Spring Schedule for Greenwich Adult Continuing Ed Culinary Class

Amelia’s Kitchen by Amelia Bonacorso

As we wind down from the hearty winter dishes, spring brings us anticipation of longer and warmer days ahead. Days that pull us out of the kitchen to cook outdoors on our backyard grills. As a farewell to the winter fare and one more major holiday to celebrate with an abundance of food, we also start to think of how to simplify our meals with faster cooking cuts of meat and fish.

This semester we have 3-course meals that can be prepared within just 2 hours.  Allow me to show you how easy it really is to cook at home with some planning techniques and time saving tips. Bring a friend for fun and to enjoy the good food.

• CLASS 1:

Sautéed Pork Tenderloin with Apples and Onions is quick for a weekday meal yet special enough for entertaining. The pork doesn’t have much fat making its healthy and flavorful with the addition of apples and onions. To compliment this flavorful dish Braised Warm Red Cabbage seemed appropriate. Simple to make Chocolate Cinnamon Biscotti are great anytime of the year. They store well so they can be made ahead for serving with ice cream or dunking in coffee.

• CLASS 2:

Maple-Honey Glazed Baked Ham is a popular roast for this time of year. There is no mystery in knowing how to bake a juicy, flavorful all American ham with just a couple of techniques. What goes better with ham than seasoned Roasted Sweet Potato Wedges? A traditional Italian cookie recipe for Anginette Cookies is so simple and inexpensive to make. The lemon flavored dough and creamy icing seems to be loved by anyone who tastes them.

• CLASS 3:

Torta Pasqualina is a simple rustic Italian Easter Vegetable Pie. Depending on what region of Italy you favor, a savory egg crust is filled with braised greens such as chard or escarole. Other areas employ artichokes. The ricotta, eggs and grated cheese hold it all together then it is baked until golden brown. Mushrooms Stuffed with Sausage and Spinach make a hearty side dish or a satisfying appetizer at the holiday table. You don’t have to leave your kitchen to enjoy Taralli Dolci Di Pasqua (Easter Ring Cookies). Just the thought of how to make them can be so intimidating to the novice cook but they really are so easy to make.

• CLASS 4:

Crispy fried Cornmeal Crusted Cod Fish comes together quickly for a weekday meal. Ravioli topped with Roasted Squash and a Butter Sage Sauce is a great first course to a holiday meal. Ricotta like mascarpone in northern-Italian cuisine is a favorite component of many sweet Italian desserts, such as cheesecakes and cannoli. Sweet Ricotta Pie uses ricotta with just a few other ingredients and is a perfect confection to end a fabulous dinner.

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Visit my blog, Amelia’s Kitchen at www.greenwich.patch.com for more cooking ideas and recipes. Subscribe to my weekly Newsletter by contacting me at bonamelia@gmail.com