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Novice and Experienced Chefs Can Celebrate 2008 by Taking a Hobby Class at the Professional Culinary Institute This January
Italian Flatbreads, Morning Pastries, Japanese Cuisine, Thai 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. 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 January include:
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Dinner Duet
Instructor: Chef Peter Maguire
10am-2:30pm
$150 per person
This class left so many students smiling in 2007, PCI decided to ring in the New Year by offering it again. Items on the menu will include: canapés of smoked salmon and dill, red pepper and fennel soup with basil cream, Ahi tuna and hamachi shooters, Caesar salad for two, porcini and bacon stuffed chicken breast with pommes dauphine and to finish Grand Marnier soufflés! The final piece de resistance is a surprise, but involves chocolate.
Italian Flatbreads
Instructor: Anne Baldzikowski
10am - 2:30pm
$150 per person
This is the perfect course for students who share a desire to bake bread, but up to this point has found it to be too complicated. By leaving out the fancy machines or kneading that is typically required to bake breads, Anne Baldzikowski simplifies the baking process. Students will learn to make herb topped focaccia and ladder shaped fougasse breads by mixing ingredients with just a bowl and a spoon. Additionally, students will learn to make Anne's award winning kalamata olive fougasse Bread.
Classical Thai Cooking
Instructor: Chat Mingkwan
10am - 2:30pm
$150 per person
This class will discuss Thai culinary culture and teach students to recognize Thai tastes and flavors by the hands-on preparation of a delicious meal in "Classical Thai Cooking." Students will learn to make popular dishes with a traditional and classical touch seldom found outside of Thailand. Additionally, students will learn to use basic Thai herbs, spices, and seasonings such as lemongrass, galangal, kaffir, fish sauce, tamarind. This class will teach how to transform fresh ingredients into exotic Thai dishes. Items on the menu include: hot and sour squid salad yum pla muk; chicken with Thai ginger soup tom kha gai; stir-fried eggplants with sweet basil pad kra pow; green curry shellfish kew wan tale; young coconut tapioca pudding with tropical fruits saku peak; steamed Thai jasmine rice kao saoy; and Thai iced tea cha yen.
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Intro to Japanese
Instructor: Chat Mingkwan
10am - 2:30pm
$150 per person
This class moves beyond Sushi and explores other areas of Japanese cuisine. Sushi's counterparts come in many forms and cooking techniques, including hot or cold noodles, grilled meats, and fried or steamed seafood. Students will learn to prepare a complete Japanese meal. Items on the menu include: chicken yakitori; cold buckwheat noodles; kabocha salad; salmon teriyaki; soba noodles; tempura prawns and assorted vegetables; boxed rice; green tea ice cream; tea; and sake.
Morning Pastries
Instructor: Anne Baldzikowski
10am - 2:30pm
$150 per person
Students will learn how to make cinnamon rolls and sticky buns - the perfect recipe to warm up on a relaxing Sunday afternoon. In this class, students will experience the magic of turning simple yeast activated dough into mouth-watering morning pastries. Additionally, this class will teach techniques to punch, scale and shape rolls and buns from sweet dough.
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.