Sur La Table >> French basics
I cook regularly and sometimes explore new dishes by dutifully following recipes. But the last formal cooking class I ever took was eighth grade Home Ec — way back in the olden days. So I never properly learned some basic techniques, such as the art of delicately folding egg whites into batter — until now.
A pair of French-themed Sur La Table classes have just upped my game. With egg whites conquered, my little chocolate soufflés popped up beautifully, all light and full of chocolate scrumptiousness. And a savory mushroom galette added other skills to my repertoire — and introduced me to the delights (and ease) of store-bought puff pastry, too.
Chef Jose may have been teaching the art of the soufflé and the savory tart, but at their heart, these classes are about kitchen skills, starting with the French culinary idea of mise en place — getting the oven preheated and ingredients measured and chopped before mixing or cooking anything. The 20 or so Zoomers in the soufflé class learned to separate egg whites and yolks in our hands, letting the whites slip through our fingers, how to whisk and how to fold. And how to make a creme anglaise, with Jose demonstrating how to slowly add heated cream, sugar and vanilla to egg yolks, so you don’t wind up with scrambled eggs.
We chopped fennel, apples and radishes to make a delicious fall-themed side salad to go with the galette, and whisked the dressing until the oil and vinegar — two finicky liquids that don’t like each other — emulsified.
With participants paying close attention to each step, there wasn’t lots of lively give-and-take, though Jose answered questions we put in chat. But I had fun and felt a sense of accomplishment in making my first galette, chocolate soufflé and creme anglaise, while learning skills that I can use again.
PERFECT FOR … >> home cooks looking to learn or refresh basic techniques for cooking classic dishes.
COST >> $29 and up, without ingredients
DETAILS >> Get the lowdown on more classes, including beef Bourguignon (Saturday), fall harvest risotto (Oct. 29) and a “Prep Now, Eat Later Pumpkin Cream Pie” (Nov. 6), at www.surlatable.com.