Culinary Communion: Class Photos

	The kitchen is the room that nurtures our souls and our bodies. It's the hearth of the 21st-century house, and everybody naturally congregates there.
—Regina Leeds, author of The Zen of Organizing

Series Classes Individual Classes Wine Education Class Photos

Culinary Techniques Series, January 2002

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To purchase meat, almost everyone goes to the meat counter at the supermarket, or perhaps to the butcher shop, whether it's beef, veal, pork, lamb, or poultry. But the vast array of available cuts of meat can be confusing if we don't understand what those different cuts mean. "Which cuts are tough and which are tender? Why are some so expensive—and is it worth the price? Could I cut that myself to save money and get a better-quality product?" This class answers all of those questions. We'll talk about the meat industry, why meat is available to us in the cuts we typically see, and how those cuts are different from what you might order at a restaurant. We'll go over what part of the animal the different cuts of meat are from and why this makes them tough or tender. We'll learn how to completely cut up a chicken so that you never have to pay such a ridiculous price for boneless, skinless breasts again.

Then we'll take what we've learned with meat and head outside to the Viking grill. We'll grill a variety of different meats and also some vegetables and fruit, as seasonally available. Learn how to tell when food is done, how to get the most out of your grill, and why some sauces smoke and burn and others don't. This class is packed full of information and activity and is a great deal of fun.

Ingredients for class are laid out before students arrive. We grilled some radicchio and collard greens as well as meat for this class.

Students refer to their curriculum, in individualized binders, and taste wine while listening to Chef Gabriel introduce the evening's topics.

Each student gets a chicken to practice cutting up. Here one of our students poses with the poultry.

Students watch and follow along as Chef Gabriel demonstrates how to cut the first chicken.

Then each student gets started on his or her own bird, collaborating and helping each other.

Gabriel steps in when needed to answer questions and give pointers.

Students give each other advice, too, and compare how they're doing.

Everyone keeps their wine glass close at hand throughout the process!

A very good time was had by all!

previous class in series Meat ID & Grilling next class in series
more Meats photos