Who knew that one day I'd covet a stainless steel cookpot as much as the new Givenchy mascara? Or that I'd lust after a Cuisinart electric kettle? I guess I just love all things new & shiny...
My equally product-slutty friends and I are always on the lookout for something fun to occupy our time. Thanks to some word of mouth, we discovered cooking classes at the Urban Gourmet - specifically a Soft Cheesemaking class! The first session filled up so quickly that a second session was added. We jumped on that second class as soon as it was posted!
As luck would have it, it was also the first Seahawks breakfast of the season at the Beach Tavern. They only serve breakfast on days that the Seahawks play early away games on the East Coast (10:00 am PST). They also make the best chicken fried steak I've ever eaten in my life! The 5 of us that took the class met there first for breakfast (and for Seahawks trouncing) and then went on to class.
The teaching kitchen at Urban Gourmet is really fantastic. Huge cement counter, comfortable seating for at least 15-20 people, mirrors and closed-circuit flat screens to see the chef at work and a warm atmosphere. We were handed two packets when we checked in; one held cheese recipes and the other was a glossary of cheesemaking terms and other tips and tricks.
Chef Hope Sandler taught the class. She was very personable and really determined to educate a group of people who could easily have disintegrated into foodie discussion. Not only did she demonstrate cheesemaking, she gave real tastings of cheese she'd made herself. We smooshed, tasted, smelled and enjoyed her Farmer's cheddar, mascarpone, cottage cheese, ricotta and chevre. Wine, fruit, breads, salsa and preserves were also served to bring out the flavors of the cheeses.
As a class, we made three soft cheeses. One team made Farmer's Cheese (a very citrusy dessert cheese) and the other made Queso Blanco (a very mild white cheese). They were ridiculously simple to make and tasted heavenly. She also started a mozzarella cheese for us, but due to the over-pasteurized milk it was a little difficult to get a stretch on the cheese. (It still tasted good.)
Now that I have a recipe and the skillz for making ricotta, I am next taking a pasta making class so I can make a completely-from-scratch lasagna!
If you're interested, visit www.urbangourmettacoma.com for class schedules.
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