Painting by Sue Haynes
I still have email coming in concerning the Pig 101 dinner! Thank you, everyone for your support and interest Here are a few comments from those emails….
From Jan in Colorado….I just read your blog describing the success of your Pig 101 night at Jasper's. I'm so proud of you! You're certainly making a name for yourself (and it's a good one!). Congratulations of the Smithfield offer--that'll be quite an experience for you. They obviously know a good thing when they see it! I'm sure Arch is smiling down. No, actually, Arch would be laughing his big, hearty laugh!
We're going to Williamsburg, Virginia, in early May. Maybe our paths will cross. I can't remember if you said when you'd be going to Smithfield.
The thanks part of the subject line is for the French bistro menu I made for company. It was a huge hit and our guests were effusive in their praise. I told them I'd pass it on to you!
You go, girl!
This one is from Donna, who attended the dinner…..
I know Bill sent an email out to your class regarding the Pig 101 event but I must tell you, it was a total WOW experience for us. We've never done anything like that before but it won't be the last.
My question for you is: Are these dinners really for just members of the Slow Food KC Chapter or is anyone invited? Do you ever do cooking classes/dinners at the Culinary Institute? I know Jasper does.
Again, thanks for a great evening. I never expected to be served that much food nor drink that much "good" wine from a local vineyard. We also had a fun time with Derek Donovan from the Star - hearing about his family, his work, his hobbies and his appreciation for good food and wine. Plus I get to see his face every morning in the paper; however, he's much cuter in person. Again, a totally WOW evening.
Great pictures of you and Jasper on your blog-
Donna
And finally, from Sam in Omaha…..
Kay, we love your blog and wish we were closer to attend some of your events. The Pig 101 dinner must have been a very special evening. Just reading your blog building up to the dinner had both Debbie and me anxiously awaiting the news about its success. Congratulations!
Will you ever come up to Omaha to teach and cook? We will be there if you do!
From Jan in Colorado….I just read your blog describing the success of your Pig 101 night at Jasper's. I'm so proud of you! You're certainly making a name for yourself (and it's a good one!). Congratulations of the Smithfield offer--that'll be quite an experience for you. They obviously know a good thing when they see it! I'm sure Arch is smiling down. No, actually, Arch would be laughing his big, hearty laugh!
We're going to Williamsburg, Virginia, in early May. Maybe our paths will cross. I can't remember if you said when you'd be going to Smithfield.
The thanks part of the subject line is for the French bistro menu I made for company. It was a huge hit and our guests were effusive in their praise. I told them I'd pass it on to you!
You go, girl!
This one is from Donna, who attended the dinner…..
I know Bill sent an email out to your class regarding the Pig 101 event but I must tell you, it was a total WOW experience for us. We've never done anything like that before but it won't be the last.
My question for you is: Are these dinners really for just members of the Slow Food KC Chapter or is anyone invited? Do you ever do cooking classes/dinners at the Culinary Institute? I know Jasper does.
Again, thanks for a great evening. I never expected to be served that much food nor drink that much "good" wine from a local vineyard. We also had a fun time with Derek Donovan from the Star - hearing about his family, his work, his hobbies and his appreciation for good food and wine. Plus I get to see his face every morning in the paper; however, he's much cuter in person. Again, a totally WOW evening.
Great pictures of you and Jasper on your blog-
Donna
And finally, from Sam in Omaha…..
Kay, we love your blog and wish we were closer to attend some of your events. The Pig 101 dinner must have been a very special evening. Just reading your blog building up to the dinner had both Debbie and me anxiously awaiting the news about its success. Congratulations!
Will you ever come up to Omaha to teach and cook? We will be there if you do!
Thanks to all of you who have written , but now it is time for Spring Time Menus! Just because we are expecting up to 12" of snow doesn't mean it isn't Spring...I hope!
I know not all grills and smokers are made by Weber, but the care of a grill and the need for a new recipe for smoking are an important part of (God, I hate this term!) Spring Cleaning!
So, go to http://www.weber.com/ and check out their whole webpage. You can even order parts for your Weber grill. I have a Weber gas grill, wish it was charcoal, but live in a condo attached to other codos and we all have wooden decks....so, gas grills are the way to go for me. On Weber's page, check out their Grilling tips section...great grilling charts for meats.
Large Abstract Class is completed
What happened to our beautiful springtime weather? We’ve been threatened with this crud for several days, but the storm took its time getting here. I expected to wake up this morning to at least 6” of snow….but all it was doing was raining. It is now 2:20pm and it has finally begun to snow. They have backed off the 8 to 12” forecast, now saying 2-4”. Whatever! Just get on with it, get it over!
I was so worried about the vines at the vineyard, but Cindy reminded me that the vines do not bud out until the 2nd week in April…..how they know the date beats me! Anyway, the vines love this moisture, they will soak up all they can and be ready for bud break in 2 weeks. Hopefully the super cold weather will be long gone and our sunshine will be back!
What happened to our beautiful springtime weather? We’ve been threatened with this crud for several days, but the storm took its time getting here. I expected to wake up this morning to at least 6” of snow….but all it was doing was raining. It is now 2:20pm and it has finally begun to snow. They have backed off the 8 to 12” forecast, now saying 2-4”. Whatever! Just get on with it, get it over!
I was so worried about the vines at the vineyard, but Cindy reminded me that the vines do not bud out until the 2nd week in April…..how they know the date beats me! Anyway, the vines love this moisture, they will soak up all they can and be ready for bud break in 2 weeks. Hopefully the super cold weather will be long gone and our sunshine will be back!
Painting by Vicki Johnston
I am spending this cold wintery day in my pajamas with a paint brush in my hand. I decided to take advantage of a day at home and do at least one more canvas. I am painting 3 to 4 days a week now, which I love….just worried about running out of ideas.
Backy Pashia, co-owner and resident artist at ARTichokes in Leawood, has gotten me hooked on abstract design. I just completed her Large and Small Abstract class, and I loved it. I was pretty shaky in the beginning, but I am actually proud of my large abstract.
The entire class, all 8 of us, learned a lot about abstracts. At the beginning of our last class, we had a critique period before we completed our paintings, each telling what we liked about our painting, what was giving us trouble, etc then Becky spoke a moment on each painting. She is an amazing tea
cher and instructor. I use both terms because she can instruct you how to do it, then she can teach you why, the reasoning behind each brush stroke, each color on your palette. She will advise you on your painting, but she will not do your painting for you; that is another thing I admire about Becky.
Backy Pashia, co-owner and resident artist at ARTichokes in Leawood, has gotten me hooked on abstract design. I just completed her Large and Small Abstract class, and I loved it. I was pretty shaky in the beginning, but I am actually proud of my large abstract.
The entire class, all 8 of us, learned a lot about abstracts. At the beginning of our last class, we had a critique period before we completed our paintings, each telling what we liked about our painting, what was giving us trouble, etc then Becky spoke a moment on each painting. She is an amazing tea
cher and instructor. I use both terms because she can instruct you how to do it, then she can teach you why, the reasoning behind each brush stroke, each color on your palette. She will advise you on your painting, but she will not do your painting for you; that is another thing I admire about Becky.Painting by Kay Tucker
Friday evenings at ARTichokes are always fun. It is “open studio” time, meaning you can go in and paint for a small studio fee. There i
s live music about every other week, wine, appetizers and some wonderful art to see. The gallery part of ARTichokes is a great place to see what artists from across the country are doing. An added advantage of coming to ARTichokes on Friday evening is the connection with Room 39, one of the excellent restaurants in Mission Farms. A doorway has been opened up through to the restaurant. Go in and put your name on the waiting list, then step through the doorway into the gallery. They will buzz you when your table is ready; what a concept!
Painting by Audrey Benskin
s live music about every other week, wine, appetizers and some wonderful art to see. The gallery part of ARTichokes is a great place to see what artists from across the country are doing. An added advantage of coming to ARTichokes on Friday evening is the connection with Room 39, one of the excellent restaurants in Mission Farms. A doorway has been opened up through to the restaurant. Go in and put your name on the waiting list, then step through the doorway into the gallery. They will buzz you when your table is ready; what a concept!Here is a recipe just for all you ARTichoke painters and definitely for Becky. It is a very old recipe, one brought over from the old country. It can easily be called Italian immigrant cooking.
Carciofi Ritti also known as Stuffed Artichokes
6 large artichokes
2 ½ cups Italian seasoned bread crumbs
2 large eggs
¾ cup grated Romano cheese
¼ cup minced fresh parsley
1/8 cup minced garlic
½ cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil
½ teaspoon pepper and salt to taste
Wash the artichokes well in a cold saltwater bath. Cut off the stems and slice off a thin layer from the bottom of each artichoke. Lightly cut each artichoke bottom crosswise. This allows the juices to penetrate the artichokes from the bottom of the pan. With a sharp knife or kitchen shears, cut off the pointy tips around each artichoke, as well as the very top. Spread the leaves apart like a flower. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine the bread crumbs with the eggs, cheese, parsley, garlic, ½ cup olive oil, pepper and salt. The stuffing should be crumbly, not sticky. Loosely s
tuff each artichoke up to the top with some of the stuffing, taking care not to overload them. The artichokes should still look like flowers, even with the leaves stuffed.
Fill a large pot with about an inch of water and add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Stand the artichokes in the pan, making sure you don’r get any water in the stuffing. Bring the water to a boil, cover tightly, then bring down to a simmer. Cooking time will vary from 30 to 60 minutes, depending on size and thickness of artichokes.. Pull a leaf off periodically to see if the artichokes are tender. Serve while hot as an appetizer or as a vegetable side dish.
Serves 4 to 6
6 large artichokes
2 ½ cups Italian seasoned bread crumbs
2 large eggs
¾ cup grated Romano cheese
¼ cup minced fresh parsley
1/8 cup minced garlic
½ cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil
½ teaspoon pepper and salt to taste
Wash the artichokes well in a cold saltwater bath. Cut off the stems and slice off a thin layer from the bottom of each artichoke. Lightly cut each artichoke bottom crosswise. This allows the juices to penetrate the artichokes from the bottom of the pan. With a sharp knife or kitchen shears, cut off the pointy tips around each artichoke, as well as the very top. Spread the leaves apart like a flower. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine the bread crumbs with the eggs, cheese, parsley, garlic, ½ cup olive oil, pepper and salt. The stuffing should be crumbly, not sticky. Loosely s
tuff each artichoke up to the top with some of the stuffing, taking care not to overload them. The artichokes should still look like flowers, even with the leaves stuffed.Fill a large pot with about an inch of water and add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Stand the artichokes in the pan, making sure you don’r get any water in the stuffing. Bring the water to a boil, cover tightly, then bring down to a simmer. Cooking time will vary from 30 to 60 minutes, depending on size and thickness of artichokes.. Pull a leaf off periodically to see if the artichokes are tender. Serve while hot as an appetizer or as a vegetable side dish.
Serves 4 to 6
One more recipe featuring Artichokes.....
Artichoke Pie, an appetizer
1 8-oz package frozen artichoke hearts, 8- to 9-ounce package
4 each eggs
1/2 cup diced pepperoni
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated cheese such as Fontina or Monterey Jack
1 each 9" pie shell
4 each eggs
1/2 cup diced pepperoni
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated cheese such as Fontina or Monterey Jack
1 each 9" pie shell
Cook artichokes, drain and cut. Beat eggs thoroughly and add all ingredients. Mix well and pour into 9" pie shell. Bake at 375 degrees for 45-60 minutes. May be frozen after baked. Serve as part of antipasto or as a first course.
The great thing about this recipe is that you can keep all of the ingredients handy to throw this great appetizer together at the last minute! To make it even more convenient...bake several and freeze them. Remove from the freezer several hours before you want to serve them. I've even popped thawed pies into the a very low oven for 10 minutes, just to insure they are warm and delicious.
