Hello all…
This Friday Chef Nick and I hosted our second “Learn to Cook” class. The theme… Mexican.
Our students learned how to make fresh Guacamole and fresh Salsa from scratch! We did a taste test between our own fresh salsa and a store bought jarred salsa and the winner… the fresh salsa, hands down!
We cooked ground beef for tacos and by the end of the class we sat down to a beautiful “Build your own Taco” buffet. Fresh salsa, fresh guacamole, sour cream, shredded lettuce, shredded cheddar cheese, refried beans, taco meat and both hard and soft corn tortilla shells.
My favorite lesson of the day was making ourown spice blends from individual spices for our Tacos, rather then depending on packet mixes that you’d pick up at the grocery store. The theme of this part of the lesson was that sometimes the packet mixes contain ingredients in them that you might not want to eat and might not have the same fresh and powerful bouquet.
Did you know MSG can also be labeled as “autolyzed yeast” and the manufacturer doesn’t have to tell you it contains MSG?? Many seasoning packets will sneak that in… and MSG isn’t something you necessarily want in your diet.
Hand blended spice mixes are generally fresher tasting and have a fuller and more complex flavor. Ounce for ounce you may find mixing your own spice mixes, whether it be a dry rub for ribs or steak or a taco seasoning, you may save a little at the cash register buying individual spices and making your own combinations at home. Yes, a packet of taco seasoning might cost $2 and stocking your pantry with a good array of spices may cost a bit more initially but when you have well stocked spice rack you will find making a blend to be a fraction of the cost.
Plus, you have complete control over the flavors. If you like more garlic, add more garlic. If you don’t like paprika, don’t add paprika!! This is where you get to be creative and experiment with flavor!!
Next up for our Learn to Cook students… home made pizza… crust from scratch and all!!
Thanks for reading.
Be good…
Chef Jason