I learned how to cook the hard way. By passing out 35 hours into a semi-solo attempt at Thanksgiving for 75 at my church. Isn't that how most people learned? Well, apparently, while this gave me a good idea of when a turkey is done and how much Jesus likes gravy (I would like to believe that He's all about the gravy), it did not actually teach me any of the fundamentals of cooking.
When I cook for myself at home, my meal preparation can generally be summarized succinctly. Take some form of meat and saute in butter and garlic salt until cooked. Take some form of vegetable and saute in butter and garlic salt until cooked. Take some form of starch and saute in butter and garlic salt until cooked. Prepare a light dessert and saute in butter and garlic salt until cooked.
It seemed like a good idea, at some point, to actually get a clue what I'm doing in the kitchen. I've tried, really, to be creative and interesting around a stove. The result, if I recall correctly, was a small grease fire and a 45 minute wait for Chinese food for dinner. As for what cooking class to take; I settled on the one that made the most logical sense for someone seeking to broaden their in-kitchen horizons and ensure a deeper knowledge of the true fundamentals of cooking.
Also, COOKIES!!!
I went to a class explaining some of the different natural sweeteners available and how those various sweeteners interact with food. It was incredibly interesting to see and taste each of the different non-sugar sweeteners she brought to show us. My favs are totally agave nectar and stevia. Both had a concentrated level of sweetness and were unusual and new.
Though stevia is somewhat creepy looking.
The class consisted of a brief talk about the different properties and potential uses of the various sweeteners; how concentrated they are compared to sugar and what impact they generally have on recipes. It can be necessary, for example, to add bulk to baking if stevia is used in place of sugar. Each of the sweeteners had a noticeably different taste from its counterparts. While I doubt I'd be able to tell them apart while blindfolded, it was certainly an obvious change while... you know... sighted.
One of the things that was really nice about the class is that it was raising money for the Grass Lake Sanctuary, which is a spiritual retreat area outside of Ann Arbor. They do personal awareness workshops and sponsors getaways over the summer. What I liked about it was how sincerely and deeply the women at the class cared about maintaining and growing their sanctuary. It was lovely to see people so deeply interested in their cause.
Also, did I mention there were cookies?
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