Tasting (Spoons)

The centerpiece of all my cooking classes

If you’ve ever taken a class with me this image will be very familiar. I was lucky to inherit a good number of spoons (beautiful ones to boot) and we use them many times over, all of them, in each class. Tasting as you go is one of the joys and necessities (I believe) of cooking, especially if you’re not exactly following a recipe and working with what you have. Frankly, it’s the simple spoon that probably is the vehicle for more aha! moments in class than anything else.

I’ve been both cooking on the fly with just an idea and a few ingredients for inspiration and have been following recipes (closely even) as I gear up for the beginning of my fall classes. Some dishes certainly benefit from more attention to detail, ratios, and exact ingredients, like this salad which is perfection on a plate and you should make while the cucumbers last.

And I’ve been doing exactly the opposite, like with this salad that I made last week in my typical, bean-loving cook-with-what-you-have approach.

Chickpea salad with tomatoes, basil, sweet onion, hard-cooked egg and a vinaigrette

So I keep pondering the tools and tricks of cooking (at home) and teaching those things. Tasting is key as is having good, fresh produce. . . beyond that, salt generously, try to enjoy the process and the result and keep doing it. And if you want to do all of that with good company and no dishes to wash, come take a class this fall.

Happy Cooking and Eating!