When planning menus for private cooking classes, I like first to find out what clients would like to learn. I then turn to the season to see what is at its peak. Every menu I create is customized to each client. I scour the farmers markets for the perfect seasonal ingredients, and present a variety of options for learning. My goal is to teach people how to cook simple and elegant menus while highlighting the use of fresh herbs, bright colors, and unique presentations.

  Good dishes and menus are about balance. Cookbooks provide recipes but few of them put those recipes into a meaningful meal, and if there are menus included, the secrets to how those menus are created are rarely included.
 An outstanding menu is alluring and has an air of romance about it. This is often mistakenly viewed as only possible in the domain of an accomplished chef-the creative genius at work combining flavors and textures, subtleties and nuances to create a menu that your average person can't imagine. Without discounting any of the inspiring and gifted chefs in the culinary world it should be noted that the principles used in professional kitchens are the same as in the home. Learning the nuances of those elements will be a key in building your own brilliant menus, driven by creativity, imagination and intuition

The food that I create is always changing. I use the techniques I've learned and practiced over the years to come up with new dishes, and of course, I like to cook the classics.

I've listed a few menus and dishes that represent my style of cooking. Enjoy!



"In cooking, as in all the arts, simplicity is
the sign of perfection."

- Curnonsky

 


Summer Menus



Heirloom Tomato Tasting

Heirloom Tomato Gazpacho with Avocado Mousse

Caprese Salad of Tomatoes, Mozzarella, Basil and Mint

Heirloom Tomato Tart with Arugula Salad

Chicken Stuffed with Beechers Blank Slate and Tapenade, Slow Roasted Tomatoes

Peaches Roasted with Frangipane, Sabayon

 




Menus from the Summer Farmers Market


Bite Sized Appetizers
Gougeres with Shrimp, Fennel & Sorrel

Citrus Cured Salmon with Sorrel Crème Fraiche, Herbed Shortbread

Seared Duck Breast, Roasted Pepper & Cilantro Salad on Endive Spears



Simple but Elegant
Tuna Carpaccio with Shaved Fennel & Tangerine Salad, Lemon Oil
Champagne

Carrot saffron soup with roasted red pepper salad
2001 Domaine Cordier Pere et Fils--Pouilly-Loche

Poached Sole Stuffed with Shrimp-Basil Mousseline,
Minted Zucchini Strands, Sorrel Sauce

Warm Toasted Almond & Lavender Cake with Lemon Basil Sabayon
Muscat





Light and Easy
Haricot Vert Salad with Lemon and Mint Crème Fraiche

Chilled Cucumber Soup with Dungeness Crab

Seared Striped Bass with Corn Cilantro Pancake, Warm Herb Vinaigrette

Blueberry Sorbet with Lemon Tarragon Sabayon, Butter Cookie



Summer Fling
Sweet Corn Soup with Basil Oil, Dungeness Crab

Arugula & Shaved Fennel Salad with Humboldt Fog Cheese, Raspberries

Grilled King Salmon, Saffron-Pepper Risotto, Herbed Tomato Coulis

Nectarine Blackberry Crostada with Honey Lavender Ice Cream







Earth & Ocean
Arugula & Frissee Salad with Roasted Peppers, Sautéed Morel Mushrooms

Peppered Beef Tenderloin, Balsamic Potato Salad

Roasted Halibut, Grilled Squash-Basil Salad, Lemon Chervil Beurre Blanc

Blackberry Ice Cream with Toasted Almond Macaroons



Three-Course Menu
Sweet Corn Soup with Sautéed Chanterelle Mushrooms, Basil Oil

Roasted Rack of Lamb, Minted Snap Peas, Honey Lavender Demi Glaze

Peach Flambé with Shortbread, Cinnamon Basil Ice Cream

 



Sumptuous Bites

  Spicy Sautéed Shrimp on New Potato with Mango Salsa

  Celeriac & Radish Salad on Beet Chips

  Kumomoto Oysters on the half with Hibiscus Ice

  White Anchovy, Piquillo Pepper, Tapenade on Belgian endive

  Citrus-Herb Cured Salmon & Fennel Salad on Savory Shortbread

  Tuna Tartare on Asian pear with shisho leaves

  Herb Seared Lamb Loin & Roasted Asparagus

  Ruby Grapefruit with Herbed Goat Cheese on Belgian Endive




Party on the Patio

  Watercress & Endive salad with shaved fennel,
toasted pine nuts, grilled nectarine, lemon dressing

Sweet corn soup with sautéed
chanterelle mushrooms, basil oil

  Grilled king salmon with summer vegetable
risotto, Champagne-herb Beurre blanc

  Warm Valrhona chocolate fudge cake with
cinnamon vanilla crème anglaise, fruit compote

  Lighthouse Coffee service





Summer Salads

  • Arugula Salad with Cherry Tomato, Sweet Corn & Fleur de Sel
  • Seared sea scallops with arugula, endive & tarragon salad, spicy red pepper coulis
  • Apple, Belgian Endive, Fennel and Watercress Salad with Roquefort Dressing
  • Arugula salad with shaved fennel, toasted pine nuts, Fresh nectarine, lemon dressing Fresh Herb Dressing
  • Rocket Salad with fresh pecorino and toasted hazelnuts
  • Gala Apple Carpaccio with Parsley Vinaigrette and Fennel Salad
  • Roasted Red Beet & Watercress Salad with Ginger Dressing


Summer Soups
  • Fava bean soup with mascarpone & rosemary oil
  • Sweet Corn Soup with Sautéed Chanterelle Mushrooms, Basil Oil
  • Mussel Soup with Cannelini Beans, Celery, & Basil
  • Penn Cove Mussel Soup with Saffron & Roasted Red Bell Pepper
  • Watercress Soup with Ginger Roasted Cherry Tomatoes
  • Braised Leek Soup
  • Chilled Cucumber Soup
  • Italian Parsley Soup
  • Summer Tomato Soup


Sunflowers at Quillisascut Farm
   
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