Arboretum Cooking ClassesFor the past year or two I've been lucky enough to volunteer at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum as a sous-'chef' for the culinary classes.
They have a wonderful selection of Ethnic courses including Indian, Chinese, Latin, Irish, Italian, and more. No matter which class I work it is always a new menu and involves new techniques.
There's generally a flurry of activity before the class starts where we set up the tables, prep any food, and precook any dishes that we can. Once the attendees arrive (usually 10-30 people) we begin the instructional class. The chef will demo to the group how to make the dish and then myself, along with any other helpers, well make the dish again in a larger quantity for serving. Everything is done where people can see you, so mess ups are a big problem ;-) Thankfully I haven't had any of those yet! *crosses fingers*
The Arb is also heavily invested in the local growning community and sponsoring fresh healthy food choices. We found our own CSA contact through a class I worked and are so excited to get our first share this coming May. I can't wait to see what interesting and new veggies will show up in our basket!
The photographs are from the St. Patrick's Day Class taught by Beth Dooley.Pictures by: Craig Eiler
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Update: Beth has a new book out right now co-written with Lucia Watson focusing on Midwestern cooking and healthy eating: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Savoring-the-Seasons-of-the-Northern-Heartland/Beth-Dooley/e/9780816645749/?itm=2
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