If you are like me, and love to cook, then you will definitely want to check into A La Carte cooking school, in Lynbrook, Long Island. I originally found this awesome place while doing research for local cooking classes this summer for my ten year old daughter, Gianna. After a brief telephone conversation with a friendly and knowledgable member of the staff, I immediately registered her for a week long summer "camp" program. Her experience at A La Carte, the cooking skills she acquired and the professionalism of the instructors, impressed me so much, that I knew we would be taking more classes going forward.
The culinary programs offered at A La Carte are quite extensive and include both Kids' classes and adult classes in a variety of cooking themes. Everything from seafood to pasta sauces to barbecue and beer. Their offerings also include classes for couples, adult and kids, as well as cooking bootcamp series. And if you prefer to cook at home, they also provide cooking classes via laptop and iPad. I was thrilled to see their group programs for Girl Scouts, since as a troop leader, I'm always looking for new and different things to do. It's also a great idea for children's parties, which Gianna already advised me she wanted to do for her next birthday.
I took a number of their brochures and was really excited about an upcoming Adult and Kid cooking class this summer. Our two and one-half hour class was this past Saturday and it was such a great way to spend time with my daughter. She absolutely LOVES to cook, so I knew this was a perfect bonding day for us.
Our Menu for this class consisted of the following:
- Cherry Tomatoes Stuffed with Mozzarella and Basil
- Baked Honey Sesame Chicken
- Grilled Potatoes and Arugula with Dijon Vinaigrette
- Homemade Strawberry Shortcake
One item sounded better than the next!!
Our Menu for this class consisted of the following:
- Cherry Tomatoes Stuffed with Mozzarella and Basil
- Baked Honey Sesame Chicken
- Grilled Potatoes and Arugula with Dijon Vinaigrette
- Homemade Strawberry Shortcake
One item sounded better than the next!!
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Upon arrival at the class, we were broken up into groups, with each one charged with preparing a different menu item. Gianna and I decided to make the Cherry Tomatoes Stuffed with Mozzarella and Basil. Actually, it was her choice and I just went along with it! We had a very nice father and daughter team, Joe and Abigail, in our group, so between the four of us we worked together, following the recipe and preparing this very tasty appetizer.
Gianna shredded the cheese; Joe and Abigail mixed up the dressing for the cheese, which included lemon zest, olive oil and basil; and I tackled cutting and seeding, what seemed like an unending bowl of cherry tomatoes! Grating fresh mozzarella is not easy, since it tends to be much softer than the store-bought packaged kind. So, eventually, Gianna just decided to chop it with a knife. Her knife skills were excellent, having learned and practiced during her week long cooking camp. Joe jumped in with chopping up the cheese and showed five year old Abigail the proper way to use the knife, and impressed all of us how well she did. Me, well I was still cutting and seeding the tomatoes.
Gianna shredded the cheese; Joe and Abigail mixed up the dressing for the cheese, which included lemon zest, olive oil and basil; and I tackled cutting and seeding, what seemed like an unending bowl of cherry tomatoes! Grating fresh mozzarella is not easy, since it tends to be much softer than the store-bought packaged kind. So, eventually, Gianna just decided to chop it with a knife. Her knife skills were excellent, having learned and practiced during her week long cooking camp. Joe jumped in with chopping up the cheese and showed five year old Abigail the proper way to use the knife, and impressed all of us how well she did. Me, well I was still cutting and seeding the tomatoes.
The End Result - My Plate of Stuffed Cherry Tomatoes, Grilled Potatoes and Arugula with Dijon Vinaigrette and Baked Honey Sesame Chicken
We were encouraged to walk around to the various stations and observe the other groups' culinary creations. The best smelling items were the potatoes being grilled and the biscuits for the strawberry shortcake. Everything looked delectable and within about 90 minutes of starting, it was all complete and we were ready to feast on it all!
Strawberry Shortcake Dessert
The instructors were super! Giving us helpful hints, assisting with the clean-up and setting up a lovely buffet for all of us to enjoy the fruits of our labor. Thank you Katie and George for your cooking tips!
I cannot think of a nicer way to spend a saturday morning! I am already making plans to take more classes at A La Carte with girlfriends in the Fall.
I cannot think of a nicer way to spend a saturday morning! I am already making plans to take more classes at A La Carte with girlfriends in the Fall.
For Your Information
A La Carte Cooking School
32 Atlantic Avenue
Lynbrook, NY 11563
Email Address: alacartecs@optonline.net
Telephone: (516) 599.2922
Fax: (516) 599.8372
A La Carte Cooking School
32 Atlantic Avenue
Lynbrook, NY 11563
Email Address: alacartecs@optonline.net
Telephone: (516) 599.2922
Fax: (516) 599.8372
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