All is quiet but the whisk and ladle

All is quiet, but for the sound of the whisk and ladle.

Tom starts on his risotto,
the second course of the day.

Our weekend class- a new addition to the Liaison schedule in the past few months- hit the kitchen about the time that the rest of us were putting our feet up for the weekend. These students were often overlooked in our blog and Facebook page for this reason. In the midst of their final exams though, Chef Greg took a few minutes to capture them at the height of concentration.

Students from this class will be amongst our lineup when we hold our next graduation ceremony in January.

Aaron

Students prepped everything they needed the day before, so they were at the
stoves right away starting their mushroom soup and  risotto.

Sculptural works of art, but would you eat them?

 

Judith with her dragon- fondant over
marshmallow -Rice Krispie mix

Shari's gift for a musician friend

Croquet anyone?

Details from desert island

Call me a dinosaur: I don’t watch much TV, and must be the only foodie in Canada that doesn’t subscribe to the Food Network. It was a bit of an awakening, then, to discover that cake decorating has become a whole different animal since my mother made my three-dimensional Barbie doll cake some forty-odd years ago.            

        With the rising popularity of rolled fondant, contemporary cakes are now, more than ever, sculptural works of art. Liaison’s evening recreational Cake Decorating mini course through June and July was a testament to the range of possibilities. With a tub of fondant, some logistical tips, a few techniques and recipes, a novice in the world of cakes can bring their technicolor imagination to life.

After: Deb's cake for girls'
weekend at the cottage

Before: Deb's flip-flops 

Impressive meals from Basic Culinary Boot Camp

by Katrina Simmons

Chef instructor Bill Sharpe trades good-natured banter with the students as they don their aprons and start chopping. The atmosphere is decidedly upbeat as Culinary Boot Camp (Basic) ramps up for its ninth class, offering kitchen basics and the opportunity to learn the joy of cooking.

Don working on
mushroom ragout

Debbie pushes mushrooms around in the pan as their earthy smell fills the air around the stove she shares with Don. They add wine to deglaze the pans, then a splash of cream to make their mushroom  ragoût irresistible. The average age here is a young forty-something, and the class is strictly recreational. Most are winding down at the end of their work day; a contrast to the diploma students who left this kitchen an hour earlier, building up steam toward graduation and a budding career. 

Yogi and Jacob create their potato rösti.

With four more classes left in their thirteen week stretch, the Culinary Boot Camp creates an impressive meal: grilled veal chops over a bed of mushroom  ragoût, served with potato rösti, warm brussel sprout salad and freshly baked bread. It’s enough to make a woman weak in the knees. Hmm…. where can I sign up my husband?

The next Basic Culinary Boot Camp will run again in September.  Our new Advanced Culinary Boot Camp will run two nights/ week through April and May. Check our website or call Liaison College for details.