A Special Birthday Party Celebrated Thai Style

January 14, 2020 May Fridel

At Passion for Spices™ this week, we were thrilled to host Karen’s Special Birthday with her dear friends cooking Thai Style.

The menu was curated based on Karen’s favorite ingredients, and we came up with the following: Chicken, Coconut, and Galangal Soup, Chicken Satay, Thai Potstickers, Golden and Red Beet Carpaccio with Thai Flavor, Vegetable Pad Thai, Chicken Massaman Curry, and Chocolate Pot de Creme.

The potstickers were made with a vegetarian filling instead of its intended filling. The chopped up cabbage, carrots, and scallions were sautéed and incorporated into the potstickers.

The chicken satay was marinated with simple Thai flavors and served on a skewer. It was served with a flavorful peanut sauce.

Chef Helen Demonstrating How to Skewer the Chicken Satay

The beet carpaccio was made from golden and red beets with a Thai style vinaigrette incorporating Thai flavors like Galangal, Lime, Sesame Oil, and more.

At the end of the culinary event, everyone sat down together to enjoy the food that they prepared.

The meal ended with a lovely Chocolate Pot de Creme topped with freshly whipped cream.

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Passion for Spices Team™ Wishes You a Happy New Year

December 29, 2019 ajay thakkar

Cheers everyone for a wonderful season with family and friends relishing good food, and celebrating quality time together.

We are so thankful to have such a wonderful connection with our community and we love to showcase good food celebrating these special occasions.

We are grateful for the expansion of our cooking school this year including the Private Cooking Events and Corporate Team Building Events. Passion for Spices™ hosted many memorable events throughout the year - here are some highlights.

Kids Classes

Adult Classes

Private Cooking Events

Corporate Team Building

Passion for Spices™ will be offering many more Foods of the World and Basic Cooking Skill Classes in 2020. We look forward to welcoming you into our cooking school. Check out our current upcoming classes for the winter season.

Upcoming Cooking Classes

We want to wish everyone a Happy, Healthy, and Flavorful New Year and we hope that everyone can enjoy more cooking and quality time with their family.

Please enjoy the complimentary recipe and menu for your New Year celebration.

Best Wishes and Happy New Year from the Passion for Spices™ Team.

Roasted Goose with Balsamic Pomegranate Glaze

Procedure:

Prepare a gas or charcoal grill for rotisserie cooking over indirect medium heat (or according to the instructions for your grill). Place the drip pan under the center of the spit.
In a small saucepan, combine the molasses, orange juice, balsamic vinegar, garlic, and rosemary and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and gently simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool. Pour 1/4 cup of the sauce into a small bowl to use for basting the goose, and pour the rest into a small serving bowl for passing at the table.
Meanwhile, remove all the excess fat from the goose. Wash the goose and dry it thoroughly both inside and out with paper towels. With a sharp metal skewer, prick the goose skin all over, especially the thighs, 50 times. Season the goose inside and out with salt and pepper to taste. Tie the legs together and brush the goose all over with a light coating of the orange-marmalade mixture.
Place the goose on the spit and secure it with the clamps. Attach it to the rotisserie mechanism, cover the grill, and cook until the temperature in the thickest part of the thigh reaches 160°F (71°C), 1 1/4 to 1 3/4 hours, depending on the heat of your grill. About 15 minutes before the goose is done, brush it all over again with more of the orange sauce. When the goose is done, transfer it to a cutting board and let rest for 15 minutes.
Carve the goose and pass the remaining orange sauce on the side.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup pomegranate molasses
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons finely chopped rosemary leaves
One (4 to 4 1/2 pound) goose
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Together We Brought Christmas Cheer to our Veterans

December 16, 2019 May Fridel

At Passion for Spices™, we were thrilled to host our Second Annual Cookie Baking Event for our Veterans, in collaboration with Summit Elks Lodge.

It was so wonderful to see the community of Summit coming together to support our veterans for this holiday season. It was a great way to thank wonderful men and women who served our country.

In our cookie baking team, we had many community leaders including one of our City Councilmen for Summit.

Everyone enjoyed the cookie making workshop, and it was a joyful event where we made the cookie dough, decorated the cookies, and packaged these special treats. It was a lot of fun!

We baked about five types of classic Christmas cookies including Spiced Gingerbread Cookies, Lemony Butter Cookies, Chocolate Star Cookies, Fridel Grandma’s Candy Cane Cookies, and Mini Chip Snowball Cookies.

There were fifteen members from the Summit Elks Lodge who came to cheer on the vets at the Christmas Party in the Lyons Veterans Hospital this week. It was such a pleasure to serve the vets a Christmas dinner, and at the end of the event the cookies were handed over to the vets. We are sure that they will enjoy the delicious treats.

We love this tradition at Passion for Spices™, and we will be continuing this every year. It is a great way to celebrate the holidays, and say thanks to our veterans.

Please enjoy the complimentary cookie recipes from Passion for Spices™. Click here to view them:

Christmas Cookie Recipes

Happy Holidays to all from Passion for Spices™ Team!

Memories From Our 2019 Kids and Teens Fall After School Cooking Program

December 8, 2019 May Fridel

At Passion for Spices™, we recently launched our Kids and Teens After School Cooking Program, where kids and teens can come learn about classic cooking techniques, and foods of the world. It is perfect for weeknight meals, snacks, or any special occasions. This is a five session program where each session has its own theme. In our cooking classes, we emphasize on quality, seasonal, and farm-fresh ingredients, as well as hands-on learning practices which are taught by experienced culinary educators.

For the Fall Sessions, we had:

Session 1: Soup-a-Rama

Gazpacho
Chicken, Coconut, and Galangal Soup

On the first day, we focused on teaching classic soups. The kids and teens learned the techniques of making classic soups from the regions of Spain and Thailand.

They learned many techniques including chopping ginger, garlic, and other herbs and spices which were incorporated into the soups. For the Thai soup, the chef showcased the lemongrass herb and how to prepare it.

The kids enjoyed the Classic Soups on a cold winter night with Garlic Bread made from scratch. The kids enjoyed all the new flavors and it was a perfect meal made from scratch.

Session 2: Weeknight Meals Made Easy

Ratatouille Gratin
Farro Pilaf

In the second session, the young chefs learned to make simple weeknight meals. The Ratatouille Gratin had multiple seasonal vegetables such as squash, eggplant, and leaks. For the Farro Pilaf, the chef discussed the Farro grain, where it comes from, how it is prepared, and the health benefits of Farro.

Session 3: Fall Bread Making Workshop

Pumpkin Bread
Sweet Potato Biscuits

In the third session, the young chefs learned how to bake classic dishes including Pumpkin Bread and Sweet Potato Biscuits.

The Sweet Potato Biscuit dough was made using freshly roasted sweet potato. The biscuits were delicious and the young chefs were confident that they could make it on their own at home.

The Pumpkin Bread was flavored with a hint of Passion for Spices™ Kashmiri Garam Masala, which gave it the perfect flavor for fall. Everyone loved the pumpkin bread, and the aroma of the fresh baked bread made everyone happy.

Session 4: Pasta Making Workshop

Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Sage Butter Sauce
Spinach Ravioli

In the fourth session, we taught the young chefs about how to make classic pasta from scratch. This included making the dough, using the food processor, and forming the pasta shapes.

For the Spinach Ravioli, they added the spinach puree for the extra green color and filled the raviolis with fresh ricotta.

The Sweet Potato Gnocchi was made from scratch by adding the roasted sweet potato. Then they learned how to knead and incorporate the potato to make a soft dough. The chef added just some regular potato to make it easily moldable. The pasta was served with Sage Butter Sauce, where the sage was fresh from our garden.

Session 5: Healthy Snacks on the Go

Multigrain Cereal Bar
Whole Grain Muffin

In the final session, the young chefs learned how to make fresh spiced Graham Muffins using our Kashmiri Garam Masala, and Strawberry Oatmeal Bars.

The young chefs enjoyed the Fall After School Program, and it gave them a productive and enjoyable way to spend their time.

We are excited about our Winter After School Kids and Teens Cooking Program coming up soon. The first session will be on December 11th, and the Passion for Spices™ Team is looking forward to welcoming the young chefs again.

Winter After School Cooking Class Menu

We will be showcasing many classic and authentic recipes from around the world, and made sure to incorporate some holiday spirit into our menu as well.

December 11th: Easy One Pot Meals for the Winter
Chicken Pot Pie
Classic Bread Pudding

December 18th: Classic Christmas Feast
Classic Whole Roasted Cornish Hen with Chestnut Dressing
Scalloped Potatoes
Classic Christmas Cookies

January 8th: Weeknight Comfort Food
Slow-Braised Chicken with Celeriac and Lemon
Roasted Winter Root Vegetables

January 15h: Easy Hearty Meals
Turkey Loaf
Mashed Potatoes and Gravy

January 22nd: Classic Italian
Classic Winter Stew
Winter Green Salad

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This Holiday Season, Give the Gift of Cooking

December 1, 2019 May Fridel

This holiday season, give the gift of cooking that brings friends and family together for a memorable experience. Our cooking classes are perfect for private groups, corporate holiday parties, and for family and friends.

Passion for Spices Cooking School offers perfect gift ideas for you and yours. Our gift card can be used for our authentic cooking classes, organic spices perfect for everyday cooking, or May Fridel’s Cookbook. See below the choices of classes we offer.