PRIVATE COOKING AND BAKING WORKSHOPS: 2009

 

Denay can come to your company, home, church etc. and hold a variety of workshops on food realted topics. Contact Denay for more information.

 

Carolina Gold - The American Love Affair with Rice: The objective of this class is to teach participants that a grain of rice gathers its personality, taste and texture from the way it is milled. Students will step back in time and learn about the process that made Carolina Gold a unique and sought after product. The history of how during Colonial times, African slave women were charged with hand pounding; removing the winnow hulls from the grains with mortar, pestle and fanner basket. This tedious process resulted in rice, cleansed to perfection, golden-white through abrasion, containing both whole and broken grains, with flecks of bran and germ intact. The resulting flavor and texture were said to be superior to any rice on the market.

 

Whole Hog: An examination of barbecue culture: The objective of this class is to teach participants about the history of barbecue. Students will be introduced to the first barbecue masters and learn why sauce is slapped on the hog. We will look at barbecue trends around the world and examine Argentina’s spin on great barbecue. Do we grill with coals or wood and what difference does it make? This will be a lively discussion about the history and practice of making good old fashioned barbecue. We will end in the class viewing a wonderful short film about smoking up the pig.

 

Liquid Food: The History of Soup: The objective of this class is to learn about the many types of soups prepared around the world. We all know there are hot soups and cold soups, thin and thick soups and soups with meat and those without. Did you know there are soups made from fruits and soups served specifically as a dessert? Are you familiar with the hundreds of regional soups that were introduced by the diverse immigrant populations that can to America seeking a better life? Come and learn why soup is a mainstay in American life and how it can be reintroduced as a frugal “divine dine.”

 

The Secret Life of Pies: The objective of the class is to introduce participants to the wonderful world of pie. There will be a lively discussion about the best “fat” to use in making a pie pastry; the best apples for making a divine apple pie and the most effective method for browning a top pie crust. Pies though apparently simple to make are at time temperamental and not at all consistent. Why some meringues weep and others don’t, why some fruit pies are runny and other are not will all be part of this noble discussion as me attempt to make sense of the incredible edible pie.

 

The Passionate Palate: The objective of the lecture is to meaning behind the sensuality of food. What makes avocados erotic and why do women crave chocolate. What’s behind the secret life of peppermint? Is it the taste of the food, do we feast with our eyes, or is it all in our mind? Denay dispels myths and takes a look at what pleasures our palate most and why.

 

Online Workshops