(All photos courtesy of Tracey Kusiewicz of Foodie Photography)

Long ago, I worked as a dishwasher for a couple of years in a very busy restaurant and was on the verge of being “promoted” out of the kitchen to go bus the floors with the better smelling front of house crowd, when some strange sense of kitchen loyalty kicked-in and I hesitated, long enough to have the job offer with the clean shirt revoked, thus leaving me to toil in the dish pit for another 6 months before finally coming to my teenage senses and bolting from the restaurant altogether for the mall next door to sell women’s athletic shoes for slightly more money and better scenery. That was the last professional kitchen I worked in. And that was close to 20 years ago.

The love of cooking and kitchens remain. So, when an opportunity came up to play in the million-dollar Lumiere kitchen for a day with Chef Stephane Istel of DB Bistro and Chef Dale Mackay of Lumiere, I could not resist; it’s like being asked if you want to go for a joy ride in the Millenium Falcon. The answer is always yes.

First, the group gathers with Chef at Granville Island to discuss the menu plan and to pick up some key ingredients. We will be making a soup (cauliflower curry and apple), a main course (coq au vin) and dessert (Alsatian apple tart).Once comfortably inside the kitchen, everyone suits up with a station to help with the prep and are walked through the meal preparation while Stephane answers questions and explains some of the cultural context of the dishes along the way.^ Chef Mackay shows the group how to make cilantro oil and also a way of crisping up cilantro leaves for garnish by coating them with oil and microwaving them on top of a saran wrapped plate for a minute.While most of the heavy lifting in the kitchen is done by Chef Mackay or Istel, the group is still encouraged to participate in some of the prep and plating.^ The ladies carefully garnished the cauliflower, curry and apple soup with cilantro leaves and oil. ^ Chef Istel is fast and focused when he works, yet he still keeps us laughing and tells us he is very happy to be making the food from his native Alsace.^ Alsatian Apple Tart comes perfect out of the oven ready for the filling.The dinner is finally served with a selection of local wines family-style with all the participants and their guests, including Chef, enjoying the fine meal they cooked together. Le voilà! ~ PK

Here are some of the recipes from the first class:

BRAISED COQ AU VIN, SPAETZLE and WILD MUSHROOM (6 pp)
-12 chicken legs
-75 cl red wine (ie. Burgundy)
-15 cl port
-1 lb of natural smoked bacon
-1 lb button mushroom
-18 pc of pearl onions
-wild mushroom (whatever you want )
-1 liter of veal stock (or powder ) you can buy some stock at the Stock Market at Granville Island
-1 carrot
-1 onion
-1 leek
-butter, oil, flour

SPATZLE RECIPE
-1 kg of flour
-500 cl milk
-10 eggs
- 125 g of sour cream, salt, pepper, nutmeg

ALSATIAN APPLE TART
-6 to 8 apple pink lady .

For the custard :
-1 liter of cream
-5 egg
-4 yolks
-250 g sugar
-cinnamon

For the pate brisee :
-520 g of flour
-277 g of butter
-200 g of icing sugar
-5 g of salt
-2 eggs
-lemon zest
-1 vanilla bean

CAULIFLOWER, CURRY AND APPLE SOUP FOR 6 PP
-3 head of cauliflower
-4 tablespoon of butter
-1 onion
-2 Granny Smith apples
-8 teaspoon of curry
-1 teaspoon of saffron
-1 teaspoon of cumin
-3 quarts of unsalted chicken stock or water
-200 cl of cream
-salt, pepper

FOR THE GARNISH
-100 cl of whipped cream
-2 apples cut into small dice, roast apple in butter then deglaze with cherry vinegar
-cilantro oil (OPTIONAL)
-cilantro leaves

Interested in joining Chef Istel and Mackay in their kitchens?
Space limited to 10 participants. Cost to participate fully – $150. Companion fare offered at $85 per person – 30 companion seats available (wine-paired dinner only, no shopping or class). Tax and gratuity extra. Transportation not included.  Rendezvous is at 4pm.

Upcoming classes:

• November 23 – SOLD OUT
• December 7 – Stephane Istel
• January 11 – Stephane Istel
• January 25 – Dale Mackay

To reserve by credit card or to order a Cooking Class gift card, contact Lumiere Maitre d’ Drew Walker, or call to inquire: 604.739.8185