Cuisine Karen...Cooking Vacations...Culinary Getaways...Cooking Classes!

Cuisine Karen

Location:
Eureka Springs, AR 72632

Culinary Category:
Cooking Classes
Cooking Demonstrations
Guided Culinary Tours
Personal Chef
Culinary Team Building

Culinary Focus:
American
French

Culinary Demonstration Class

Cuisine Karen offers a Culinary Demonstration Class featuring at least two dishes based on a seasonal menu.

Students gather at 10:00am, sign-in and put on a name tag. Everyone takes a seat, and recipes are provided to all. Most ingredients have been prepared and measured; however, when teaching technique or a specific skill (such as peeling garlic, or slicing an onion), the featured vegetable is reserved for demonstrating such technique.

Throughout the class, you have several moments to stretch your legs and move about, have a nice cool glass of “spa” water.

You are then offered samples of each dish that is prepared, along with garden-fresh salad greens with a homemade vinaigrette and freshly baked bread from Serenity Farms. You will have the option to enjoy a glass of wine chosen to specifically complement the meal. Class duration is 3 hours, ending at 1:00pm. Don't forget to take home your recipes!

If the weather is nice, you may wish to take a self-guided tour of Patou's Gardens, Patrice's organic herb and vegetable garden that wrap around the house.

Hands-on Cooking Class

For those who enjoy the experience of participating, Cuisine Karen offers a Hands-on Tasting Lunch featuring a either a first course and main dish, or main dish and dessert. Either way, garden-fresh salad greens with a homemade vinaigrette and freshly baked bread from Serenity Farms are provided, along with a full portion of the prepared dishes.

Students gather at 10:00am, sign-in and put on a name tag. If the weather is nice, we will take a brief tour of Patou's Gardens ~ Patrice's organic herb and vegetable garden ~ with special emphasis on the culinary herbs and whatever locally-grown produce we may need in class.

We return to the kitchen, and everyone is presented with an apron and dishtowel to use during class. You will be supplied with all necessary utensils and equipment to carry out the tasks at hand. French coffee is offered, as is an unlimited supply of Karen’s “spa” water.

Together, we prepare the meal from start to finish, then enjoy and contemplate our creations during an informal tasting lunch. You will have the option to enjoy a glass of wine chosen to specifically complement the meal. We finish in the French style with a cup of coffee and square of dark chocolate. Class duration is 4 - 4 1/2 hours, ending between 2:00-2:30pm. As this class involves participation from everyone, class size is limited to 10 people.

Note: Epitourean, LLC provides a referral service for operators of culinary classes, vacations, cruises, schools and demonstrations. We cannot be held responsible for variations in descriptions, courses offered, changes to dates and/or prices provided by the operators.

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Recipe

RATATOUILLE CAPONATE
Recipe inspired by Charlotte Gros ~ Marseille native, and adapted from Les Recettes Faciles by Françoise Bernard.

For best results, make ratatouille a day in advance; it is delicious served chilled or at room temperature. The key to success is having equal portions of all the vegetables, sautéing each of them separately, and using a good quality olive oil. This quintessentially Provencal dish often served as a first course, or as a side dish to grilled meats. The word caponate comes from Italian, meaning “with capers.”

Serves: 8

Ingredients:
3 Pounds Eggplant
3 Pounds Tomatoes
3 Pounds Zucchini
3 Peppers
2 Onions
4 Cloves garlic, minced
1 Cup extra-virgin olive oil
Bouquet Garni (sprig of parsley & thyme, bay leaf)
Sea Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 Cup nicoise olives, unpitted
1 Small jar of Italian capers, rinsed and drained

Directions:
Slice the eggplant into 2-inch cubes, place in a colander atop a plate and sprinkle eggplant generously with sea salt. Allow to degorge at least 30 minutes. Rinse, drain, and squeeze out excess water by rolling eggplant in paper towels or a dishtowel.

Bring a medium pot of water to boil. Dip the tomatoes in the boiling water for 2-3 minutes until the skins crack; remove with a slotted spoon. Once cool, slip the skins off and quarter the tomatoes.

Peel the onions, cut them in half, then into ¼-inch slices. Chop the zucchini into 2-inch cubes. Slice the peppers in half, remove the seeds, and cut into 2-inch chunks.

Preheat the oven to 300°F. Heat a large stockpot or dutch oven, add 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil, and sauté the onions and garlic over medium heat, along with a pinch of salt. Cook until transluscent, 3-5 minutes, do not allow to brown; transfer to a large bowl. Repeat this process with the peppers, zucchini, and drained eggplant; sautéing each separately and adding to bowl. Lastly, sauté the tomatoes for 2-3 minutes, until some of the liquid has evaporated. Gently toss all ingredients together, along with herbs, olives and capers, and place in stockpot; cover and bake 1 hour. Remove lid and bake another 30 minutes. Stir gently and bake another 30 minutes, or until most of the liquid has evaporated. Remove the bouquet garni before serving.

If serving the same day, let it sit at least 30 minutes at room temperature before serving. If serving next day, allow to cool thoroughly, refrigerate overnight, and bring to room temperature 30 minutes before serving.

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