Niner Wine Estates Cooking Classes and the New Year

by Tina Swithin

Typically, I’m not a fan of New Year’s resolutions.  There is something about the whole thing that makes me a bit uneasy.  You see, I don’t like making promises if I’m not 100% sure that I can fulfill them.  Therefore, I would prefer to call them "Tina’s New Year’s Aspirations".  I aspire to continue in my newly found passion for cooking and I aspire to learn more about deglazing, emulsifying and all of those other great foodie terms.  Did you know that “nap” doesn’t have to do with that quick, lifesaving period of time where you shut the world out for 20 minutes?  Nap actually means “to completely coat food with a light, thin, even layer of sauce”.  I’ve got a lot to learn!   

With that said, I was excited to learn that Niner Wine Estates has a series of cooking classes that are right up my alley.  There are a total of three upcoming events scheduled which really piqued my curiosity:  

Elegant Winter Entertaining with Chef Nanette Smalley on Jan 21, 2012

• Details: Learn to prepare a lavish and luscious evening of winter fare or a more intimate, fireside gathering of your closest friends.  Acclaimed Chef Nanette Smalley will walk you through the prepping and hosting of an elegant winter dining experience.  After the class, you will sit down for an intimate four-course luncheon with the fruits of your labor (and some fabulous Niner Wine, of course!).  

• On the menu: Goose Liver Pate with Brioche, Roast Squab with Grapes, Smoked Duck Breast with Cranberries, Rosemary Pecans and topped with an Orange Pomegranate Molasses dressing.  Roasted Goose with prunes, Foie Gras stuffing, a Celery Root Puree and glazed Green Beans with Brown Butter and Pine Nuts.

Farmer's Market to Table with Chef Maegen Loring on February 11, 2012

• Details: Supporting our local farmers seems pretty easy, right? But throw in seasonal winter produce like Brussels Sprout, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Celery and Chard and things get a little challenging. They say anyone can cook in the summer, but only a true chef can cook in the winter!  You will journey to the Templeton Farmer’s Market with Chef Loring where she will walk you through the market, teach you how to hand-pick the best local produce available and talk with her favorite Central Coast growers. Then head back to our Demonstration Kitchen to spend the morning in a hands-on Cooking Class.  At the end of the session, you will sit down to an intimate meal, family-style in the friendly Niner Club lounge. And yes, this course will certainly have a romantic theme!

Spring Brunch 101 with Chef Andre Averseng on Mar 10, 2012

• Details: The Spring Brunch 101 cooking course with Chef Andre Averseng (scheduled just in time for Easter and Mother’s Day) will teach you how to poach the perfect egg, prepare a delicious hollandaise sauce and craft the perfect fruit crepe – all with serious French flair! Chef Andre will also help you create crab cakes and accompanying lemon aioli sauce.  After you have gotten your hands dirty and mastered the techniques, you will adjourn for a lovely seated meal to relish in your freshly prepared brunch items.  When you depart for the afternoon, you will be so confident in your new-found Brunch-preparing skills that you will immediately begin planning your next mid-morning fete!

• On the menu: Traditional Eggs Benedict, Crab Cakes with Lemon Aioli, Market Greens and a Citrus Dressing, Cranberry Scones, Seasonal Fruit Crepes

Tina Swithin is the PR Coordinator and Blog Manager for TravelPaso.com where she writes Pairings in Paso and other blog-a-licious Paso Robles articles.  Follow the Paso Robles Insider to get the inside scoop on all the haps in Paso Robles Wine Country.

Comments

[bespoke kitchens suffolk]

I would like to be a part of these cooking classes. It is a practical course on learning from their kitchen.