May 17, 2012 by Start From Scratch
Well, we are pleased as punch to announce that we will be throwing our first annual fundraiser in just over a month! There will be more details coming Monday, but we’ve partnered with Casel Marche, and five amazing local restaurants (Catch, Home Tasting Room, Blue Star Diner, Anju, and Jelly Modern Doughnuts) to bring you a fun-filled night of creative dishes and perfectly paired wines!
We’re excited and you should be too! Check back on Monday for full event details!
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May 13, 2012 by Start From Scratch
Hi there! We just wanted to give you a short little update on what’s going on with the Start From Scratch program.
Since our 2012 winter/spring season wrapped up in mid-April, we’ve been hard at work trying to better our program! There are some exciting expansions and changes coming to Start From Scratch in the next few months, which we will be announcing some time soon. Applications for the fall session of Start From Scratch will open on August 1st!
Also, on June 21st, we’re excited to say that we’re throwing our first annual fundraiser event in a collaboration with Casel Marche! It’s going to be a ton of fun! More details will be released regarding the fundraiser in the coming week.
That’s better much all for now!
- Dan & Jacinthe
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April 7, 2012 by Start From Scratch
Starting from Scratch: Easy appetizers
I can’t believe that this was the seventh week of class. Wednesdays have become my favourite day of the week simply because I know I’ll be making some delicious food with some really great people — this week was no exception.
The theme for this week’s class was overseas-inspired party fare. However, with no recipes sent beforehand, we came into class with no clue what we would be making. To our delight, it turned out to be potstickers, Thai salad rolls, and hummus. Already we were looking forward to what the night had in store.
The very first thing we learned how to do was roast red peppers. It was an extremely thrilling event; we got to watch the red peppers burn on an open flame. Lots of Instagram pictures were taken as the peppers went from bright red to pitch black. After that, we all got to practice our knife skills as we all prepped the vegetables for the salad rolls and potstickers, which I really appreciated.
As someone who grew up with a mom who made her own potstickers (and still does, as evident by the bags of frozen dumplings in our freezer), it was really interesting to learn how to make them myself. I’ve assembled some myself (poorly, I must add), but as the one with “the most experience” regarding this dish, I was called to teach everyone else how to assemble the potstickers in the wrappers. Well, I must say that although I did end up wrapping a pretty mean potsticker, everyone was a pro at it. Some did end up a bit wonky looking , which we all had a good laugh over, but overall we made some pretty good looking dumplings. They didn’t disappoint in the taste department either. I am even going to make the claim that they rivaled my mom’s dumplings in tastiness (although don’t tell her that). There were definitely none left over by the time we were done class. I think everyone agreed that it was just absolutely amazing how easy it was to make the dumplings, considering just how good they were.
After the potstickers we learned how to make salad rolls, which is also incredibly easy. After soaking the noodles in some hot water, and then the paper rice, we got to pick and choose the vegetables we wanted in the roll, and threw in some shrimp and noodles. The only tricky part was rolling them up, but as soon as we figured that out, we rolled up some impressive salad rolls. Jacinthe whipped up a quick peanut sauce to spread on the salad rolls and they tasted like perfection.
We saved the hummus until very last because it was very quick to make. We got a bag of tortilla chips from the Co-op and chomped on them dipped in the hummus. Needless to say, we all had food babies after this class was done.
- Allison
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March 21, 2012 by Start From Scratch
Starting from Scratch: Who knew grain could turn into such chocolaty goodness?
This week’s class was jam packed with excitement: chocolate quinoa cake, a grocery market tour by dietician Vincci Tsui, and Telus News filming a special segment on Dan the Trendsetter! Not only did we learn how to incorporate grain into everyday meals and utilize grains effectively, we learned about how Start from Scratch came to be and what simple things to look for when grocery shopping.
A misunderstanding I had about many grains is they are healthy and therefore cannot be delicious — narrow minded, I know! Dan definitely proved me wrong. We made a chocolate quinoa cake with raspberry jam that was impressively and artistically swirled across the plate. Our competitive side also came out when we had a cake decorating contest but we all won in the end — we got to eat delicious and (somewhat…) nutritious chocolate cake!
We also learned how to make simple and tasty buckwheat and tuna pitas. Using our chopping skills from the second week of class we diced onions and sliced tomatoes and cucumbers. Dan imparted some more kitchen wisdom onto us by telling us we do not need an actual zester, but can instead use the side of a cheese grater to fulfill all our zesting needs. After combining these ingredients and making a dressing out of olive oil and Dijon mustard we devoured the pitas. There was even enough to bring home leftovers for a Friday lunch or late Thursday night munchies!
The class ended with Vincci leading us around Co-op on a grocery market tour and educating us on what to both look for and avoid in foods. The most helpful fact I learned is to always look for the ingredient of whole grains in breads. Many companies take short cuts now and call their breads multigrain but are missing the nutritional value of whole grains (multi and whole grain are different- something I did not know before). Another eye opening fact was that granola bars are often misinterpreted as healthy because they have the word granola in them but are often extremely high in sugar and fat.
Throughout the class, a Telus reporter asked Dan several questions about the program and the future of Start from Scratch. We learned that people across Canada are interested in adopting Start from Scratch and spreading Dan’s mission of educating university students that cooking is affordable, easy and that they are all highly capable of cooking healthy meals. I am so happy to be able to be part of Dan’s food revolution and know that it will only get bigger in the future as word about this program spreads.
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March 5, 2012 by Start From Scratch
Starting From Scratch: Roasted deliciousness and butchering some meat!
I came to Dan’s class this week and everyone was very welcoming, even though I am from the “other” class. The theme this week was eating locally so our chickens came from the farmers’ market and our veggies and fruit came from Casel Market 17.
One of our chickens had been stolen from the fridge, but we forged on with the lesson, with a slightly less organic (read: not at all) chicken as a replacement. The class started off with an introduction to our guest, Amanda Middleton, who is a butcher extraordinaire. She got us all in there right away to chop vegetables to stuff the chicken. One lucky participant got to lift up the chicken’s skin to stuff some rosemary in there.
Dan’s kitchen creativity came out when adding honey and curry to the chicken’s sauce — and let me tell you, the creativity paid off! Once the chicken was in the oven, Amanda took us on a Co-op meat department tour to show us the cost effectiveness of butchering your own chicken, rather than buying all the separate pieces in the store. There were some huge savings there that we may never have known about.
Back in the kitchen, we prepped veggies to be roasted, beets to be pickled and assembled the crisp. We’ve all now learned that crisp is one of the easiest desserts to make — and super yummy too!
While everything was roasting in the oven, Amanda got a chance to really show us her skills. And we got a chance to show her ours too. As most people seemed a bit squeamish about the raw meat (myself included) Amanda had us each take turns based on where we were standing, so that no one missed out.
Everyone seemed to have some pretty serious chicken cutting skills. My turn came and I was instructed to stick the knife in and then pull up, essentially breaking the breast off from the backbone. The snaps and pops were horrifying for someone with a preference for vegetarianism, such as myself; however, with a few squeals and some kind encouragement from Amanda, Dan and the group, we all made it through as a team. Amanda made goody bags of meat and/or bones for people to take home and make soup, etc.
Once it came to eating time, there was no one that went home dissatisfied. We started with the crisp because, really, what student doesn’t do dessert first sometimes? Then we ate the roasted chicken which was juicy and flavourful. The gravy we made had a curried flair, the mashed sweet potatoes were creamy, the roasted vegetables were delectable with honey drizzled over them, and the pickled beets were crisp and tart. SO GOOD. Leftovers were basically not an option because it was too good to put off eating it.
—Lydia
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February 22, 2012 by Start From Scratch
Starting from Scratch: Improvisation at its best
In beginning the second week of Start from Scratch, we eagerly arrived at the Co-op only to discover a locked oven. Although this poses a problem in any kitchen, this was a particularly horrendous discovery as the theme of this week’s class was meant to be baking. Hmm.
Fortunately, Dan and Gwendolyn Richards (our guest baker and blogger at Patent & the Pantry) were extremely quick on their toes and their iPhones, sourcing out possible alternatives for us to try.
We settled for making biscuits anyhow and attempting to fry them in a pan. Not likely the most effective way of making biscuits, but to our uninformed student palettes, it was mostly acceptable. (Fortunately, we also made the brilliant decision to freeze some of the biscuits to take home. This provided a severe improvement on my breakfast the next morning.)
We also managed to whip up some potato pancakes and an improvised omelet!
Another highlight of the week was learning some exciting knife skills from Vincent Maas, sous chef of Home Tasting Room. Between potatoes, onions, oranges, and avocado we all got some much needed practice with a knife as well as a few laughs at each other’s fumbles.
I think we’re all looking forward to class this week as well as the Farmer’s Market on Saturday with Connie DeSousa of Charcut!
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February 11, 2012 by Start From Scratch
Dan was a fabulous at icebreaking, refusing to let anyone’s shy nature get the best of them and drawing out funny stories and anecdotes from the students (who were at first a pretty quiet group). After going over the ‘course outline’ – highlights of which include guest-chef Connie DeSousa and a visit from Charcut’s beer sommelier – we got right into cooking up our evening’s menu.
The first items to be created ‘from scratch’ were three recipes for pasta sauce —a béchamel, pesto, and basic spaghetti Bolognese. They were then whipped up and combined into a massive, saucy, cheesy lasagna. The cooking was done by the group as a whole, with great enthusiasm, hilarity, and a few tears — though only from cutting onions.
But, there was no need to cry for long, as Dan was quick to impart his vast repertoire of chopping tips — none of us will ever cut an onion the same way again. Additionally, our creative capacities were challenged as the pesto was crafted not from basil and pine nuts, but from spinach and walnuts to compensate for the lack of the former in the store. This on- the-go substitution proved not only cheaper, but a good example of how to “think outside the recipe” for us starving students.
There was ample lasagna to go around and most of us were able to not only eat our fill but take home the leftovers, leaving a classroom full of well-fed students looking forward to the upcoming weeks!
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January 30, 2012 by Start From Scratch
What’s your major? Sociology.
Why did you want to take part in the Start From Scratch program? I love to cook, but I tend to gravitate to a couple go-to recipes that I’m comfortable with. I want to be shown some proper knife skills and expand my cooking abilities beyond pasta sauces and soups.
How would you describe your level of cooking expertise? Moderate. A kitchen doesn’t make me break into a cold sweat, and I’ve cooked some great meals before, but I feel some direction will really help me move onto things that are more complex and satisfying.
What is your least favourite thing to eat and why? A fast food cheese burger. Greasy bland and unfulfilling… They always leave me feeling dissatisfied and gross after.
If you could learn to cook one dish, what would it be? Duck breast. I tried cooking one once, and it didn’t turn out very well. I’ve had one taunting me from my freezer ever since.
Which Calgary restaurant(s) do you go to regularly? I don’t go to restaurants really regularly, but I’m a big fan of the YYC Food Trucks (Mighty Skillet & BlamWich are favorites) and I’m a sucker for trying out new pizza places.
Any last words? Thanks for offering such a cool sounding program!
Category Dan's Group, Program Participants | Tags: , Calgary, cooking, Mount Royal University, program participants, Start From Scratch, University of Calgary | 1 Comment
January 30, 2012 by Start From Scratch
What’s your major? Accounting.
Why did you want to take part in the Start From Scratch program? I love the idea of eating a healthy home cooked meal. However finding the time to actually prepare something is tough, therefore I think this class will give me a scheduled time to sit down once a week and learn to cook.
How would you describe your level of cooking expertise? Beginner.
What is your least favourite thing to eat and why? Fast food. McDonalds, Wendy’s, etc. Just the feeling of having something fatty sitting in your stomach makes me nauseous. Also foods like that can make you over stuffed. When you cook your own food you can control the portions and you know what goes into it.
If you could learn to cook one dish, what would it be? Chicken, with a side of vegetables.
Which Calgary restaurant(s) do you go to regularly? Open Sesame.
Any last words? Nope!
Category Jacinthe's Group, Program Participants | Tags: , Calgary, cooking, Mount Royal University, program participants, Start From Scratch, University of Calgary | No Comments
January 30, 2012 by Start From Scratch
What’s your major? Finance.
Why did you want to take part in the Start From Scratch program? I heard awesome reviews from a friend and it would be nice to learn some better cooking techniques to enhance my current skills.
How would you describe your level of cooking expertise? Beginner to intermediate because I can cook more than just frozen foods but I have yet to be able to souffle anything.
What is your least favourite thing to eat and why? Jalapeno peppers mostly because I was involved in a jalepeno eating contest (which were very overripe) and it resulted in a few tears.
If you could learn to cook one dish, what would it be? Something exotic! Perhaps something Indian… a curry dish!
Which Calgary restaurant(s) do you go to regularly? Vin Room, Pulcinella, Earl’s and Cactus Club.
Any last words? I have always wanted to take a cooking class and this presents a perfect opportunity!
Category Dan's Group, Program Participants | Tags: , Calgary, cooking, Mount Royal University, program participants, Start From Scratch, University of Calgary | No Comments
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