THE BOISE CO-OP IS STIRRING IT UP…
(And adding a pinch of salt)
With our NEW COOKING CLASSES!

Amazing teachers. Classes for all ages and experience levels. Transform everyday ingredients into spectacular dishes simply and affordably. Learn the value and benefit local agriculture, fresh and local ingredients. A variety of programs to meet your cooking needs and expand your culinary horizons. Fun, delicious, unique and informative HANDS-ON classes!

–Boise Co-op’s Culinary Education Program–
At the Pottery Gourmet Kitchen, 811 W Bannock, Boise

For registration, please call the Boise Co-op at 472-4500, or visit our Customer Service Booth. The Pottery Gourmet Kitchen cannot accept registrations for these classes.  All classes begin at 6:30pm unless otherwise noted, and usually run about 2 hours.  Cost is $40 for Co-op members and students, $50 for non-members.  Sign up early, as classes often sell out quickly.

Gluten Free Delights!

-Wednesday, July 7-

This third installment in our ongoing Gluten-Free series will feature new, in-season recipes that will expand you repertoire and summer menus, including delicious approaches to classic French fare!  Join Caitlyn Davies, our official Gluten-Free Gal, and Sylvie Ryan, our Culinary Educator, to be inspired !

The French Chef Series: Bastille Day!

-Wednesday, July 14-

Celebrate Bastille Day as Sylvie Ryan, our Culinary Educator, shares her own festive family recipes! Sylvie will introduce you to traditional French dishes, including her mom’s special Olive Bread and her grandmother’s famous Cherry Clafouti! Don’t miss this delightful culinary experience!

The Wonders of Raw Food

-Wednesday, July 21-

Raw food has taken America by storm! Join Liz Allred, our own Raw Food expert, and Sylvie Ryan, our Culinary Educator, to learn delicious ways of incorporating incredibly healthy– and truly gourmet– raw dishes into your diet!

The Sweet Side of Julia!

-Wednesday, July 28-

It’s time for another episode of “All Things Julia!” and this week, we’ll explore Ms. Child’s mouth-watering, mind-blowing desserts! Come ready to indulge in sweet French delights, with perfectly chosen wines to accompany these classic treats!

Tour de France: Cheese, Wine & Other Delights!

- Wednesday, August 4 -

This first in our new series of regional cheese classes begins in the south of France, where we’ll explore cheese-based recipes and the wines that compliment them!

All Things Julia Child: Fish and Seafood Classics

- Wednesday, August 11 -
That’s right, it’s time once again for another episode of “All Things Julia!” and this week, we’ll explore Julia’s most beloved recipes of the genre: Sole Meuniere, Truite aux amandes (trout with almonds), Coquilles St-Jacques (sea scallops) and more!

Late Summer in Paris

-Wednesday, August 18 -
Spectacular Bistro-inspired fare, perfect for sultry summer nights!

The Global Chef: The Cuisine of Morocco

- Wednesday, August 25 -
From the Tagine to traditional couscous, we’ll discover the spicy, sensuous side of North African cuisine.

Bon Appetit! See You At The Classes!

]]> http://www.boisecoop.com/new-cooking-classes-and-events-sign-up-now/feed 1 http://www.boisecoop.com/meet-sylvie-ryan-our-new-culinary-educator http://www.boisecoop.com/meet-sylvie-ryan-our-new-culinary-educator#comments Fri, 06 Nov 2009 19:03:40 +0000 Member Services http://www.boisecoop.com/?p=3382

Sylvie Ryan

Sylvie Ryan grew up in the Alsace region of France, where eating and entertaining is still very much an art form. She spent countless hours immersed in the flavors and warm aromas of her mother’s home cooking, surrounded by friends and family who often dropped by to enjoy an improvised meal. Sylvie’s mom and grandmother involved their children in the preparation of meals, and so “La cuisine,” or the preparation of food, is deeply imbedded in Sylvie’s approach to life.

Sylvie moved to Boise in 1995, she has been teaching French for the last 12 years. She has always included culture and cooking as a major element of her teaching philosophy. She is now working at the Boise Co-op as Culinary Educator, where her goal is to recognize and celebrate the chef and food lover in all of us!

Fennel Bulb

Fennel bulb’s potent aniseed taste mellows down when cooked. This vegetable is a great match to baked tomatoes, raspberry vinegar and honey.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

4 Large Fennel Bulbs, trimmed, split down the middle and washed well
1Tbsp Olive Oil
4 Large Beefsteak Tomatoes, skinned, de-seeded and chopped
1Tbsp Honey
1 Tbsp Raspberry Vinegar
4 Basil Leaves, chopped
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

Instructions:

Bring a large pan of salted water to a boil the fennel for 20 minutes.

Refresh the fennel in cold water, then lay in a shallow earthenware baking dish.Brush with olive oil. Scatter the tomatoes over the fennel.

Mix together the honey and vinegar and drizzle over the dish. Sprinkle with basil, salt and pepper. Place the dish in a preheated oven at 400 degree F (200 degree C) and bake for 15 minutes, so that the tomatoes cook to a rich sauce over the fennel. Serve right away.

Cook’s note:
This dish makes an excellent light meal, or pairs wonderfully with roasted chicken or grilled fish such as sea bass or halibut.

—Sylvie Ryan, Boise Co-op Culinary Educator

Celeriac

Despite its rough appearance, celeriac, or celery root, has a sweet and very subtle flavor. It’s tasty when simply parboiled in water with lemon, but in this salad it is used raw to allow its unique taste and texture to come through. Here is a fast, easy and delicious way to serve this underappreciated vegetable.

Serves 3-4

Ingredients:

1 Celery Root (about 1½ pounds) peeled
2-3 tsp. Lemon Juice
1 tsp. Walnut Oil (optional)
1 Apple
3 Tbsp. Mayonnaise
2 tsp. Dijon Mustard
1 Tbsp Chopped Fresh Parsley
Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

Instructions:

Using a food processor or coarse cheese grater, shred the celery root. Alternatively, you can slice it into thin julienne strips. Place the celery root into a bowl and sprinkle with the lemon juice and walnut oil. Stir well to mix.

Cut the apple into quarters and remove the core. Slice thinly crosswise and toss with the celery root.

Mix together the mayonnaise, mustard and fresh parsley. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir the mixture into the celery root and apple, mixing well. Chill for several hours until ready to serve.

Cook’s note:
This salad can be a great companion to a mixed green salad. Or, serve it with grilled fish or a poached egg and you will have a complete, delicious light meal.

—Sylvie Ryan, Boise Co-op Culinary Educator

By Sylvie Ryan, Boise Co-op Culinary Educator

Olive oils are essential to the food lover’s kitchen! I always enjoy experimenting with them, and often have more then one bottle in my cupboard. They’re versatile and they simply bring out the best flavors in so many dishes. Here are my favorites from around the world, all of which you can find at the Boise Coop!

Mas du Gourgonnier: The Must-Have!
(From France)

Picture this: A palette of the most stunningly different greens, with views of endless rows of olives trees. Happy, strong, healthy!

You are in the most beautiful Provence region of France! It is Baux-de-Provence and we are at the Mas du Gourgonnier, to be exact. Luc and Eve Cartier take pride in nurturing the products they grow with love, patience and dedication. The mas du Gourgonnier’s wines and oils all come from organic agriculture. This pure liquid sensation is a non-filtered olive oil made with four traditional variety of olives: Salonenque, Grossane, Verdale and Beruguette. The Boise Co-op has marvelled at the Cartier’s quality of outstanding products for many years, and Drew at the Boise Co-op Wine Shop summed up our feelings toward this oil beautifully— after tasting it, he exclaimed “Yes, I had it with toasted bread and I thought, ‘Forget the bread, this is so good!” You, too, should experience this amazing and delicious condiment.

See the recipe below for a fabulous way to utilize this precious oil!

Basso Fedele& Figli: The Fresh and Grassy!
(From Italy)

Basso Fedele e Figli srl is a company that has been producing cooking oils since 1904. The production plant is located in Campania, which is the third olive oil production region of Italy. BASSO Extra Virgin Olive Oil is obtained without chemical treatment and obtained from the first cold press of healthy, ripe olives. This delicious oil is great when used raw or in cooked meals  It offers a very pleasing fresh olive flavor.  I find the chartreuse green color looks gorgeous when drizzled on a white plate.

Gaeta: The Sweet Bargain!
(From Italy)

The Italian castle dates back as far as the Byzantine Empire. Through its walls lies the region of Gaeta-Itri, Italy where Gaeta olives (rare and delicious) are grown on the hillside above the azure sea.

This is where John Fusco traced his roots to a family legacy of Olive trees that had lost their importance. The extra virgin olive oil from these groves was so extraordinary, with an acidity level far below the 1% international standard, that it was being purchased by cheap oil companies as an additive to improve the quality of their own oil.

When John learned that his family’s farms had been virtually abandoned, he focused his heart and mind to restoring them to their original condition and purpose. He spent a year in the olive fields handpicking the sun-drenched olives and mastering the growing secrets for a unique, delicious olive oil.

Nearly all mass-market olive oils are produced from a mixed selection of olive types grown in a variety of regions and climates. With varying olive types from harvest to harvest and inconsistent crop yields from year to year, it is impossible to compete with the quality of Gaeta olive oil, because Gaeta’s single-grove harvesting produces a quality and flavor consistency that can be relied upon forever. All Gaeta products are made from completely natural, organic, and/or kosher ingredients. I find this remarkably inexpensive oil to be perfect for every day use, as it perfectly enhances a multitude of raw and cooked dishes.

Yellingbo Gold: The Award-Winning Mild and Fruity!
(From Australia)

This olive oil is a mild, fruity blend of Manzanillo, Leccino, Frantoio and Barnea olives. It’s versatile and marries well with most any dish—as salads, vegetables, seafood and fish. Its delicate flavor will complement your favorite food without overwhelming the taste. Saveur Magazine had this to say about this lovely oil:

“Wonderful aromas of fresh fruit, lead to a creamy palate of sweet almonds and a mild lingering peppery finish…”

Australian Yellingbo donates 5% of their profits to the Jasmine Foundation to help support Children Orphinages. Find out more at: www.jasminefoundation.org.

Try out Sylvie’s
Elegant Figs with Prosciutto

]]> http://www.boisecoop.com/huiles-dolive-an-olive-oil-primer-for-the-food-lover/feed 0 http://www.boisecoop.com/sylvies-elegant-figs-with-prosciutto http://www.boisecoop.com/sylvies-elegant-figs-with-prosciutto#comments Tue, 08 Sep 2009 17:33:38 +0000 aaron http://www.boisecoop.com/?p=2652 I used the mas du Gourgonnier olive oil in the following recipe. I could swear it added a new dimension to the figs’ aroma!

The Boise Co-op offers fresh figs for a short couple of weeks in August. Grab them while you can! All the ingredients I used for this recipe are available at the Boise Coop.

I created this dish because I love the flavor, texture and subtle sweetness of fresh figs, and it is so easy to make! Dried figs work well too, but nothing compares to the prime freshness of this sexy fruit! I wrapped the figs in prosciutto, but you can easily discard the meat and make this appetizer a delicious vegetarian treat.

Serves 6-8
Preparation time:15 minutes
Cooking time: 15-20 minutes

12 fresh figs
5 oz. Chêvre Frais (This is a milder version of goat cheese, much softer and easier to spread, but any of the Boise Co-op’s goat cheeses will work. Try the local producer from Parma, Idaho!)
12 slices Prosciutto
Olive Oil (for this recipe I used the delicious French Mas du Gourgonnier)
Fig-Infused Balsamic Vinegar (this one is Lucini)
Toothpicks (Standard size works, but you can also use larger ones depending on the size of the fruit)
Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper
Cut a small incision on the side of each fig. With a small teaspoon, scoop out enough pulp to create room for the cheese. Reserve the fig pulp.

Mix the cheese and fig pulp in a bowl. Add a pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.
Scoop the cheese mixture into the figs. Wrap the figs with a slice of prosciutto and use the toothpick to keep it together. It will look like a little purse. Place the wrapped figs on an ungreased baking sheet.

Bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes or until the prosciutto is a bit crispy.

To dress it, I like to first create a bed of organic lettuce mix and put the pretty fig purse on top of it. Drizzle on some olive oil and balsamic vinegar, add a little more pepper and VOILA!