Cooking Class

One of the 2 fruit tarts from the 2017 class

The pork tenderloins, top one first stage with roasted
 garlic and herbs and below after being wrapped.

The second tart

I've been giving cooking classes once a year to benefit Pierce's Store.  Eight students join me around 3 PM and we cook a three course meal together. Then we sit down and eat it! The first one was in 2017  and our menu was Broccoli Fritters with Lemon Yogurt,  Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloins with Roasted Garlic & Herbs, Baked Potatoes with Sour Cream  & Chives, Tossed Green Salad and for dessert Fresh Fruit Tarts with Whipped Cream. Students pay $35 for the class and if they take a meal home for their spouse, another $25. All the money goes to Pierce's Store.

We did Tiropitas for an appetizer in the Greek meal.

In the years following I've generally picked a theme. Our second year it was Gluten Free, then an Appetizers & Dessert meal on the third. Due to COVID I skipped 2020. But in 2021 we had a Greek menu and the following year visited Brazil.

This is the first group shot I could find and it's the 2022 Brazil Class. Top row from left: Linda Berryhill, Ed Hemmer, John Berryhill, myself, Daphne Hemmer. Bottom row: Donna & Dick Swartz, Ed Sawyer and Sally Deinzer. Donna lived in Brazil many years ago and inspired the Menu. It was Bacalhau (Salt Cod, Potato and Onion casserole), Feijoada, Farofa, and for dessert two kinds of Brigadeiros.

The 2024 Mexican Class - Pam Grace, Chryl Martin, Sally Deinzer, myself, Jo Fretz, Ronnie Bower,  Jean Marie Walker, Sandy Bragg and Ed Sawyer. I'm up in the back. 

I'll give you another menu for 2023 when we featured Mexico. Guacamole & Chips, Gorditas, Chicken Enchiladas Chili Verde, Fried Plantains, Black Beans & Rice and for dessert, a Tres Leche Cake! We moved out of the country theme the following year on a suggestion from one of the students - Pies, Pies and More Pies. How did we do that? Cornish Pasties for appetizers, Chicken Pot Pies for the main and Blueberry and Apple Crumb Pies for dessert. 

Weezie making her Cornish Pastie

Ed showing off his and wife Deborah's

Blueberry and Apple Crumb pies

Top row: Ed and Debby Sawyer, Sandy Bragg, Weezie Duda
Bottom row: Sally Deinzer, myself, Pam Darrow, Linda Maguire
 and Ronnie Bower.

We went back to an old favorite in 2025 - Appetizers and Desserts. This was quite a feat as we produced 2 cold appetizers, two hot ones and then a Chocolate Cake AND 2 Fruit Tarts.  At the beginning of the next season, the Pierce's Board asked if I'd consider doing two - so many people wanted to come (and they would of course, get twice as much a donation).  I do enjoy the sessions so agreed.

Appetizers and Desserts 2025 Class - Chryl Martin, Pam Darrow, Liesbeth Van de Heijden, myself, Reese Watson, Jean Marie Walker,  Kim Royer, Sarah Titterton and Ella Haysett. The table is set for dessert - two fruit tarts and a Chocolate Raspberry Cake!

In July the first class was a visit to the Philippines. I spent two years there in the Peace Corps from 1966 to 1968. So it was fun dreaming up a menu of favorites from there. We made Lumpia for appetizers. It's a Philippine version of Fresh Egg Rolls. The main course was Chicken Adobo with Coconut Milk and Pancit, Filipino Lo Mein. These items all show the Asian influences on their cuisine but dessert highlighted their Spanish colonial period - Flan and Pastillas. 

Chryl, Daphne and Weezie

Jean Marie, Ronnie, Laura and Linda

Since our Brazil class, I've served a welcome cocktail, inspired by the theme. Brazil's national drink is Caipirinhas. Margaritas naturally for Mexico for example. Fruit cocktails are best in the Philippines so we had Painkillers. This turned out to be a challenging menu as it involved a lot of prep work and unfamiliar methods. But everyone came through wonderfully. 

This years' Philippine Class: Jean Marie, Daphne, myself, Laura Black, Linda Maguire. Bottom row: Ella , Weezie, Ronnie and Chyrl. 

In the Fall my second class will visit France, with famous chef Julia Child. As always my technique is to get 8 students signed up and then present them with possible dates for the class (that work for me). Then they give their selections and the date with the most student availability wins. Sometimes I only end up with 6 or 7 students but there are always people waiting for an opening! It's all fun for everyone.