Dee Hobsbawn-Smith

As many of you know, our beloved Dee moved to Saskatchewan for a different pace. Luckily for us, she still comes back to teach some classes every season. She will be here in the month of April teaching some of the most popular classes and some new ones.

GUEST INSTRUCTOR:
DEE HOBSBAWN-SMITH
QUICK CUISINE
APRIL 6 6:30-9PM $90
KNIFE SKILLS 1 (HANDS ON)
APRIL 9 9:30-12:30PM $90
APRIL 10 10:30-1:30PM $90
KNIFE SKILLS 2 (HANDS ON)
APRIL 9 2-5PM $90
APRIL 10 2:30-5:30PM $90
CONTEMPORARY BISTRO FARE
APRIL 11 6:30-9PM $90

Call 265.6066 to register today! Don't miss out on one of Calgary's favs!

Quinoa

I've been adventuring lately in the cookbook "Quinoa 365," which whenever we get it in the shop, we seem to sell out right away!
As someone who loves Quinoa but was desperate to find different ways to eat it, this cookbook seemed perfect to me.
I know some of you may be adverse to using a lot of quinoa, due to the difference in price between it and rice. However, did you know that quinoa triples in volume when cooked, whereas rice only doubles? That right there makes a huge difference in purchase power.
Secondly, if you didn't know that quinoa needs to be rinsed before cooked, then you were probably eating a lot of really bitter and yucky tasting quinoa. Dump quinoa in a sieve and give it a good rinse before you cook it.
Thirdly, quinoa is a great alternative for gluten free or alkaline diets. It is a versatile product that can be used in baking quite easily and has a lovely, nutty flavour. It is also more nutritious than using only rice flour as it carries a protein punch!
You can use the quinoa flour in recipes that call for regular flour-you may have to experiment a bit, but that's what cooking is all about!

You will want to try some of these recipes, as I have added them to my repertoire and my daughter loves them all!

Quinoa Pancakes
Pumpkin Quinoa pancakes
Moist Chocolate Cake (made with cooked quinoa!)
Berry Smoothies with Quinoa
Carrot Spice Quinoa Muffins

Check out their website for more ideas and information!
www.quinoa365.com

Same Classes, New Dates

A few of our classes this season have played musical chairs, so if the original dates didn't fit in your schedule, take a second look -

Sunday, March 6th finds Alex Good teaching On Your Game where guests will prepare recipes from Seared Golden Trout with Agria Potato Blini, Microgreens and a Crispy Caper Beurre Blanc; Wild Chukar Partridge and Bitter Green Salad with Wild Boar Lardons, Sourdough Croutons, Sylvan Star “Grizzly” Extra Aged Gouda, Brassica Mustard Vinaigrette, and a Poached Egg; Dry-Aged Bison Flatiron Steak with Matchstick Frites and Parsley Butter, Duo of Venison Chop and Handmade Elk Kefta Sausage with Roasted Sunchoke, Wilted Swiss Chard and Port Game Jus and, for dessert, Saskatoon Berry Sorbet.

Wednesday, March 9th is now host to Digging Deep: The Best of Roots & Tubers with Chef Pierre Lamielle who will serve - to start - beet ravioli with orange and fennel ricotta and a mixed carrot salad with “carrot caviar” and almond cumin crunchies. For the main event - mixed latkes benedict with hollandaise & crispy prosciutto, and a turnip and rutabaga pave with pork tenderloin in a dried plum & armagnac sauce. And to finish – batatatin with rough puff and a coconut tapioca pudding with candied galangal and red hot chile syrup.

Wednesday, March 30th you can Eat Raw with Valerie Andrews whose flavourful menu features Kale chips, Heirloom Tomato Soup, Sea Vegetable Salad with Sweet Miso Dressing, Flatbread Pizza with Hummus, Green Olives, Cherry Tomatoes and Za’atar, Black Mission Fig Tart with Walnut Cream, Date Almond Mylk.

Wednesday, April 20th Chef Chris Halpin is your guide through Hands-On Contemporary Antipasto where you will learn how to make (and enjoy!) Chipponi with Lemon Garlic Dip [battered white anchovies or Alici], Oyster and Zucchini Fritter with Herb Mayonnaise, Porcini and Truffle Salad with Arugula, Lemon Ricotta in Kataifi, Morels stewed with Fresh Walnuts and Cream, Bruschetta of Bresaola and Taleggio and Zabaglione Shooters with Gold Leaf.

Call 403-265-6066 to register today!

Contemporary Antipasto

Chef Chris Halpin loves antipasto - it is his favourite part of any meal when he is Italy. And on Saturday, February 19th, he is planning on sharing his passion for the traditional first course in the hands-on Contemporary Antipasto.

With a menu that includes chipponi with lemon garlic dip [battered white anchovies or Alici], oyster and zucchini fitter with herbed mayonnaise, porcini and truffle salad with arugula, celeriac and black olive salad, lemon ricotta in kataifi, morels stewed with fresh walnuts and cream, bruschetta of bresaola and taleggio, and zabaglione shooters with gold leaf, these delicious "before-the-meal" tasters become the main event.

Call The Cookbook Co. Cooks at 403-265-6066 to register.

Veggie Pot Pies

Delicious, hearty & robust - vegetables have what it takes to make some of the most flavourful and satisfying pot pies. And if you have your doubts, remember that most everything tastes even more amazing topped with some form of pastry.

Let Chef-instructor Val Andrews take you through the steps of creating these one-dish wonders: Wild Rice and Mushroom Ragout Pot Pie with Flaky Pastry, Smokey Black Bean Stew with Corn Biscuit Topping, Wine-Braised Root Vegetable & Lentil Pot Pie with Potato Topping, Dilly Artichoke Potato and Green Bean Pot Pie in Phyllo.

Vegetarian Pot Pies is a hands-on class - for herbivores & omnivores alike - this Saturday, January 29 at 2 pm. Call us at 403-265-6066 to register.

Sunday Supper on Monday Night

Sunday Suppers at Lucques has long been one of our favourite books here at The Cookbook Co. and we're very excited to be featuring it in our next installment of the Monday Night Book Club. Susan Goin is a product of Alice Waters and Chez Panisse, her restaurant in L.A. has quickly become one of the most beloved American restaurants. Filled with seasonal recipes using the best quality ingredients in unusual ways, this book will have you craving Sunday Suppers every night of the week.

Roasted Beet Salad with Fried Chickpeas, Nyons Olives, and Ricotta Salata

Mussels and Clams with Vermouth, Canellini Beans, and Cavolo Nero

Grilled Duck Breasts with Creme Fraiche, Roasted Grapes and Potato-Bacon Gratin

Jessica's Favorite Meyer Lemon Tart with a layer of Chocolate


Join Gail Norton and Matthew Altizer on Monday January 24th, for an exciting evening of food, conversation, and a couple glasses of wine. Tickets $65.00 per person and space is limited so give us a call 403-265-6066 and sign up!

Pomegranate Molasses

Pomegranate molasses is one of those ingredients which can be used in almost any application. It can add a burst of flavour when rubbed over a leg of lamb, it's delicious drizzled over fresh summer strawberries, and can provide a deep, almost mysterious flavour in a stew. In Turkey and parts of the middle east, there are many different varieties of pomegranate molasses, some of which are more sweet and used as cordials, and others with more of a savoury flavour for tagines and salads. One of my favourite ways to enjoy pomegranate molasses is to make it from fresh pomegranates, it has a much more complex fruity flavour, and a gorgeously bright ruby colour.


Making pomegranate molasses is dead simple once you've managed to get the juice out of the fruit, it doesn't really require much more than an ability to boil water, so all you have to do is master the art of seeing a pomegranate. The easiest way to juice a pomegranate is to cut it into quarters and tap the outside of the fruit with a wooden spoon, letting the seeds rain down into your waiting bowl. Make sure to remove all of the white bitter membrane before you push the seeds through a potato ricer into a non reactive saucepan. One pomegranate will make about 1 tablespoon of molasses. Taste the juice for acidity and sweetness, and add lemon juice and/or sugar if necessary. At this point you can add any number of ingredients to make an infused pomegranate syrup. lemon zest, a cardamon pod, saffron threads or even dried rose petals. Cook the mixture over medium high and reduce until the bubbles start to get smaller as the mixture thickens. Pour the mixture into a glass jar or a ramekin, and let it cool completely before covering and storing it in the fridge.