Happy Sunday to all my friends, family, fellow bloggers, and random strangers that have stumbled upon this little blog o' mine. I hope you are having the most fabulous of weekends filled with all the things that spark non-Marie Kondo joy. Or if Marie Kondo joy is your jam I hope you are filled with sparks and uber-organized sock drawers…
Can I let you in on a couple of little secrets when it comes to my blog? Two of my favorite things to do is to come up with punny post titles and “pithy” sayings to accompany my photos. I am a huge fan of wordplay and making Momica groan.
Speaking of pith-y, I took another cooking class at Leu Gardens with the star of the show being…wait for it…lemons! <—see what I did there? I'm kind of proud of myself which might be reading a tad bit obnoxious. I'll try to rein it in…
The class was led by Chef Jennifer Hostetter a local chef and caterer that I met last year when I took a cheese making class at Leu Gardens. Chef Jennifer's teaching style is engaging, informative, and inclusive. She encourages everyone to roll up their sleeves and get involved in the cooking process (after washing hands, of course!) And she answers soooooo many questions!
Upon entering the class, we were warmly greeted and instructed to grab a beverage and a seat around the demonstration area. Lemon shortbread cookies were in their final crisping stages in the oven teasing us with their scent of citrus and butter.
Chef Jennifer overviewed the “menu” for the class featuring a mix of savory and sweet items – lemon scones, chicken skewers with lemon salsa, and a roasted carrot and walnut salad with citrus vinaigrette. As she described our “syllabus,” she deftly passed around the still warm from the oven shortbread. She's a Lemon Temptress!
I took copious notes during the class (with wine!!). Here are just a few of my key learnings:
- Lemons are in season.
- Meyer lemons are more aromatic, sweeter than the typical fruit, and a hybrid of lemon and tangerine (a citrus “mash-up” if you will.) Their skin has more of an orange tinge to it.
- You can zest a lemon and then juice it. But don’t flip it and reverse it. Then you are just doing it wrong.
- You can freeze every part of the lemon – zest, juice, and segments.
- Slicing segments of citrus like a culinary boss is called “supreme-ing.” I've seen it done on Top Chef and it made me scratch my head. Chef Jennifer made it approachable. I should have videoed it. My apologies.
- I think candied lemon peel tastes like “candied summer” and want to make my own. Soon.
More highlights from the class…
Side note – my Mom started booking me for “highlights” when I was 15 because I kept trying to “blonde” my hair by soaking my strands in lemon juice followed by baking in the sun. Another lemon story, so there you go…
Thinking about yesterday's class is bringing a smile to my face. There was fun, positive energy in the room – everyone got involved by asking questions or taking turns in the cooking and prep process, or just leaning over to talk to each other. I hope I get to see all of the wonderful people I met yesterday during the March 16th “Cooking with Herbs” class! And I hope you are ready for all of my questions, Chef Jennifer!!!
Are you into puns? Are you into lemons? What type of cooking class or demonstration would you like to take? Let me know in the comments below!
Work Hard. Play Hard. Drink Chard.
Laurie
P.S. This is not a sponsored post. However, I wish Leu Gardens would make me an honorary family member.
P.P.S. One of my Chief Relaxation Officers wanted to say “woof” to everyone!
Fantastic post! I definitely want to try candied lemon and carrot salad!! Thanks for sharing.
Thank you, Laura Beth!! The candied lemon peel was soooo good!
I am in the process of getting the recipes from the class but here is a Maple Roasted Carrot Salad by Barefoot Contessa (shocking…I know!) that I have made a couple of times and just LOVE. https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/maple-roasted-carrot-salad-3523135
I would definitely love to take a cooking class! I love baking and I know how to bake, but when it comes to cook a meal, I tend to mess up!
A roasted carrot salad sounds delicious. That and the lemon biscuits make for a great meal.
Roasted carrots in a salad is a new fave!!!
The lemon lends itself to many sweet and savory preparations and in fact this class was really very interesting.
Oh yum. The food sounds great. I need to take a cooking class one day. I am a terrible cook.
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These sound like some amazing things to get to try out. I have to admit I am an awful cook and I could probably do with taking some cooking classes.
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I love lemon desserts and I bet the lemon scones were fantastic!
Sounds like a wonderful class to attend. I bet it is fun having to try activities like this. Hoping there are more sessions to visit.
I love adding lemons to my dishes. Lemon chicken is my all time favourite. In the morning I love adding lemons to my water. It helps energise me for the day.
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Lemons and chicken are a match made in foodie heaven!! I made a roasted chicken over fresh lemons and onions not too long ago. So. Darn. Good. 😋
I’ve always wanted to take a cooking class. I think it would be so much fun.
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That must be a fun and educational event. I’m glad to hear you enjoyed it there.
I have been on a cooking class once in italy and it was so much fun! you must have had a blast!
A cooking class in Italy is my dream!!! I bet that was amazing!!!
I love your writing style and all of your photos! I’ll definitely be back to read more! Taking a cooking class is definitely on my list of things to do!
Thank you, Dani!!! I appreciate that so much!! I can’t wait to read more of yours!!!!
I’ve always loved punny titles for blog posts. I’m always afraid they’ll ruin my SEO. I’m glad to know that it is okay. I also love adding lemon zest to baked goods. So yummy!
I’m not 100% sure if it is good or bad for SEO to be honest.
Lemon zest is a wonderful thing! I love the scent and the flavor it adds. So good!!!
This is so much fun!! I always have lots of lemons and limes in a basket on my counter. I love to use them in so many things. What a fun cooking class too! I’d love to attend one some time.
She shared a recipe called “Oleo Saccharum”. Sugar and lemons are combined to create a mixture that works for cocktails after they are muddled together for a bit. I think “Oleo Saccharum” is something Harry Potter would day to order a cocktail. 🍹
I have never taken a cooking class but I’m certainly interested ! The candies lemons look awesome would love to try something like that ! Thanks for sharing
I love being able to go to a class that I get to learn and eat all of the source materials. Total win-win!!! 😀
Wow! I love reading your post and I am so amazed by it. Thanks for letting us know. Love it!
I do love my puns. But I’m all about any cooking class which would feature lemons. One of my favorite all-time flavors of almost anything.
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I think I am going to buy a huge sack of lemons next weekend to make candied lemon peel and Oleo Saccharum for cocktails. Easy peasy lemon squeeze-y.
I would love to experience this, too. It’s not just learning to cook but camaraderie and the new knowledge that you seek. It’s a feast for all the senses. Wish I can do this with my husband like on a second honeymoon. He enjoys such things, too.
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