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Culinary Hobby Classes Open to Novice and Experienced Chefs at the Professional Culinary Institute in February
Exquisite Puff Pastry, French Cuisine, Pasta & Pizza, Vietnamese Cooking Classes and More!
PCI's weekend curriculum is designed to bring the Artisense method for culinary instruction used in professional courses, to the amateur chef. Every technique is explained and demonstrated by PCI's award-winning instructors in state-of-the-art demonstration kitchens before the cooking begins.
To register for a hobby class, call 408-370-9190 or send an email to info@pcichef.com for more information. The cost of the class includes an apron and recipe packet. Weekend hobby classes are offered year round, and gift certificates are available for purchase. The maximum number of students per class is 16, and the deadline to register is 72 hours prior to the class or based on space availability.
Hobby classes scheduled for February include:
Saturday, February 2, 2008
Mardi Gras Festival
Instructor: Chef Peter Maguire
10am-2:30pm
$150 per person
This festive class offers students a taste of the South, with Mardi Gras themed culinary cuisine that includes seafood, sausage and of course some serious sweets. The class will begin with cocktail party appetizers, shrimp remoulade and crawfish etoufee followed by a sausage and chicken gumbo, a Louisiana soup or stew that reflects and blends the rich cuisines of regional Indian, French, Spanish, and African cultures. Students will then take a classic filet Oscar and blacken the beef to create a nice twist of Cajun and elegant entrée. To finish the meal, students will enjoy praline cheesecake, a favorite everywhere!
Exquisite Puff Pastry
Instructor: Chef Anne Baldzikowski
10am - 2:30pm
$150 per person
This class will teach the techniques used to create a simplified version of the classic French Milles Feuilles pastry. Students will make a quick puff pastry by rolling multiple layers of butter into the dough, creating layers of delicate paper-thin pastry. Then, students will shape the pastry into savory cheese straws as well as sweet and crunchy palmier cookies.
Saturday, February 9, 2008
French Connection - Fine Dining
Instructor: Chef Peter Maguire
10am - 2:30pm
$150 per person
Students will enjoy tasty French-inspired starters, sure to entertain party guests, including exquisite canapés of cream cheese and smoked salmon, and potatoes stuffed with bacon and crème fraiche. The menu will include wild mushroom soup, filet of sole Veronique, and a light salade melee, followed by an entrée of chateau Briand. To finish, students will prepare a Grand Marnier souffle.
Popular Vietnamese Dishes
Instructor: Chef Chat Mingkwan
10am - 2:30pm
$150 per person
With influences from Chinese and French cultures, Vietnamese cuisine has an East meets West blend of subtle tastes and flavors. Students will explore the components of Vietnamese cuisine that make it so popular - including its healthy reputation. This class will cover the simple techniques used in preparing popular Vietnamese dishes, and it will teach students to use fresh herbs, such as Vietnamese mint - Rau Ram, basil - Rau Que, and Ngo Gai. Items on the menu include: lemongrass chicken; mango and pumpkin pie; beef and noodles salads; shrimp moose fresh spring rolls; clay pots; pork and young coconut juice stew; sauces nouc cham and dressings; and steamed rice.
February 16, 2008
Chinese Stir-fries
Instructor: Chef Chat Mingkwan
10am - 2:30pm
$150 per person
This class will teach Chinese wok and stir-fry cuisine. Students will learn to create quick and easy dishes, using fresh ingredients, taking little time to cook, and employing simple techniques. Students will make the delicious and popular dishes found in most Chinese restaurants with a healthy and personalized twist. Items on the menu include: pepper shrimp; beef and broccoli; eggplant and basil; ribbon noodles with black beans; sweet and sour chicken; chow mein noodles; and fried rice.
Pasta and Pizza - CA, Chicago & NY
Instructor: Chef Peter Maguire
10am - 2:30m
$150 per person
Students will get a taste of Italy in this class as they learn about the variations of each region's pizzas. This class will introduce the specific regional styles of pizza in Chicago, New York and California. Homemade fettuccini with shellfish and capelini noodles dressed in tomato, basil, garlic, parmesan and mozzarella will accompany the pizzas. The pizza and pasta will be garnished with a few basic sauces; additionally, students will create a tasty dessert of canollis.
Founded by Chef Richard Battista in 2005, the Professional Culinary Institute (PCI) is a premier chef-owned culinary school located in the heart of the Silicon Valley in Campbell, California. Offering full- and part-time programs in culinary arts, baking and pastry arts, a certified sommelier program, and a hospitality management program, PCI offers small class sizes, renowned instructors, state-of-the-art equipment and facility, a required paid externship and an Artisense method of teaching that is unique to PCI. Degrees and diplomas offered at PCI include: Diploma of Essential Professional Culinary Skills, Diploma of Essential Professional Baking and Pastry Skills, Certified Sommelier, and Associates of Occupational Science in Hospitality Management. To learn more about PCI, visit www.pcichef.com or call toll free, 1-888-PCI-LEARN.