Hi ladies and gents!
I’m just stopping in quickly to say that I’m so thankful for the friendship, encouragement, kind comments, and constructive criticism you all have offered me over the past few months! The blogging experience has been full of surprises for me, and the network of people that regularly read and comment and engage in conversation with me is simply amazing. If I think about it too much, my brain starts to hurt. With a good kind of pain.
Today is going to be a whirlwind of fun and frolicking: I’m cutting out of work early today, and will soon be making a massive grocery store trip with Cassia to get all the supplies for our cooking class tonight. Mr. Dominick’s, beware! A 2-woman tornado will soon be touching ground at your store! And if there happens to be a cheese-sampling station, watch out–I stalk those things. It’s my version of smoking behind the barn.
With our groceries (and skillets and knives and Dutch ovens and microplane) loaded into Cassia’s car, we’ll be heading to Traci’s house, where our mission is to cook and photograph the Roasted Red Pepper soup and Fruit Pizza components (to be assembled later) before everyone arrives at 6:30 pm.
Here’s a peak at our practice run from last Saturday–Cassia is about to put together the Fruit Pizza.
Isn’t it beautiful?
So let’s be honest–the Fruit Pizza gets a little ugly once the red syrup goes on.
But as long as it’s delicious, who cares?
The Roasted Red Pepper soup is so creamy and satisfying . . .
It’s topped with lime cilantro sour cream and broiled corn. Oh joy. And I promise to photograph it again in a non-yellow bowl. Maybe even a non-chipped non-yellow bowl–but let’s not go hog-wild here, folks.
Part of the process we’ll be teaching people tonight is how to beat up a chicken.
But this chicken was really asking for it, so it’s okay. See all those bruises? They’re an intrinsic part of the roasting process.
Just kidding! It’s an olive tapenade, rubbed under the skin. Hideous, but oh-so-good. I’ll have to find a photogenic way to present it when I officially share the recipe with all y’all. Because as it is, looking at that picture is actually subtracting from my hunger quotient.
Oooh, a new weight-loss technique! Whenever you get hungry, just look at that ugly olive chicken picture and you’ll never feel like eating again. Hunh. I stand to make millions.
Anyway, once we get to Traci’s, we should probably lay out groupings of ingredients and the implements needed for each dish in advance so that I’m not scavenging in the fridge for a sprig of rosemary at the last minute while everyone looks down at my crouched and contorted form, doing earnest battle with the crisper drawer with one hand and tugging at the back of my jeans so that they remain appropriately hitched up with the other. It’s these new cuts of jeans, people! Sometimes they don’t stay up all by themselves! Does anyone else have this problem? Bueller?
Knives and cutting boards will be laid out, snack food and drinks both available and out of the way, recipe packets ready to be handed to each lady–we are going to be ready.
I can’t wait to create this creamy polenta . . .
Okay, I’m hungry again.
Hi Cassia! Can’t wait to see you in a couple hours! And thanks for doing so many dishes at my house! Maybe you should come over more often.
Anyway, friends, I just want to add that I wouldn’t be teaching this class if it weren’t for this blog that chronicles my cooking adventures . . . and I wouldn’t be writing this blog if it weren’t for your presence, support, and kindness. So–thank you! To each and every one of you–my silent readers and my regular commenters and my sporadic commenters and that weird person who ended up on my blog after googling “wrestling mud twinks.”
To that weird person: I hope you enjoyed the pictures of my mother wrestling a pig in the mud–and I also hope you find whatever it is you’re truly looking for.
I wish you all were here in Chicago for our shindig this evening–and if you decide to magically travel through time and space, appearing on Traci’s doorstep in a whirlwind of pink and purple sparks, I promise to feed you delectable treats and roasted chickens up the wazoo.
I hope you all have a lovely weekend–and Monday the first cooking class recipe (the Shredded Brussel Sprouts) will be up and running!
Have a fantastic evening Jenna. Can’t wait to read about your adventure.
You are too sweet. Good luck tonight, I can’t wait to reader about brussle sprouts on Monday
Good luck, Jenna! Wish I could be there to heckle-wait no-to support you.
If you and Vessie you instantaneously appear, seriously, that would be amazing. Can you quickly get in touch with Harry Potter and learn a couple spells or something?
I can’t wait for tonight! I’ve been looking forward to it all week. Don’t worry, Sarah R., I’ll make sure that there will be heckling. I do it out of love, Jenna. Heckling helps one stay at the top of one’s game. 🙂
I look forward to it! =) Bring on the heckling!
Shoot! I was so busy eating that I totally forgot to heckle!! hmmph. That just means you’ll have to do another class. 🙂
Haha, you’re right–there was a complete absence of heckling! (yesssss!) And I think you should do a baking class and I’ll take up the mantle of heckling.
Can’t wait for your creations. Have fun.
Oh yay! I didn’t realize you were teaching a cooking class, but that is SO awesome! you picked some fantabulous recipes. That polenta alone has me drooling.
Hey Jenna, have fun at your cooking class tonight! Your blog has been (and still is) awesome.
Thanks Dave. =) I always love reading your comments–I love your fearlessness in the kitchen. It’s inspiring.
Have fun!!!
Marco
Can’t wait to read about it. Your photography is high on my list of favs so I’ll take a chipped bowl anytime! Have fun. 🙂
Wish I can join you!! Have a great time!
Enjoy your cooking class. You should be good at it. You’ve been doing it on your blog for a while. I always learn from your cooking posts.
That wrestling pig in mud thing was amazing! AMAZING!
Blessings…
have fun!!
Found you at The Kitchen Witch. Wow! gorgeous food. My fruit pizza never looks quite like that!
That is one gorgeous fruit pizza!
yum. i am salivating, and calculating the hour difference from alaska to see if it would be possible to eat these things tonight. i think not. but they look so good!! and i’ve been craving polenta and made a horrible batch before coming here that only left me craving good polenta more!!! whatever shall i do????
If you can’t fricassee, fry fry a hen.
Hi Jenna, have a great night. I’m sure it’ll be a BIG hit. If I was in Chicago, I’d be in the front row of your class!!!!
mmmm….you just made me crave fruit pizza!!! also, I hope you have fun tonight 🙂 Your blog is awesome and so are you!
Aw, I’m glad to be one of your readers! You are, seriously, the best blog writers b/c you’re always entertaining, no matter what your subject, and you are able to draw the reader in to care about things that happen in your life, even if we don’t know you. You don’t go on too long, and you punctuate the posts with lots of beautiful pics so that we’re always eager to come back for more! You’ve got a gift, girl, and I’m glad you share it with us! Have fun tonight!
You are TOO SWEET! Seriously. Thanks Veronica. =)
Well, I have to say, your chicken is prettier than the last one I made. Ha, ha.
Do we have to be in the cooking class to get a recipe for that soup? It looks delicious and I just bought some peppers.
Seriously, I’m even drooling despite the chicken 😉
Don’t worry, all recipes will be shared! And it is an amazing soup–I’ll get to it as soon as I can.
Jenna, I have been missing getting to spend time on your blog. But just know that you’re fabulous, ok? You really are!
Well I miss reading your blog! I know you’re busy, you little undergraduate you, so come back as soon as you can!