Chocolate + love stories with Jacques & Hasty Torres

De Gustibus Cooking School: "Icing On The Cake" class, taught by Jacques & Hasty Torres

Allie Beck, my dear friend and recent FCI grad, invited me as her +1 for Jacques Torres' "Icing On The Cake" class held at the De Gustibus Cooking School.  "Meet me on the 8th floor of Macy's at 5:20pm," she instructed.  "What's Macy's got to do with this?"  I wondered.  Well sure enough, De Gustibus does occupy an ample amount of space on the department store's 8th floor.

I wasn't sure what to expect from, not only this particular "school," but the class itself.  Would we be cooking?  Should I have worn close-toed shoes?  

Our class of approximately 40 students was warmly greeted by Her Culinary Majesty, Arlene Sailhac, who introduced instructors, Jacques "Mr. Chocolat" Torres, and his wife, Hasty "Madame Chocolat" Torres.  Luckily for us students, our only assignment was to observe the Mister and his Missus as they prepared a chocolate tasting, and spoke candidly about everything from cocoa nibs to falling in love.   

Please enjoy some of my favorite snapshots from 3 glorious, Tattinger champagne + chocoloate-filled hours with Mr. and Mrs. Jacques Torres...

Jacques & Hasty TorresFellow classmatesAmuse bouche of sweet chocolate and savory marscapone cheese100% chocolate! Note the purse that she's carrying, which is chocolate, too!I dream of Christian Louboutin pumps made out of solid chocolate...Marshmallow-on-a-stick, dipped in chocolate and rolled in crushed graham crackersTasting plate: clockwise - chocolate marshmallows, peanut brittle drizzled with dark chocolate, mendientsVanilla-bean custard-filled bomboloni: the stuff that death-row wish lists are made of

Food blogging with Steven Shaw: online journalism pioneer, author and James Beard Award-winning food critic

Blogging has taken the worldwide web by storm, leaving the publishing industry to question, "What is the future of print media?" 

I was honored to have been invited to sit in on the first of six "Food Blogging with Steven Shaw" classes at the International Culinary Center.  Virtual food writing has come a long way since Mr. Shaw began his website, www.egullet.org, in the late 1990's; and even further since I conceptualized The Lunch Belle in the summer of 2007.  Having taught myself how to create/design my blog, I wasn't really aware of the vast array of food-centric resources and how-to courses available.  How naive of me!   

Steven Shaw uses The Lunch Belle (website) as an example in "Food Blogging with Steven Shaw"

The six week course, which lasts for about two hours on Thursday evenings, is perfect for those who wish to start/expand a food blog, but haven't done so or proceeded due to lack of time, confidence, skill, etc.  Mr. Shaw teaches students from step "one" to step "done," using www.wordpress.com as his platform of choice.  In this first class, we learned:

• Tidbits of the history of print media and how it's rapidly morphing in to web-based media
• Just how easy it is to procure your own blog on a free platform, such as www.wordpress.com
• The most successful blogs are updated daily in order to maintain/pique readers' interest

Prior to our first meeting, Mr. Shaw asked that the class bring their cameras.  L'Ecole's manager (who also happens to be a sommelier) prepared a sherry tasting for us, where we were encouraged to take pictures.  As you can see, photography goes hand-in-hand with food blogging.

Sherry tastingOver the course of the six week sessions, Mr. Shaw has lined up visits from some of food industry's "who's who," including: photographer Melissa Hom, Alan Richman, and Adam Roberts.  Additionally, students receive one-on-one email diaglogue and critique with Mr. Shaw between classes.  While the course is pricey (think $795), those who are very serious about getting in to food blogging should look at this fee as an investment towards their future.  Can a price-tag be put on receiving first-hand instruction and insight from some of the culinary industry's greatest leaders? 

In conclusion, I was very impressed with Mr. Shaw's enthusiasm, instruction, knowledge, and engagement.  I cannot wait to virtually follow his students on their journey towards food blogging fame and achievement!

A "Taste of Hell" with Rum and Blackbird

To see all of my pics from this amazing adventure, click *here*

People always ask me how often my parents, who reside in Texas, come to NYC to visit me.  “Um, they come here about once every 1.5-2 years.  Honestly, they think NYC sucks and would prefer that I meet them out West.” You can imagine the shocked looks and questions I receive after stating my answer.  But it’s true, my parents get sick and tired of seeing the same old sights, sitting next to hobos on the subway, and getting treated like shit (well, compared to Texas).  I, on the other hand, am not bothered by that stuff at all.  I love everything about NYC, even amidst all of its grit, claustrophobia and attitude.

So I bet you’re wondering: how does my parents’ dislike for NYC tie in to a culinary walking tour of Hell’s Kitchen?  You’re just going to have to read the rest of this post to find out!

Inspired by a recent trip to Italy, my friend, Moira Campbell, decided that it was time to ditch “Corporate America” and start her own business combining her two favorite pastimes: eating and traveling.  Having fallen in love with her own neighborhood, Hell’s Kitchen, Moira wanted the rest of the city/tourists to understand why its gritty western avenues and crowded restaurant blocks kept her on the streets seeking out delicious food in the most unlikely places.  And with that, “Rum and Blackbird Tasting Tours, Adventures in Eating” was born.  First line of business on Moira’s proverbial plate? “A Taste of Hell: Hell’s Kitchen Tour,” promising adventurous eaters an unforgettable guided walking tour filled with handmade food and some very infamous Hell’s Kitchen history. 

*Note* Prior to your scheduled tour date, Moira will ask you to disclose if you have any allergies or follow a specific diet (vegetarian, kosher, vegan, etc.), as tasting plates are pre-arranged. My fellow group of “kids that Jewish grandmothers would not be proud of” remained open to whatever tasty treat (be it pork) was in store for us.

On Sunday morning around 11:30am, I met Moira and my friends, Dana and Adam, on the corner of 50^th Street and 8^th Avenue.  After handing us each a bottle of ice-cold water and a map depicting the order in which we’d taste our way through the neighborhood, the four of us began pounding the pavement.  As I reviewed the list of the culinary destinations we were about to visit, I realized that out of the seven businesses mentioned, I had only been to one!  The reason that is so strange/embarrassing is because I lived in the ‘Kitchen for two solid years!  Looks like I had some serious catching-up to do.

So here’s an idea of how our 3-hour tour worked: at each of the seven spots visited, Moira had previously been in touch with the restaurant/shop.  Upon our arrival at each, a table was set up for the exact number in our party, and at most of the venues, our “tastes” were presented immediately.  We spent about ten minutes at each spot before heading to the next. 

Numbered by exact order visited:

 

1.    Empanada Mama’s corn-flour ground beef empanada: This was unlike any empanada I’ve tasted (if you’ve never seen an empanada, visualize something along the lines of a fried pie or calzone).  Its maize-colored, corn-based exterior was thicker, denser and slightly harder than the greasy, thin pie dough-like versions that I’m typically used to.  The spicy ground beef filling was perfectly seasoned and gristle-free.  While I couldn’t tell you exactly what they consisted of, both of the accompanying red and green dipping sauces acted as the final piece of the flavor trinity (the corn envelope and fragrant meat being the other two).      

2.    Island Burgers and Shakes’ black & white milkshake: OK, so of all of the spots listed, this was the only one that I’ve actually been to (via delivery).  While I’d never had one of their shakes until the tour, I can say that IB&S makes one of the city’s best burgers.  Only draw-back?  Since the restaurant is so tiny, they don’t have a fryer.  What does that mean?  No fries, no onion rings, etc.  Fortunately, the milkshakes *almost* make up for that character flaw.  Each of us received a glass (not much larger than a shot glass) that had been doused with a splash of chocolate syrup and filled with homemade (from a local source) vanilla ice cream.  This was truly the liquid version of NYC’s own black & white cookie.  

3.    Gazala Place's boureka: I did not believe in heaven, or much else for that matter, until I tasted the boureka from GP.  Imagine, if you will, a circular croissaint measuring 3" wide and 1" thick stuffed with handmade goat's milk yogurt (with the consistency of ricotta cheese) and sour, brined grape's leaves (Can someone confirm if what I ate were grape's leaves?  It's just my guess.).  Instead of making the croissant-like outer envelope of the boureka with butter, Gazala uses solidified olive oil.  If you've not yet tasted this flaky treat for yourself, I would run sprint, not walk, to this humble storefront.  I'm telling you, this pastry changed my negative outlook on life.  Yes, it is that excellent.

4.    Xie Xie’s sweet glazed pork bun: This restaurant has been on my short list of places to check out because of the one-too-many incredible things I've heard about their Asian twist on the traditional New England-style lobster roll.  On this visit, though, we came to sample Xie Xie's sweet glazed pork bun.  Before we were served, I was praying that the Chinese sandwich wasn't going to be stuffed with pork belly...because just like my ex-boyfriend, I'm completely over that crap.  To my oh-so-pleasant surprise, the bun was filled with succulent pieces of gristle-free pulled pork, sprigs of cilantro, and a molasses-colored sweet glaze bursting with notes of soy and hoisin.  Pure perfection. 

5.    La Rosita’s chorizo taco: Believe it or not, this unassuming Mexican deli/restaurant was my least favorite stop on the tasting tour.  While the taco was authentic and homemade (2 warm corn tortillas stacked on top of each other), the chorizo (Mexican sausage) was frightening to look at with its artifical red coloring and even more frightening to taste.  After nearly choking on one-too-many rubbery bits, I couldn't fathom taking another bite of the greasy, gristly mass of bi-products.  Just the memory of this makes me dry-heave.  Blech!

6.    Biscotti di Vecchio's assorted biscotti: Sadly, this was another let-down.  We received baggies filled with four cookies, two chocolate-pistachio and two vanilla-cranberry.  Perhaps I'm biased because I've eaten L'Ecole's fresh-out-of-the-oven-biscotti, but I found these to be dry and stale-tasting.

7.    Poseidon Bakery’s alfali: I love any dessert soaked in honey, so this Greek delight was a major shoe-in.  Imagine a piece of baklava shaped like a wheel of brie cheese, with the phyllo dough completely enveloping the sweet's nutty interior.  There was a burst of liquefied honey in each and every toothsome bite.  To. Die. For.

For $49, I learned more about my old neighborhood's unique history, tasted delicious foods from around the world, got 2-mile's worth of walking/exercise, and had a great time with my friends.  Upon speaking with my mother shortly after the tour, she made a brilliant, and quite shocking (for her, the NYC hater, that is), point: this is the kind of activity that locals, first-time NYC visitors and experts alike will enjoy!  "We must do this the next time I'm in town," she gushed.  And I could not agree more.  There is no better way to get a more delicious and authentic taste of the Big Apple.

xx,
TLB

P.S. For menus and addresses: http://www.menupages.com/
P.S.S. Mass transit directions: http://www.hopstop.com/?city=newyork

Updated: New York Culinary Experience, day 2: "Seasonal Greenmarket Plates" with Alexandra Guarnaschelli; lunch Q&A series with Dan Barber; "Classic American Desserts" with Melissa Murphy

Click *here* for all pictures from this event   

Day 2: Sunday, 10/4

10am-12:15pm: “Seasonal Greenmarket Plates” with Alexandra Guarnaschelli

I was thrilled to begin my Sunday morning with Food Network star and executive chef of NYC’s Butter restaurant, Alex Guarnaschelli.  “I fell in love with you on ‘The Best Thing I Ever Ate.’  You are so funny,” I gushed, realizing that my creepy compliment just came out like word vomit.  You know that gross feeling you get after one too many cocktails?  You’re lying in bed and the room is spinning out of control.  And before you know it, you’re dramatically hugging the porcelain god, as if you were bidding adieu to your long-distance boyfriend.  “Word vomit” is “alcohol vomit’s” first cousin: it happens when you’re so excited about someone or something, that an uncontrollable gush of awkward compliments/opinions, etc. come shooting out of your mouth.  “Hahaha, thank you,” Chef Alex chuckled, “That is definitely one show where the Food Network can call me up at any given time and I’m thrilled to participate.”  I couldn’t believe it; maybe I hadn’t geeked her out, after all.  Aside from Chef’s sense of humor, I knew there was a reason that I adored this woman so much.

Both the kitchen and the amount of participants appeared to be bigger than yesterday’s (class with Marcus Samuelsson). Since I was covering this class for my website, I played more of an observant role, taking lots of notes and pictures rather than cooking. 

Why are you so obsessed with Chef Alex?

Alex Guarnaschelli was someone that I was drawn to from the moment she opened her mouth.  "Sunday is my day off, but here I am!  Clearly, I must enjoy working on my day off, since my new television show on the Food Network is called "Alex's Day Off!"  She’s funny as hell, down to earth and doesn’t put herself on the “I’m a famous chef and you’re not” pedestal.  I swear, I felt like I’ve known her for years!  During Sunday’s class, Alex used descriptions such as “ginormous” and “ghetto fabulous,” before proceeding to tell the class that “leeks aren’t sexy,” and “in order to pick the best vegetables at the market, you’ve got to fondle them!  Who gives a good god damn if people look at you funny?”  Enough said.

What did you learn?

How cool is this?  Lee Anne Wong, a contestant from season 1 of “Top Chef,” formally introduced Chef Alex to the class.  Of the 2+ hours scheduled for our course, Chef spent half of the time speaking, which didn’t bother me one bit!  Ms. Guarnaschelli is certainly a person that I could bare listening to for hours on end.  Here are some points that I took particular interest in/learned from:

• For the best-tasting vegetables, make sure to purchase them whole (we’re talkin’ stems-on and roots in tact)…not pre-cut, chopped, etc.
• Store artichokes and herbs (not together) in a vase of water, just as you would do for fresh flowers.
• For Alex, buying “organic” isn’t as important as knowing both the farm and farmer that raised the fruit/vegetable.  A personal favorite worth mentioning?  Chef swears by Stokes Farm in Old Tappan, New Jersey.
• Alex’s favorite days to shop farmer’s markets in NYC are Wednesday’s and Saturday’s.  To keep abreast of schedules/happenings at markets across the city, follow this link: www.cenyc.org.
• Never toast nuts in a saucepan, rather, utilize the oven’s 360-degrees’ worth of heat.
• Unlike pasta, vegetables should not be cooked al-dente.
• Always taste the seasoned water you plan to use before boiling your vegetables.  Add salt!
• Chef Alex swears by “Le Blanc” nut oils.  Click *here* for more info about the brand.

 How many recipes was the class assigned to cook?

There were four recipes.  Forgive me, but I don’t have their given names.  

• Grilled shrimp with walnut pesto and pan-roasted fennel bulbs
• Chicken liver crostini (no picture)
  
• Leeks vinaigrette
• Swiss chard & leek gratin (no picture)
  

 How was the class divided?

Twenty-four students were divided in to six groups of four.  Here’s the part that shocked me: every group was assigned to make one of each recipe…in one hour!!  Needless to say, the class ran over time a bit, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that most groups accomplished the tedious 4-recipe task!

So, how was the food?

While I didn’t lay a finger on the chicken liver (not a fan) and wasn’t able to taste the gratin (it wasn’t ready when I had to scoot out for lunch), I was lucky enough to sample the shrimp and the leeks vinaigrette.  As you can see in the pictures below, this was truly a feast for all of the senses.  My biggest, and most delightful, surprise came from the roasted fennel bulbs!  I was expecting to be overwhelmed by a perfumey, licorice aftertaste; but to my delight, the bulbs were mild, buttery and soft with a similar consistency to a sautéed onion.

To my not-so-pleasant surprise, today’s lunch spread, courtesy of Southern Hospitality, was identical to yesterdays.  It reminded me of dinners at grandma’s house: the lady was a good cook when she wanted to be, but 9 times out of 10, she would serve us reheated food from her overstocked freezer.  “Ew,” I would whisper to my mom, “this is the same junk we ate for dinner here last time!”  And by “last time,” I was referring to the prior month.  The freezer burn aftertaste was almost too much to bear, prompting my parents to make religious trips to the Taco Bell drive-thru post-dinner.

Lunch Q&A series: Gillian Duffy interviews Dan Barber

Gillian Duffy’s interview with Dan Barber (a.k.a. the East Coast’s male version of Alice Waters) was brilliant.  As a child, Barber fell in love with the land and the lifestyle at his grandmother’s cattle farm in the Berkshires (Massachusetts), which was quite a world apart from his home in Manhattan's Upper Eastside.  

“You can’t co-op local (food)…the best way to educate people is to have them taste delicious food…a (food) revolution can come through good flavor…my definition of sustainability is buying or participating in a food chain that betters ecology,” explained Barber.  

Despite my undying love for Q'doba cheese dip, I greatly respect and appreciate the farm-to-table/local food systems’ movement.  Others, including Barack and Michelle Obama, who dined at Barber's Blue Hill restaurant on a recent visit to Manhattan, would agree.  This year alone, Dan Barber was named one of Time Magazine’s “100 of the world’s most influential people,” and James Beard’s “Outstanding Chef.”    

"Classic American Desserts" with Melissa Murphy 

What's a more "Classic American Dessert" than apple pie?

The recipe was divided in to three parts: pie dough, peanut butter crumb topping, and apple filling made with homemade caramel.

 

Boiling sugar and water to make homemade caramel.  The finished product was later be folded in to the sliced apples, serving as the pie's filling.

My work-station neighbor, Dara, carefully boiling caramel.

All-butter pie crust eagerly waiting to be drowned with caramel-laden apple slices.

The gorgeous finished product, baked by Chef Melissa Murphy.  *Note the crumbly topping, which was a mix of: chopped peanuts, peanut butter, brown sugar and butter.

While each of the class participants created individual pies, we were told that they (the pies) needed 1.5 hours to bake.  "You all can pick up your pies at 6:30pm," Chef said.  "In the meantime, please feel free to take any leftover ingredients home with you."

Dara and I looked at each other with wide eyes.  "No way in hell am I waiting around for my pie until 6:30pm!  Shoot, it's just 4:45pm right now," I chuckled before filling up containers with my leftover ingredients.

Isn't Chef adorable?  Watch out though, she's no joke in the kitchen!  Our group of three got reprimanded one too many times.

Since I was too impatient to wait 1.5 hours for the pie I made in class to bake, I decide to make an apple tart at home using my remaining pie dough and apple filling.

UPDATED: New York Culinary Experience, day 1: "The New American Table," with Marcus Samuelsson

  

 

Click *here* for all pictures from this event

“Seriously Mom, I felt like a Midwestern tween who just met Miley Cyrus,” I gushed while describing my weekend at the second-annual New York Culinary Experience.  Of course, Mom had no clue that “Achy Breaky” Billy-Ray had a daughter.  “Remember the rush you felt when you saw Michael Jackson in concert for the first time?  Well, that’s probably the best way to sum up my weekend.  It was so surreal to be cooking side-by-side some of the world’s most renowned chefs, many of whom I grew up idolizing.  We’re talking about folks who have their own Food Network television shows, cookbooks and columns in famous culinary magazines!  I had to keep pinching myself to make sure I wasn’t hallucinating, like, ‘Is this really happening to me right now?’”

Hosted by New York Magazine and the French Culinary Institute, the New York Culinary Experience encompassed two full days of celebrating food in the most intimate and enjoyable way possible: side-by-side with 30 of the world’s most renowned chefs and restaurateurs.  This special weekend included: intimate master cooking classes (limited to 24 participants each), wine tastings, chef Q&A sessions, breakfast and lunch, and private end-of-day receptions.  For more details, including the roster of chefs, click *here.*

Though this hardly does my weekend any justice, here is the consolidated summary I conceived from 36 of the best hours of my life.  Enjoy & stay tuned for "Day 2!"

Saturday, 10/3

10am-12:15pm: “The New American Table” with Marcus Samuelsson

After checking in for day-1 of the NY Culinary Experience, I was led to the kitchen where I would spend the next 2+ hours.  Amidst FCI (French Culinary Institute) students nervously chopping vegetables and stirring the contents of steaming cauldrons stood the man himself, Chef Marcus Samuelsson. 

While the FCI’s staff was completing the prep work for our recipes, fellow class participants began trickling in to the kitchen and locating their assigned work stations.

“Well, it appears as though most of you are here,” Chef said as he looked around.  “I’m going to spend the next half-hour or so talking about my background, the industry, and the recipes that we’ll be making today.”  I remember glancing down at my watch and reading “9:30am.”  I looked over at my neighbor and gasped, “Thank God we arrived early.”

Where did Marcus learn how to cook and what’s his style?

Born in Ethiopia but raised in Sweden, Marcus’ maternal grandmother sparked his initial interest in food and cooking. 

He coins his style of cooking as “flavor driven,” and believes that recipes should serve as guides, not bibles.  Using a glass of whiskey-on-the-rocks as an example, Marcus explained the importance of flavor.  “Your first sip tastes strong and has a distinct, pungent smell and bite.  Now, if you took a swig 15-minutes later, would the drink still taste the same?  No, because the ice has had time to melt and dumb-down the alcohol.”  Mr. Samuelsson proceeded to explain that this is the reason he infuses the ice cubes used for his chilled melon soup with ginger.  “As the ice melts, the ginger essence becomes stronger.  This is what I mean by flavor-driven food.”  
 

What are his accolades?

• At the early age of 24, Marcus became the executive chef of Aquavit restaurant in NYC.
• The youngest chef to have ever received two highly coveted “three star” ratings by the New York Times (at Aquavit).
• In 2003, the James Beard Foundation named him “Best Chef in NYC.”
• Though he didn’t receive the title, Marcus competed on the Food Network’s infamous program, “Iron Chef.”
• He has authored four cookbooks, including “The New American Table,” which hits shelves on 10/26/09.

Which recipes did the class cook?

• Fried Yellowtail Poke with Wasabi Rouille 
  
• Beef Tenderloin with Potato Apple Salad 
  
• Lentil Soup with Pork and Lamb Dumplings

How was the class divided/assigned duties?

The 24 of us were split in to three teams of eight.  Each team was put in charge of one of the three recipes listed above.  Within each group, individuals were assigned specific tasks.

What was your team assigned to cook?

The Beef Tenderloin with Potato Apple Salad!

What was your favorite dish?

Why, the Tenderloin, of course!!

So…what’s Marcus like?  Is he as gorgeous in-person as he is on TV?
Humble, witty, charming, sharp, stylish, patient and personable are all words that describe Mr. Samuelsson.  I was struck by how down to earth he was!  And if you can believe it, he's even more gorgeous in person than he is on TV!

Lunch was served immediately after my cooking class with Marcus Samuelsson.  Was I hungry?  Hardly.  I’d just wolfed down more than a tasting’s-worth of: Fried Yellowtail Poke with Wasabi Rouille, Beef Tenderloin with Potato Apple Salad and Lentil Soup with Pork and Lamb Dumplings.  But when I saw the lunch spread, I thought, “Diet Schmiet.”  When in Rome, right?  Justin Timberlake’s restaurant, Southern Hospitality, had graciously donated lunch for both days of the NY Culinary Experience.  The smorgasbord included shell-on shrimp with 2 dipping sauces, Memphis-style pork ribs (dry rub, no sauce), toasted sliced baguette topped with pulled pork, mushroom sliders and your standard iceberg-lettuce-based salad…only this one was topped with an explosion of golf ball sized chunks of fried chicken breast.  While this was certainly a random assortment of dishes for a culinary event of this caliber, I’d be a liar if I said that I didn’t go back for seconds (and thirds) of those plump chicken balls.

And before I knew it, the clock read “12:45pm.” Press, staff and event participants whooshed past me in a hurry, as if the building was ablaze and they were running for their lives.  “What the hell is going on?” I asked my friend, Alex.  “It’s 12:45!  Time for the lunch speaker series with Dorothy Hamilton, (founder of the FCI) and Ken Friedman (restaurateur extraordinaire).  Let’s go!”  I stuffed one more piece of fried chicken in my mouth, gathered my things, and proceeded downstairs to L’Ecole, FCI’s restaurant.  As we tip-toed through a side entrance, Alex and I were shushed by a woman guarding the door.  The space was filled to the brim with folks hanging on every word that came out of Ken Friedman’s mouth.  Sadly, I was only able to catch about 5 minutes of the Q&A series before I had to hop off to my next event. And off like a prom dress I went! 

Class: “Handmade Pasta for Future Chefs" at The French Culinary Institute

When I was a kid, my dreams never contained visions of white-picket fences or playing the roll of “Betty-Homemaker”/ soccer-mom-extraordinaire. After seeing the movie “Annie” at the age of four, I had my mind made up: Someday, I too would live in NYC. While other little girls were fantasizing about whimsical wedding dresses and what to name their first daughter, I was busy day-dreaming about red brick buildings with fire escapes and yellow taxis as far as the eye could see. Fast forward twenty-five years: I’m exactly where I want to be. NYC has been awfully good to me over the past five-plus years, and I have no plans to leave. Ever. “Awe, that’s cute that you love New York, but would you ever raise a family in the city? I hope not.” People ask me this all the time and my answer is always the same: “Yes, absolutely! I can’t imagine a better place for children to be exposed to culture, education, diversity and opportunity.”

While I'm on the topic of bragging and praising all-things-NYC, I have to tell you about the phenomenal cooking class that I took on Saturday: The French Culinary Institute’s “Handmade Pasta for Future Chefs.” Though geared more towards teens and their parents, I simply could not resist learning how to make pasta from scratch...Even if it meant attending the class sans a teenage partner! And by the way, I would have killed to have taken cooking classes as a young gal (thus reiterating the fact that the city is kid-friendly)!

I arrived at the FCI about twenty-minutes prior to our 10am class. As the elevator doors opened on to the fourth-floor lobby, I was greeted by a friendly receptionist who checked my name against the roster and presented me with a royal-blue chef’s apron and skull cap.

Before long, my fellow classmates and I (there were 8 of us: one dad with his son, one mom and her daughter, one super-cool aunt and her niece, and a fellow partner-less woman who would be my co-chef) were lead back to a large industrial kitchen that would be our home for the next four hours. “Wow,” I gushed, “the facilities here are so much bigger than they are at the ICE (Institute of Culinary Education)!”

Chef Instructor Jessica Botta introduced herself and her two colleagues: Fabio, a recent FCI graduate, and Angela, the FCI’s director of the recreational division (classes taken by non-students). I was familiar with Chef Jessica’s resume, as she had previously held the title of “Pasta Chef de Partie” at Michelin-starred restaurant, Fiamma (now closed) in NYC.

After demonstrating to the class how to make three types of pasta dough (basic egg, basic egg with spinach, and potato gnocchi), Chef turned us loose! The eight of us (students) broke up in to our respective pairs and scattered to one of four fully-stocked kitchen stations. We were instructed to make all three pastas by hand, plus a cheese-based ravioli filling, seasoned to our liking. Chef Jessica, Angela and Fabio would take care of preparing the following sauces: Basic tomato, pesto, and Quattro Formaggi (4-cheese sauce). My partner and I agreed to split pasta-making duties as evenly as possible; so we’d each have a hand in making everything that we were assigned.

Of all three pastas, I enjoyed making the potato gnocchi most. I never realized how much precision, time and effort goes in to creating the perfect pasta! The most tedious of tasks was running the dough (with the exception of the gnocchi) through the pasta machine multiple times, until each “sheet” became long and thin. My arms got quite a workout, as well!

As a reward for our hard work, we got to enjoy the fruits of our labor with a fabulous carb-rich feast: Homemade potato gnocchi, basic egg and spinach noodles and raviolis. With three scratch-made sauces (Quattro Formaggi, pesto, or basic tomato/marinara) at our disposal, our plates became a pseudo "mix and match" ingredients game. And paired with freshly-baked bread (from FCI's own kitchens) to sop up any remaining sauce? Fuggedaboutit!

While classes at the FCI aren't exactly cheap (think $195/person), they certainly are worth every penny...Especially if that means getting to spend four hours with your teen. I honestly can't think of a better way to enjoy a Saturday morning/afternoon. I look forward to the day when I get to share my love of cooking with my future children.

Here's a recap of what I learned/took away:

• It felt so good to be back in the kitchen! For me, cooking is familiar and therapeutic.
  
• I forgot how hot it is to wear pants, close-toed non-slip black shoes and a long sleeved shirt in the summertime!
  
• For something that tastes so simple and delicate, making the perfect pasta is a true art.
  
• Patience is incredibly admirable.
• For a greener pesto sauce, work with cold ingredients and add basil at the very end.
• Nothing tastes better than a made-from-scratch meal...That you cooked!