InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "How weird is that?"

Upon arriving (anywhere between 18:45 and 19:10), students are directed towards two cardboard boxes in the corner of the kitchen. One box contains chef's hats and the other, a selection of aprons ranging from the classic to the fun and wacky. Each student is encouraged to take one item from each box and then find a place setting around the tables.

Once everyone is settled, Greta, dressed in her own chef's hat and apron, explains how tonight's class is going to work. While last week, the class worked backwards, this week, the class is actually going to go in random order. The will begin with the bruschetta, because it should marinate a bit before being eaten, and then make the dessert (pronto tiramisu) and finally, they will work on the main course.

When working on the bruschetta, Greta gives helpful tips on chopping and what knives work best with what vegetables. She gives a brief lesson on culinary chopping techniques that increase the speed of the chopping as well as the identically of the vegetables themselves. As the class chops, she goes around, giving a bit of personal attention to each of her students, fixing hand placement and other factors that may contribute to chopping technique. Once the tomatoes, garlic, basil, olive oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper are all mixed to taste in each bowl, Greta asks her students to put them aside. As dinner draws closer, they will toast the bread to serve the bruschetta on, but for now, the vegetables need to marinate, and they can move onto dessert.

After everyone has washed their hands, and the ingredients for the Pronto Tiramisu have been placed at the place settings, Greta begins this section with a brief history of Tiramisu, in general. It is her favorite Italian dessert, she says, but what they are making tonight is not authentic Tiramisu. It's a take on the Italian dessert that can be made quickly. Authentic Tiramisu takes at least four hours to chill, and they just don't have that sort of time in the class. The Pronto Tiramisu that they will be making is great for impromptu dinner parties, however, for those curious, Greta has prepared authentic tiramisu, and will serve it with dinner so that everyone can compare and contrast the two. The recipe for Greta's tiramisu will also be included in the recipe packet for anyone who is interested in trying it at home.

While the class is whipping the cream and brown sugar for the layers of the Pronto Tiramisu, Greta offers technique tips and special charms that speed up the process. Whipping your own cream by hand, she notes, takes quite a bit of time, but it can be a stress reliever for some. For those who are not interested in whipping manually, however, the charms do just as good of a job in half the time.

After the Pronto Tiramisus are in their glasses and sent to cool, everyone washes their hands, and the creation of the final course begins.

Spaghetti with Arugula Pesto and Seared Jumbo Shrimp is simple enough to make, but Greta takes extra care in teaching her students how to properly sear the shrimp and not burn themselves. She gives a brief lesson on how shrimp are classified by size and the best way to prepare them as well.

Finally, all three courses are finished and the eating and socializing can begin. Everyone is encouraged to eat as much as they can and socialize with their fellow students, but not to be discouraged if they can't finish everything they made. There is plenty of tupperware for people to take home their leftovers.

Guests may leave whenever they choose once the food is done and as they return home, they are reminded that next week, there will be another class, if they'd like to come, and if they'd like to leave their aprons and hats in the basket by the door, Greta will be happy to take care of them. Also, Greta distributes recipe booklets of everything made during class, plus her own recipe for the authentic tiramisu that is served with dinner, and encourages her students to try variations on the things they made at home to create their own signature dishes. She also asks for personal requests for themes for upcoming classes, in case anyone wants to learn how to cook a specific dish or cuisine.