Hello all!
This week in our Learn to Cook class we tackled the one and only… meatballs!
We learned that meatballs are in just about every culture in one form or another… with the flavor and sauce varying depending on the region. Of course we all know the Italian version… or possibly the Swedish meatball… but did you know that in Germany there is a very famous variant of meatballs are Königsberger Klopse, which contain anchovy or salted herring, and are eaten with caper sauce? Or in Indonesia, meatballs are called bakso which are usually served in a bowl, like soup, with noodles, beancurd (tofu), egg, siomay/steamed meat dumpling, and crispy wonton.
We talked about proper cooking temperatures of the varying types of meat and WHY the meat must be cooked to the proper temperatures.
The class ended with a discussion and demonstration on how to make a compound butter… namely Garlic Butter…used to make a delicious garlic bread. We discussed the possibilities of, for example, a sweet cinnamon butter that you could use on waffles or french toast. Doesn’t that sound delicious?!
At the end of the class, our aspiring Chefs got to take home a container of meatballs in sauce and ready-to-bake garlic bread to share with their families. All they needed to add was some fresh pasta… and dinner is served!
Nick and I have a great group of children who are all interested, focused and very mindful while working in the kitchen with us. We can’t wait until next Friday!
Be good…
Chef Jason