The First of Its Kind: A Pig Cooking Class

When Club members Peg and Scott Meskan approached me to ask if I would teach a special pig cooking class for them and a group of their foodie friends, naturally I was thrilled. Pigs – the source of inspiration for many of the Club’s amazing meat dishes are such amazing animals, and I was delighted to get to share my knowledge with such an eager and interested group.

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!

Chef's Table - An Evening of Friendship, Fun & Fine Dining

A few nights ago I had the pleasure of cooking a special meal for Annette Grosz-Ringdahl and friends at the Madison Club’s Chef’s Table. Together we shared a menu of 5 courses of food and wines that had been specially selected for the group:

FIRST COURSE
Butter poached Maine Lobster, sautéed spinach,

sake lime beurre blanc

06' Ramey "Sonoma Coast" Chardonnay- Sonoma, California

SECOND COURSE

Cream of celery root and black truffle soup, Pancetta, spinach,

and wilted celery root toast point, fried artichoke

08' Fita Preta Branca- Alentejano, Portugal

THIRD COURSE

Braised Bison Hump, sweet soy-pickled ginger marmalade, seared jumbo

sea scallop, arugula, fried shiitake mushroom

07' Jean Luc Dubois "Clos Margot" Chorey les Beaune- Burgundy, France

FOURTH COURSE
Roasted garlic and citrus crusted lamb loin,braised lamb scallion cake,

sautéed market vegetable, parsnip puree, lamb demi-glace

07' Alvaro Palacios "Camins del Priorat"- Priorat, Spain

FIFTH COURSE

Chocolate Goat Cheese Torte: Goat cheese mousse, ginger-spice cake,

fig puree, apricot Vin Santo reduction sauce

08' Bonny Doon "Vinferno"- Arroyo Seco, California

The Chef’s Table is a fantastic way to celebrate a special occasion - or to simply enjoy a one-of-a-kind meal! I have never replicated the same menu twice, so you and your group are guaranteed a unique experience. I always enjoy cooking for Chef's Tables as it is a great chance to get to know each of our members better and to be creative designing dishes and menus around their personal tastes and preferences.

At this last gathering, the dessert was actually my favorite course! Below is a picture of the delicious chocolate goat cheese torte that we had. Our new pastry chef, Judy James, is really pushing the boundaries with her creations and goes above and beyond to make new and exciting desserts for the Club.