Great Escape: A Class On Creating That Summer Sizzle

Last Thursday some friends and I decided to leave our children with their fathers and head to the Caledonia cooking class. We love to try new things, and watching someone else prepare great food and having the opportunity to sample some had immediate appeal. We arrived at around 6:15 p.m., checked in and found a spot where we could enjoy the show. A mirror was placed overhead making it easier to select a seat. The class we took was all about summer cocktails and appetizers. We decided to take this class just to get some new ideas.

The idea and concept are simple. Staci Joers is the instructor and she prepared at least seven different summer appetizers. The discussion and the knowledge Joers shared inspired me. I come from a very privileged cooking background. Not that I can cook, but my mother has done catering for the President of the United States, CEO’s of fortune 100 companies and movie stars, so there has never been a real need for me to learn. And when I am cooking, I call my mom all the time. Perhaps on my upcoming trip to Florida, I will make something for them that I learned from this class.

I only wish that it were not in the middle of the week. It would be awesome if you could take a cooking class during the day and leave with a basket full of supplies to complete the recipe at home for dinner with you family that evening. We all felt that our children would love the food and my friends were more than confident that their husbands would also be impressed. Another cool thing was that some of her classes are available on Time Warner.

She started out the evening by preparing a blueberry coconut tart, which was one of my most favorite things. The crust had coconut and then the filling was blueberry.  Staci also provided different fruit options. The other favorite between my friends was a blue cheese mayo, which is a fairly simply recipe. But it can go a little over the top with the strength of the blue cheese. That was definitely not the case here as the combination left everyone wanting more.

The cooking class seems like it pulls a usual crowd just based on the interaction with others. We felt completely welcome and comfortable for newcomers. The plan is to attend another cooking class later in the summer. This was a fun night with some friends and we have even decided we can divide out the recipes and all make something for an outside gathering. It is always great when you get to try new things. Another thing I liked was that Staci referred to where she purchased her products and she gave a great deal of respect to some local businesses, which is very refreshing to see.