Saturday, late in the morning, my friend Mandi hosted a cooking class at her home …
{Chuckling, myriad photos, and still she smiles}
Her husband and boys hit the road; us girls took over. And it all began with these…
{bea-u-tiful place mats; click here and I'll direct you...}
“These,” my friends, are Mandi’s famous vanilla scones. They’re so good you just might shed a tear. Add a mug of fresh brewed coffee and you’ll be hard pressed to imagine anything better. She lured us away from such delectable delights, with fresh ingredients, all chopped and ready to be made into Wild Mushroom Risotto …
{shiitake mushrooms--otherwise known as fungus--and carrots}
{Arborio, or short grained, rice and onions}
{fresh thyme, Parmesan, and garlic}
As Mandi walked us through the recipe, we chatted tips and tricks {remember, the moment you chop an onion, is the moment it would behoove you to be a mouth-breather} … the merit of real butter … and the importance of enjoying your food. Before we knew it, we were sampling the warm, creamy goodness–and wondering if maybe, just maybe, making your own chicken stock might be worth the effort…
{chicken stock, olive oil, and dry white wine for that hint of cream}
As if it weren’t sweet enough, Mandi topped it off with Pots de Creme–a divine concoction of chocolate chips, butter, and warm milk, topped with fresh whipped cream. It was a little piece of heaven right there in the glass…
{sadly, the one thing guaranteed to be made again}
In the end, we came away with new recipes, maybe even a new technique or two. It was the perfect way to start a weekend … with women of all ages, from various backgrounds, sitting around a table talking, laughing and yes, enjoying our food.
I guess you might say we also came away with a tangible reminder of why we make such food–that it’s not simply to feed our bodies, but to nurture our souls…
mmmm! yum! mmm! mounth is watering here!!! want some of that risotto!!! That sounds like a fun fun day!!! I really like the picture of the parmesan and the garlic!
Really hungry for some of that yummy looking food. I'm eating this macaroni, ground beef, tomato concoction that didn't turn out that wonderful–but we have tons left over. Is there anyway you could give out the recipes?
I added links to the recipes! Personally, I can’t wait to make the risotto with spicy sausage … that, my friend, sounds DIVINE! 🙂
How wonderful! I do love hearing stories of girlfriend adventures.
How fun! I think in-home cooking classes are the BEST. And I couldn't agree more with your last line!
It was a wonderful time!! Your pictures are so great. I am very hungry right now!
Well, will you introduce me to Mandi so I can get invited the next time??? I'm gonna check out the recipes.
Oh, this looks so delicious! Amy, I wish we lived near each other! 🙂
You were delightful as well.