The evening of the class, Chef Veal and I invited the group into our kitchen for pre-class drinks and nibbles and spent some fun moments getting to know everybody. Moving over to a table in the center of the kitchen, we ceremoniously lifted a large blue cloth to reveal an entire Swabian Hall pig. In front of our curious and expectant onlookers, Chef Veal and I wasted no time and started taking the pig apart. As we went, Chef Veal and I explained what we were doing and why. There are lots of techniques involved in breaking down a pig, and we enjoyed sharing the little-know facts about how to prepare the animal to make bacon, ham, sausage and other meat specialties. The group was a ton of fun – bravely watching us as we used up nearly every part of the pig, snapping pictures and asking lots of questions. After we finished the demonstration, Chef Veal and I prepared a 3 course meal out of the pig, that we think (based on all the smiles) everyone enjoyed.
I hope this kind of special cooking class will be the first of many. The interest and excitement that Peg and Scott and their friends demonstrated for pig class really opened my eyes to the possibility of other member-driven cooking experiences, and I welcome the opportunity to design a class for you and your friends based on your own culinary curiosities. Running around $125 per person (due to the private, personalized nature of class and the cost of ingredients involved), these classes have few limits and can be created to help you more specifically explore what you’ve always wanted to learn more about. Hope to see you in the kitchen soon!
