My 2nd Cooking Class at Central Market: 50’s Themed Night

Here’s a coupla pix from Robyn, one of the volunteers at Central Market, who helped prep the food AND took pix! Thanks, Robyn!

My first cooking class was an extravagant 5 course Thai meal. This time, I decided to create 50’s fare…so I arrived in black pumps, my hair flipped out just so, full make-up (including a nice brown eyeliner!) and a perky cotton lace dress, complete with sash tied into a bubbly bow on front. I wore my grandmother Martha’s apron, and brought the stand alone white iron recipe holder (it folds out into an angel!)

Chef Paul was also dressed for the 50’s themed night…in red high top sneakers, hair slicked back, white beefy-tee with cigs rolled into the sleeve, and cuffed blue jeans. Ok, I don’t know what the deal was, but he and I were the ONLY ones dressed for the evening, and I felt like Mrs. Cleaver. He was looking very American Graffiti. I felt like his mother!!!

From my splendid, mesmerizing menu, we created many happy meals, music and memories. And I promise…everyone who experienced the evening will remember us for our quality, service AND value! As my Uncle Nookie used to say, “You are but a stranger here once!” He would say that at family reunions. And, dagnabit, I plan on carrying out his promise at every tradition I create at Central Market and beyond!

Remember, if my homecooking pleases you, tell others! If not, please tell me!

Here’s what was created with love and served with utter joy from this evening’s event:

Chicken Tetrazini (my mom’s recipe!)

The Business Men’s Special (hunk of beef, 1/2 cup of beer, slices of American cheese, onion and tomato soup…all baked together in a lovely avocado colored casserole dish!)

Brunswick Stew (a hearty, rib sticking meal that you can prepare in under a day….The result is bound to please the family after a long day of Christmas shopping! This stew includes two squirrels (we used chicken), onion, ham, tomatoes, lima beans, 1 small red pepper pod, corn, Irish potatoes, salt and pepper…mmm!)

Fyldt Hvidkal (Stuffed Cabbage)….You literally slice the top off of a cabbage and insert the following ingredients (bread crumbs, ground round steak, eggs, ground pork, milk, onion, flour, salt and pepper), then tie the top back on with string, simmer in a small amount of water for two hours, and place on a platter. Cut like a pie or into triangular pieces and serve. I served it with raspberry Kool-aid on ice with a splash of vodka! You can also create a nice tomato based sauce for an extra tang. My mom used to do that.

Ozark Pudding (you know my family is from the Ozarks, don’t you? Now you do!) This is such a yummy dessert. In includes peeled apples, brown sugar and turns into a lovely souffle, which we served with Cool Whip while the pudding was still warm. MMMMmmmmm.

Forgotten Cookies…what? Huh? Hey! Where are those cookies we made! These are cookies you have to leave in the oven overnight WITHOUT peeking (makes them fall.) Oh, man. You MUST come to my next cooking class. You sit and eat while I show you how to make the food you are eating, and you leave with my handmade/handdrawn recipe books…all part of the service, my friends.

Oh, yea…I sing as the courses are being served. Hence the name CM gave for the evening: Music on the Menu. Cool, huh?

I’d like to thank Paul, Phil, Robyn, Steve, Mark, Phyllis, Kelly, Meredith, Linda for all their love and support in making this class possible. I know I am forgetting some of the volunteers names, and I apologize for that because you are ALL so awesome, working hard in the kitchen behind me to prepare food for FORTY people while I yap on up front, stirring and creating frothy concoctions, yammering on like I’ve been a chef all my life while YOU…yes, you, you awesome volunteers…are sweating it out in the overheated kitchen, and yet, somehow laughing and staying calm and getting everything to flow like a feng shue river. Bless you all. I love you. If I wasn’t already married, I’d marry the entire kitchen staff and we’d just eat Forgotten Cookies together under the oak trees and sing to one another on our ukeleles.

Until then….Bon apetit!