Events & Adventures

Events & Adventures, a social group for singles, enjoyed a cooking lesson with Ellie entitled "Quick & Easy Meals for People on the Go".

Belated Mother's Day cooking class

Doreen, Katie, Christine & Juliet shared a belated Mother's Day cooking class with some of their good friends. As you can see, it was also a fun-filled girl's night out!

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Last night was great!
Doreen R., Westminster, Massachusetts

Blackstone Public Library

This is a peek of a presentation given at the Blackstone Public Library, Blackstone, Massachusetts.

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Christmas cooking lesson gift certificate just redeemed

Rena and Mike who have the ultimate Crate & Barrel-equipped kitchen, and love to cook, show off the pizza they made during their cooking lesson.

Ellie was a fantastic instructor and we finally got to use a lot of stuff from our wedding gifts that were still packed away. The recipes were easy to follow and the food was downright delicious. Thank you so much for making the greatest room in the house that much better!!

Mike & Rena S., Maynard, Massachusetts

If you like Hermits....

If you like Hermits, check out Cathie M.'s comment regarding my Hermit recipe, a recent "Recipe of the Week" which may be found on my website.

I made your hermits yesterday. They are delicious!! The best I have ever had! They are better then the ones I buy at Henry's Market in Beverly. I never thought I would find a recipe better than those.

Home Cooking Class/Lesson

Though you might like to see a very short video clip of a cooking class/lesson for a very "Friendly" couple and 4 of their good friends, in their kitchen, in Wilbraham, Massachuseetts.

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Fisk and I and the rest of the crew had a terrific time. The chocolate lava cakes were a huge hit. And so was the Beef Wellington.We liked it so much that we plan to make it for Fisk's family on Christmas Eve. You can quote Fisk as saying it was "the best Christmas present I've ever received". I'm not sure what that says for the other 30+ Christmases we have celebrated!? But I am happy he liked this gift. Fisk has been cooking for over 30 years and he said it was one of the best cooking experiences he's ever had.
Jana & Fisk B., Wilbraham, MA

Josh's birthday cooking lesson

Ellie, Josh had a great time and I know he is looking forward to going through your cookbook. Thank you so much and we plan on sharing some of our leftovers with friends and family.
Molly C., Stoneham, Mass.

Amy's bachelorette party

Amy, a future bride, from Arlington, Mass., who loves to cook, enjoyed her bachelorette party on October 4th, when she and her good friends cooked their own dinner.
Thank you so much. It was a perfect bachelorette party. Exactly what I wanted to do, cook good food and spend time with friends! Everyone had a really nice time.
Amy, Arlington, MA

Harvest New England Cooking Program at The Big E 9/21/08

On September 21st I gave 2 cooking demonstrations at the Harvest New England Cooking Theater at the Big E in West Springfield. Click on the arrow if you would like to see a small segment of it.

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The Big E (Eastern States Exposition) September 18th & September 21st

Come visit me on Massachusetts Day, Thursday, September 18th, when I will be cooking and serving samples of Harvest Recipes from my cookbooks, as well autographing my books. I will be on the front lawn of the Massachusetts State House from 9:30 am to 6:30 pm.

*****

Visit me at the Big E September 21st for the. I will be at the Harvest New England Kitchen at 4:00 pm and 7:00 pm.

Big E info

Directions

Wilmington Memorial Library program

As part of a series for "Desperate Households", at the Wilmington Memorial Library, on September 11th, I presented a program entitled, "Meals in Minutes"
At the conclusion of the program, everyone enthusiastically sampled all the recipes.




I enjoyed your presentation at the Wilmington Memorial Library and I'm looking forward to your monthly newsletter:)

Beth C., Wilmington, Massachusetts

School bus cake

My granddaughter started kindergarten today, so over the weekend her parents threw her a party. Of course every party, especially in the Deaner family, needs a cake! My daughter-in-law and granddaughter made this fabulous school bus cake, which was a real big hit!

The party also featured a piñata, which was filled with school supplies. Pretty clever, don’t you think???

A European memory

Do you want to escape to Europe for just an hour? If so, I have a wonderful suggestion for you.

Last week, while in the Copley Square area of Boston, I suddenly recalled that I had heard that there was a café and restaurant at the Boston Public Library. Since it was nearly time for lunch, and I hadn’t been inside this gorgeous old building for a few years, I decided to investigate. The café is called Sebastian’s Map Room Café and you can purchase sandwiches, salads, fruit, beverages, etc and sit down and eat them in the café, or if you are as fortunate as I, to experience a spectacular cloudless summer day, you can take out your food to the courtyard , which is set in the midst of magnificent architecture, sculptures and gardens, and sit at comfortable wrought iron tables and chairs and enjoy a peaceful respite. As soon as I sat down I felt my memory transporting me back to similar settings in Europe, only here I was, in downtown Boston! Please realize that although the food at the café was quite tasty, it was more the ambiance than the food that recalled those wonderful times in Europe.

An updated version of my grandmother's salad

As I was mixing tonight's salad with some beautiful bright green Boston lettuce, I noticed the fresh blueberies sitting in my colander waiting to be rinsed. And I said to myself, 'Mutti, my grandmother, would certainly have approved of me adding these gorgeous berries to her salad.' Then I thought, how about a few toasted sliced almonds? Not only did it look wonderful, it tasted fantastic! So if you usually add strawberries or raspberries to your salad, try adding some blueberries and you'll be in for a real treat!

Two cooks in the kitchen

Here is a couple having fun, while cooking some quick and healthy meals together.

Steve really enjoyed pounding the chicken. Can you tell by his smile? Gina can hardly wait for her turn!

Camp cooking lesson #2

I returned to a local day camp to give a cooking lesson to a very enthusiastic crew. Quote from a 13 year old camper, "Mmm, the lemon brings out the soul of the chicken!"

They seem to have had almost as much fun washing dishes and pots and pans, as cooking!

Maggie's hint

One of my faithful newsletter readers sent in a tip that I think you might enjoy. Maggie K, from Framingham, MA, said that when she “wants a fast coffee cake to bring or serve” she makes the Blueberry Muffin recipe on pg 40 of my cookbook, From Ellie's Kitchen to Yours. However, instead of making muffins, she spreads the batter in a greased 8-inch square baking pan , sprinkles it with a mixture of sugar and cinnamon, as well as some sliced almonds, and bakes it at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes. I took Maggie’s advice and tried it. The resulting cake was faster to prepare than muffins and not as sweet as a typical cake So if you’re looking for a quick coffee cake you might like to try Maggie’s suggestion and convert your favorite recipe for a dozen muffins into a quick coffee cake.

Thanks Maggie!

Couple of cooks

Amy & Jay wanted to increase their dinner repetoire and look what they've created!!

How to identify fresh fish

Whole fish should:

• Look shiny


• Have bright clear eyes that are almost protruding


• Have firm and elastic flesh that springs back when gently pressed with a finger

Filets and steaks should:

• Have firm and elastic flesh with fresh cut and moist appearance

All fish should have no fishy or ammonia smell

Cherry tomatoes - bite-size pleasure

I just picked the first cherry tomatoes from my own plants! They are absolutely delicious - almost as good as chocolate!

Teaming up

This team worked together to produce a delicious, multi-course Hawaiian luau and then sat down to enjoy it.

What a fabulous time my group had working with Ellie. She was more than willing to accommodate our small group and traveled to a personal residence to host our event. She was engaging and enthusiastic and my team really rallied around the activity. With all the food prepared for us to start, all that was left was the fun of working in our teams to actually do the cooking! Needless to say the recipes were simply delicious. I would certainly use Let's Get Cooking again and would recommend them to anyone looking for a strong team-building experience.

Joseph 'Joe' Rock
Director, Clinical Science and Applications
Philip Healthcare

Andover, Massachusetts

Friendly cooking buddies

Pat invited her good friend Laura to join her for her cooking lesson. Pat had received a gift certificate for a cooking lesson as a Christmas gift from her daughter, because she knows how much her mom loves to cook.

We had a great time on Monday. The beef wellington was great, everyone loved it. Thanks again it was fun.

Pat B., Halifax, Massachusetts

An anniversary gift

John gave Pam a gift certificate for a cooking lesson as an anniversary gift. Here they are cooking with me in their own kitchen.

Will this rain ever stop?

With all this rain at least we don't have to water our tomatoes! However, we have a mushroom farm growing in our yard. Unfortunately, the mushrooms are probably poisonous, so we can't even cook or eat them. What a waste!

Camp cooking lesson

Here's a group of 11 teenagers enjoying the meal that they prepared as an activity at their day camp.They were very enthusiastic and especially loved pounding the chicken!

Ripening Summer fruits and veggies

Many summer fruits, such as peaches, nectarines, and melons, are not ripe when we purchase them. To hasten the ripening process, place them in a paper bag, close the bag and store at room temperature. Once your fruits have adequately ripened, you can halt the process by putting them in the refrigerator.

Bachelorette cooking party

I had a great time working on a bachelorette party in Cambridge for a bride-to-be and her friends who know how much she loves to cook. She had no idea what was planned and was thrilled to be abe to cook with her best friends. They all donned their chef's hats and aprons and had a ball preparing and eating the wonderful dinner that they cooked together. Wasn't Candice a beautiful bride one week later!!
Thank you again for a wonderful time and great cooking tips (all the girls have been raving about it, especially the microwavable salmon dish!) Lydia L., Indianapolis, IN

Private cooking lesson

Judy and John's chidren gave them a gift certificate for a cooking lesson so that John would, after more than 40 years of marriage, learn how to help Judy with the cooking. Below is what they had to say about their experience.

We thoroughly enjoyed your cooking skills! I was blown away with how much you accomplished in just over two hours! We all enjoyed gourmet dining for dinner, including my son in law who arrived late!..Soo glad to have new recipes! I’ll be sure to let you know if John cooks again! At least he tried for the first time! Keep on trying to educate our men. Once again we really enjoyed your visit! Keep on cooking! Judy T., Chelmsford, Massachusetts

Corporate culinary team building

A group of 36 enthusiastic employees, who were divided into teams, together produced a delicious and partiotic-themed dinner and then sat down to enjoy the 'fruits of their labor'.

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Here's what some of the participants had to say:

What a phenominal way to gather and bond! Susan D.

This was a terrific event. It was fun working together with people that I don't necessarily interact with on a daily basis. Great fun and great food! Ann Marie G.

Great informal and stressless team building activity that allows employees to work together. Mikki D.

Garlic info

When I teach, one of the most frequently asked questions is in regards to garlic. People want to know if they can substitute chopped garlic that can be purchased in jars, for fresh garlic. In my estimation, there is absolutely no comparison between the two. Fresh garlic tastes and smells infinitely better. I always use fresh garlic and either chop it with a sharp knife, in a food processor, or with a garlic press.

Garlic should be stored at room temperature, either in a wire or wicker basket, away from direct sunlight.

Bridal shower

Maureen and Chris enjoying cooking at Maureen's bridal shower.
Thank you for a wonderful shower and cooking demo! We had a lot of fun and the food was delicious! The video came out great! Maureen M., Cohasset, Massachusetts

Whipping cream

• To whip cream for frostings, fillings and decorations, you may use either whipping cream, all purpose cream or heavy cream.
• For best results, be sure to chill a metal bowl, beaters, or the whisk for at least 15 minutes. If, however, you don't have time to chill the bowl, you can immerse it in a larger bowl filled with ice water and proceed as usual.
• Remember to use a bowl that's deep enough, keeping in mind the cream will double in volume when it's whipped.
• Decrease the instances of splattering by gradually increasing the speed of the mixer from low to high.
• A small amount of cream (less than 1 cup) will whip better in a deep narrow bowl than one that's large and wide.
• You'll get more volume from whipped cream if you hold off adding sugar or flavorings like vanilla or liqueurs until the cream has been whipped to soft peaks.
  
  

Keeping red spices fresh

Since the optimun shelf life for most dried spices and herbs is 6 months, you'll probably be happy to hear that this time can be extended for red spices such as chili powder, cayenne pepper and red pepper flakes by keeping them refrigerated.

Capturing egg shells

Since this month many of you will probably be using lots of eggs for cooking and baking, I thought that I’d share an interesting factoid about eggshells with you. Inevitably someone asks me how to get broken pieces of eggshells out of the bowl after they’ve cracked an egg. The best way, in my opinion, is to use another piece of shell to attract the stray piece. One piece of cracked egg shell acts like a magnet and attracts other pieces.

Intergenerational cooking lesson

A father and his daughter-in-laws had fun cooking together.
We had a blast on Friday night. Thank you so much for making the experience a great one. We loved all of the food! The pasta, chicken and tortellini soup were the "favs" but we really enjoyed everything! We are looking forward to trying out the recipes on our own. Rachel A., Longmeadow, MA

Birthday gift certificate

I just want to let you know how fantastic my lesson was, I had such a great time! Thank you again...

Oh' and the Beef Wellington was amazing, we ended up called the neighbors to help us finish the food :)

thank you...

Rachel P., Shrewsbury, Mass.

Valentine cooking lesson

See how much David is enjoying his Valentine gift, a cooking lesson, from Lauren!

David and I had a wonderful time on Friday night. I could never get him to do as much work as he did in the kitchen on Friday. We had a blast and the recipes were wonderful. We had a feast on Sunday with all the leftovers. I cant wait to have my girlfriends over in the summer time for those ribs! Lauren F., S. Boston, MA

Garden club program

This was a return engagement to the Norwell Garden Club.