Chef Nina Hemmes of Tartlets Cake Design (www.tartlets.ca) shares her secrets in cake design! Work with fondant to create a perfectly smooth cake, learn how to model animals in modeling chocolate and gumpaste and how to tier up an adorable children’s cake.

Menu:

• Devil’s Food Cake
• Italian Strawberry butter cream
• Gumpaste
• Rolled Fondant
• Royal Icing
• Modeling Chocolate (demo only)
• Farm animals, corn, farmers fence, greenery, hay bales etc

What to Expect:

This is a hand’s on class where you will make everything from scratch. With the exception of modeling chocolate which will be made for you. Chef Nina will explain and demonstrate every step of each recipe. As you create your masterpiece Chef Nina is there to help and guide as necessary. You will take home your cake at the end of the class. Wear comfortable shoes, you will be on your feet for most of the class.

Coffee/Tea and snacks are provided both days. Lunch is provided on day 2. For dietary restrictions, let us know when you book your spot.

Dates: Friday, July 19th and Saturday, July 20, 2013

Cost: $199 + GST ($208.95 tax inclusive)

Times: Friday 630pm – 1030pm; Saturday 9am – 2pm

Bring: Apron, tea towels, flat non-slip non-scuff shoes, containers for your goodies, note pad and pen

Register: Call 604.876.7653. Payment is due at registration and can be made by phone with VISA or MasterCard, or in person by Cash, Debit or Cheque

Join Chef Nina for an evening of chocolate making. Together we will create an assortment of chocolates sure to wow your family and friends!

Menu:

• Dark Raspberry Chocolates
• Hazelnut Truffles
• White Chocolate Passion Fruit
• Seasonal Chocolate

What to Expect:

This is a hand’s on class. You will take home everything that you make in class so make sure to bring containers. Wear comfortable shoes, as you will be on your feet for most of the class.

Coffee/tea and snacks will be provided

Date: Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Cost: $95 + GST ($99.75 tax inclusive)

Time: 615pm to 10pm

Bring: Apron, tea towels, flat non-slip non-scuff shoes, containers for your goodies, note pad and pen

Register: Call 604.876.7653. Payment is due at registration and can be made by phone with VISA or MasterCard, or in person by Cash, Debit or Cheque

Chef Nina Hemmes shares her tips and tricks of how to make the perfect Tart in this seasonal summer class. You will make wonderful creations using local seasonal fruit and also learn how to master the famous lemon meringue tart.

Menu

• Lemon Meringue Tart
• BC Peach Clafouti Tart
• Berry Almond Tart
• Rhubarb Brulee Tart

What to Expect:

This is a hand’s on class. You will take home everything that you make in class so make sure to bring containers. Wear comfortable shoes, as you will be on your feet for most of the class.

Coffee/tea and snacks will be provided

Date: Thursday, July 11, 2013

Cost: $95 + GST ($99.75 tax inclusive)

Time: 615pm to 10pm

Bring: Apron, tea towels, flat non-slip non-scuff shoes, containers for your goodies, note pad and pen

Register: Call 604.876.7653. Payment is due at registration and can be made by phone with VISA or MasterCard, or in person by Cash, Debit or Cheque

Do you own dull knives? Learn how to sharpen on a stone and honne on a steel.

Knife skills are important for every person who loves to cook, and knowing the difference between dicing and julienning could be a life saver for your next dinner party! With the amount of time it spends in your hand, it’s definitely worth making sure you know how to use it! Equipping yourself with the right knowledge will go a long way in the kitchen. There are many different ways to use a knife to prepare foods, each technique can help make cooking a much easier and safer task.

Whether you’re an experienced cook, or you’re just starting out, come learn how to feel safe and confident handling a knife. Starting with the basics of holding a knife, working into classic cutting techniques. As well as learn how to use your own take home whetstone to keep your knives razor sharp!

Join Chef Curtis, one of our full time Culinary instructors, in this one evening skills course to boost your knife skills and confidence!

Recipes Used:

Wreck Beach Salad

Vietnamese Rice Rolls

Date: Thursday, June 20, 2013

Cost: $90 + GST ($94.50 tax inclusive) Cost includes whetstone to take home.

Time: 6:15pm to 10pm

Bring: Chef’s knife, paring knife, apron, tea towels, flat non-slip non-scuff shoes

Register: Call 604.876.7653. Payment is due at registration and can be made by phone with VISA or MasterCard, or in person by Cash, Debit or Cheque

Perfect fish for the grill. This North Pacific treat is known for its mild taste and ability to lend itself to any flavor or cooking style, making this fish a seafood cooks dream! Learn how to add some zest and spice up this diamond shaped gem, caught from May to September, truly a seasonal indulgence!!

Come join Chef Curtis, one of our full time Culinary Instructors, in a one night seafood course and learn how to cook this versatile fish!

Recipes plus wine pairing:

Halibut Gravelax with Spring Herb Aioli

Seared Halibut Cheeks with Seasonal Vegetable Puree

Grilled Halibut Steak with Organic Vegetable Sauté

Date: Thursday, June 6, 2013

Cost: $99 + GST ($103.95 tax inclusive)

Time: 6:15pm to 10pm

Bring: Chef’s knife, paring knife, apron, tea towels, flat non-slip non-scuff shoes

Register: Call 604.876.7653. Payment is due at registration and can be made by phone with VISA or MasterCard, or in person by Cash, Debit or Cheque

Local! Sustainable! Oceanwise! Wild BC Spot Prawns!

Who doesn’t love to hear those words when making food choices? Now be inspired to cook with them! Spot prawns are a local delicacy that comes from the waters between Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland. These crustaceans are known around the world for their sweet delicate flavor and firm texture. These sweet and buttery prawns are only available for a short period of time, in season for only six to eight weeks starting in May. Don’t miss your chance to learn how to cook with these beautiful sea creatures!

Come join Chef Curtis, one of our full time Culinary instructors, in a one night seafood course and learn how to purchase, clean, and prepare these local treats!

Recipes plus wine pairing:

Spicy Spot Prawns with Green Goddess
Spot Prawns, Spring Asparagus, Risotto with Foraged Mushrooms
Merguez, Roasted Pepper and Spot Prawn Tagliatelle

Date: Thursday, May 23, 2013

Cost: $99 + GST ($103.95 tax inclusive)

Time: 6:15pm to 10:15pm

Bring: Chef’s knife, paring knife, tea towels, flat non-slip non-scuff shoes

Register: Call 604.876.7653. Payment is due at registration and can be made by phone with VISA or MasterCard, or in person by Cash, Debit or Cheque

Bocuse D’or is a worldwide professional cooking competition that is held every other year. The competition was founded by Paul Bocuse in 1987.

Below is a great blog about the 2013 Bocuse D’or held in Lyon, France. The plates are elegant, beautiful and absolute works of art.  Team France came in first place and Team Canada, lead by Chef Alex Chen came in 9th place overall.

Congratulations to all teams!

http://www.followmefoodie.com/2013/02/bocuse-dor-2013-winners-results-recap-photos/

This term, we shifted the focus of Day 55 from molecular gastronomy and sous vide cooking to more of a modernist approach. We stayed with some key molecular techniques such as spherification, foaming and airation, but we modified the day to include classic techniques used by today’s Chefs to achieve the best flavour and textures. Infusion, braising, reduction, dehydration and simple combination cooking methods were added in order to achieve the best plates possible.

It was an extremely busy day. Each plate composing of 9 to 12 components; each component using both old and new techniques. The class was very well organized with task lists and time goals. In the end, the plates turned out sucessfully, both visually and in their flavour profiles. However, one thing about modernist cooking, or any cooking which tries to achieve the best possible plates, is that it takes a lot of work, a lot of tools and a lot of time.

Come and join Chef Christophe and prepare an elegant Brunch for you and a friend!

You will be preparing the following dishes between 9am and 1pm. At 1pm have your spouse, a family member or a friend join you at the Academy to enjoy the brunch you have just prepared!

• French Crepes with Sauce au Chocolat
• Pecan and Maple Pancake with whipped butter
• French Toast “pocket” with ricotta and berry compote
• Make your own English muffins and top them with free range poached egg, cured salmon and dill Hollandaise sauce
• Prepare an elegant Fruit Platter
• Bake Morning Glory muffins
• Oven roasted vegetables and nugget potatoes

We will be serving orange juice, sparking wine and coffee.

Date: Sunday, April 7

Time: Class 9am – 1pm; Eat 1pm – 2pm

Cost: $110.88 tax included (includes brunch class for one and a friend at 1pm for brunch)

Bring: Chef’s Knife, Paring Knife, Apron, Tea Towels, Nonslip shoes, containers (for left overs)

Register: Call 604.876.7653. Payment is due at registration and can be made by phone with VISA or MasterCard, or in person by Cash, Debit or Cheque

Last Sunday, Chef Warren, Chef Stacy and Chef Curtis, along with students from the the Winter 2013 Pastry and Culinary class participated in the Vancouver Wine Festival’s Vintners Brunch.

The Vintners Brunch takes you on a tour of some of the city’s top restaurants; each restaurant is given a wine to pair with a food item that they create.   Each tasting station features one dish matched specifically to one wine.

Northwest Culinary Academy of Vancouver’s selected wine was a rose port called Croft Pink to be paired with a dessert.

With this in mind, Chef Warren, Chef Stacy and team, paired the wine and came up with a dessert called “pumpkin seed financier with preserved BC cherries and cream”.

The components on this dessert were:

• cream cheese jasmine tea mousse
• caramel cultured cream
• spiced cherry sauce
• pistachio white chocolate paillette
• port cherry gel
• cherry candy corkscrew
• lemon balm
• pumpkin seed financier
• preserved BC cherries

Good Job to Chef Warren, Chef Stacy, Chef Curtis and the 2013 Winter Class Students!

Left to right: Katie, Andrew, Wing-Yee, Stella, Scott, Kelly, Maria, Chef Curtis, Chef Stacy, Chef Warren

In this 2-day class you will process a Duck, Game Hen, Quail and Special Duck Liver. Each poultry will be processed as follows:
Duck
- Duck Magnet with green peppercorn sauce, green salad and pomme rissole
(Friday dinner)
- Duck Liver Mousse
- Legs, Confit
- Fat Rendered
- Duck Terrine with Black Truffle

Game Hen
- Boneless kept whole. Turned into a Gallantine with pistachios and morel mushrooms

Quail
- Boneless, stuffed into ballotines (Saturday lunch)

Special Duck Liver Preparation from South West France
- Marinated in Cognac. Sous Vide

Skills and techniques you will learn include:
- Confit
- Liver Mousse
- Stuffed Whole Birds
- Rendering Fat
- Whole Duck Terrine
- Deveining Duck Liver
- Salaison
- Gallantine
- Basic Sous Vide Cooking
- Boning Duck, Game Hen & Quail (kept whole)
- Ballotine

You will take home (bring containers):
- Duck Terrine
- Duck Fat
- Special Duck Liver
- Liver Mousse
- Ballotine
- Duck Bistella

Dates:
Friday March 22  &  Saturday March 23

Cost: $ 280 + HST
Includes lunch, dinner, wine &  the above meat products to take home

Times:
Friday        615pm to 9-10pm
Saturday    9am to 3:30-5pm

Bring:  
Boning knife, chef’s knife, paring knife, tea towels, pastry scraper, flat non-slip non-scuff shoes, containers
This class will only be taught once per year so don’t miss out!

To Register Please call 604.876.7653

Hi chef,

Quick update. Things are exploding here in Paris. In a good way.

A few months ago i thought I was going to go home, I was so unhappy. But in December my fortunes changed. I got offered a head chef job at a bar/ restaurant. I was there from the beginning, with the construction and all.

We have been open two weeks now and the reception has been fantastic. I mean, more than we could have hoped for.

The food especially is really being loved. The New York Times have already been in, the big French food blogs too. It’s craziness. Good craziness.

The biggest English language food blog in Paris posted this today:
http://parisbymouth.com/first-look-le-mary-celeste/

I remember in our first week of school 4-5 years ago you said that this industry has a way of rewarding those who work hard and care about their job.

I believed that then, I believe it even more now.

An experience like this makes the last 5 years of hard grind worthwhile.

Thanks. Say hello to the other chefs for me. Let me know if you swing by Paris one of these days.

Best,

Haan