepper) almond crust, summer salads with three homemade salad dressings, pasta with fresh herbs

Saturday July 9 11:30 – 3:00  Summer soups
Watercress soup, roasted tomato soup with chipotle cream, chlodnik (chilled beet soup with cucumbers), spring green pea soup

Saturday August 13 11:30 – 3:30  More water bath basics: pickles and chutneys
Pickled beets, pickled red onions, refrigerator cucumber pickles, apple and plum chutney

Saturday September 10 11:30 – 3:00   Farmers’ Market Dinner (Vegetarian)
Cavolo nero (black kale) bruschetta, fresh vegetable lasagna, classic delicate herb salad, plum and apple crisp








Introduction to Food Writing at Cambridge Center for Adult Education
4 Thursdays, 5:45-7:45 p.m. Begins Feb 24, 56 Brattle Street

Fall 2010 Cooking Classes

The Pies Have It

Saturday, November 13 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m: With Thanksgiving just around the corner, it’s time to brush up on your pie skills (or learn them from scratch.) We’ll be trying all new recipes (for those of you who took my class a few years ago.) We will make a classic American pumpkin pie with fresh pumpkin and a few tarts, such as a double chocolate tart, a vegetable and goat cheese tart for a light supper, a gorgeous fresh fruit tart you can serve for any special occasion and a classic French pear and almond tart. We’ll talk about the dreaded pie dough-rolling job (you will see, not so hard) and also we’ll be making a couple of tarts with no-roll crusts. You just may have to skip the turkey this year!

Emma: "Look ma, I made it myself!"


Little brother swoops in for the chocolate at the end of the class


A French Dinner for Friends

Saturday, December 4, 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Wouldn’t you like to have a homey meal with a sophisticated French flair in your repertoire, la dee dah? When the chilly weather arrives, you want to invite friends over for a cozy night in, but you agonize about what to make. Almost everything in this menu can be made ahead so you can relax with your guests. We will make a pear and chestnut soup, a winter watercress salad with black grapes, a classic chicken in a pot to be served from the pot at the table with crusty French bread. We’ll end the meal with a seriously easy chocolate mousse, but shhhh. It’s top secret for now.


Thanks for all of you who came; I will be sending a few recipe revisions soon, but in the meantime, happy holidays. XXOO your devoted teacher.


REGISTRATION: To reserve a space, e-mail me (sally.p.vargas@gmail.com)


GROUPS AND PRIVATE CLASSES

Parent/Child classes can be arranged for your group (usually 3 to 4 parent-child pairs, where parents “assist” their children.) This works best if children are close in age. An example of the menu for this kind of class for a 12-13 year old girl and her mother would be to prepare a weeknight meal: a simple appetizer, roast chicken and vegetables and a seasonal dessert. A few other ideas: a class on homemade pasta, a homemade pizza and bread class or Thanksgiving pies. Call or e-mail me to discuss ideas. Private individual classes can also be arranged if you have a particular agenda.










NEW SPRING CLASSES 2010



Please e-mail me (sally.p.vargas@gmail.com) if you have special class requests. So far, just one class for April, but I will be holding more classes if I have requests. Classes are small, informal, mostly hands-on and fun. If you want to get a group together or have a specific class you'd like to take, e-mail me  and we can discuss options. 

Spring Vegetables
Menu: Asparagus Soup with Goat Cheese Croutons, Spring Vegetable Salad with Lemony Ricotta, Light and lovely Artichoke Moussaka (a really nice main course for a vegetarian party or a Sunday supper), Rhubarb Fool. Saturday, April 17, from 11:30 to 2:30/3:00  Cost $75.00 This class is almost full

RESERVE A SPACE/CANCELLATION POLICY
To reserve a space, e-mail me (sally.p.vargas@gmail.com). Since the classes are small and a lot of prep and shopping is involved, a full refund will be granted to students who withdraw at least 10 business days prior to the day of the class. If the class is cancelled, students will receive a full refund.


Baby, It’s Cold Outside: Winter Soups

The icy wind, she do blow. Why not stay in and put a pot of homemade soup on the stove? It ‘s healthy and comforting. I will show you the basics of making homemade chicken stock and we will make tri-colored lentil soup (pictured above,) Asian-style noodle soup, and turkey chili. To “go with,” we will make easy flatbreads on top of the stove. Sunday, January 31, from 11:30 to 3:00. Cost is $75 per person 

An Italian Vegetarian Feast
Tread a little lighter with a vegetarian meal. To make it satisfying and festive (as in, you won’t miss the meat) we will focus on an Italian menu suitable for a party. We will start with an elegant salad of pears, fennel and walnuts, followed by gnocchi alla Francese, and tiramasu for dessert. The whole menu can be made ahead, so you can relax when the guests arrive. 
Saturday, February 6 from 11:30 to 3:00. Cost is $75 per person.

Small Bites
If you want to have friends in for drinks but think you need to call a caterer, hang up the phone! We’ll make two kinds of crostini, Swedish style shrimp sandwiches, stuffed endive, and an easy onion and olive tart. In addition I’ll introduce you to “lo spritz al bitters,” a fabulous Venetian cocktail that is refreshing and not too alcoholic!
Friday February 12, 6:30 to 9:30 pm. Cost is $85 per person.


In The Footsteps of Julia
You don’t have to be Julie Powell and blog your way through the entire Mastering the Art of French Cooking to experience a fabulous French meal. I’ll teach you a few tricks and together we will make “the lunch”: Potage au Cresson (Watercress Soup,) Coq au Vin (Chicken in Red Wine) and Crepes with Fresh Fruit.
Saturday, February 20, 2010, 11:30 to 3:00. Cost is $75 per person.


Everyday Vegetarian
Your kids have gone vegetarian on you, and maybe you, too, want to have a few meatless meals up your sleeve. We’ll make farro "risotto," a Moroccan style vegetable stew with cous-cous and a Mexican style “lasagna.” I’ll also show you how to make quick and delicious fried rice with leftover veggies.
Saturday March 6, 11:30 to 3:00. Cost is $75 per person.




UPCOMING CLASSES

Wednesday, December 9, 6:30 to 10:00 p.m: Food Gifts For The Holidays Cost:$75.00







I heard a rumor that nobody cooks anymore. Anyone can stop in at the gourmet shop and pick up some fancy olive oil, but a homemade gift of food is a gift of love.  Even if you don’t cook all year long, you can re-connect to your domestic self during this time of year. This is NOT a repeat of the class 2 years ago. Note: I had to change the date (originally Sunday Dec 12). If enough people still want to do it, I'll run it. We could start later if necessary, but just pop over at 6:30 and I'll have some hot soup waiting. Contact me and we can see what works for most people. THIS CLASS IS FULL
E-mail: sally.p.vargas@g.mail.com



Sunday, November 15, 2009 11:30 to 3:30: Pizza and a Couple of Salads Cost: $75.00
We'll make homemade dough and ten-minute tomato sauce. Then we'll play around with some toppings. Bring a friend or a kid and your appetite. THIS CLASS IS FILLED 


Thanks to all of you who came, it was fun and you made some awesome pies! (PS It's hard to take photos and teach at the same time!!)