We're always looking for some place new to play, and for Wade's birthday
this year, Kimberly got us a cooking class at Sur la Table in Newport
Beach. We went on 09/20/2014 and had a great time.
Kimberly chose this particular class because it was a "date night"
class, and because Wade has developed a fondness for crab lately, and
the menu this night included making crab cakes. Here we are making a garlic
and caper aioli from scratch, for putting on the crab cakes.
The crab cakes came out absolutely wonderful. We're going to use them
for sure where it's our turn to host a cooking party.
Here is our chef to instruct us. Note in the foreground there is a butane
stove. This allows each group of four students to cook in their area,
without trying to get everyone around a single range or have multiple
ranges.
From left to right, we have our chef, the two "sous chefs"
who did all the setup and cleanup, and four of the "beautiful people"
we shared the class. I did mention it was in Newport Beach, didn't I?
This couple was celebrating their first wedding anniversary, and were
paired with us. They were really nice, but making groups of four made
it a little more awkward: only so many people can whip the aioli at a
time.
There was a salad course with a pomegranate vinaigrette dressing that
we made from scratch using a pomengranate molasses. The main course this
evening was a New York steak, covered with a pan sauce that we made after
searing the steaks in the pan and then moving them to the oven to finish
cooking through.
