Tuesday Afternoon Cooking Class

It's a Tuesday afternoon and I am standing in the kitchen of my favorite restaurant Baru 66!

Baru 66 is offering Ecole De Cuisine cooking classes and today we focused on meats and sauces. Eleven students crowded around Chef David Baruthio as he prepared Moroccan Style Lamb Tagine, Chef Baru's Rustic Ratatouille, and Eggplant Caviar.

With a cup of coffee in hand (dashed with a bit of bailey's) and a piece of paper and pen here are some of the tips and tricks that Chef David shared...

• Always leave some of the fat on as this will help flavor the meat during the cooking process. 
• When cutting the meat follow the muscles. 
• Use a blend of extra virgin olive oil and canola oil. EVOO burns fast, so having a mixture of the two helps with reducing burning and smoking.
• Organic veggies have better flavor.
• Toss meats in oil mixture and sprinkle with salt and pepper than cook on a med/high pan that has been drizzled with the oil mixture.
• Use finishing salt rather than salting during the cooking process. 
• Ratatouille needs to be wet all the time. Don't caramelize (no golden veggies). It's all about the herbs and veggies. If you see a chef add water, then it's not Ratatouille. 
• When cooking couscous put in a shallow pan and drizzle with olive oil. Pour boiling hot water over the couscous (just enough to cover). Then put a piece of plastic wrap over the top (steaming effect).

At the end of the class, we all gathered around the table and were served a beautiful plate of Moroccan Style Lamb Tagine, Chef Baru's Rustic Ratatouille, and Eggplant Caviar. For dessert, we had roasted chestnut ice cream.

I can't think of a better way to spend a Tuesday afternoon!