No aprons. No complex cooking terms. No distant teacher speeding through instructions. No high prices or high brows. ShopRite’s Culinary Workshop is part demo and part Q&A with an experienced, down-to-earth personal chef who has a decade of cooking experience. The class also provides an intimate, hands-on education.
A cutting board, a chef’s knife and a recipe book were placed in front of the 10 stools that surrounded the chef’s demo stove and every cooking class participant was greeted with a smile from the warm, personable Chef Dianne Pollick.
I attended the “Back to the Future: Childhood Favorites for Grown-up Tastes” session, where Chef Dianne taught us how to create a simple green salad with tarragon vinaigrette, zippy sloppy joes, fontina-lobster mac and cheese and banana split shortcakes during our two-hour class. After she ran through each recipes’ ingredients and directions, students were handed flour to measure, whipping cream to whisk, and garlic to mince.
Each palate-pleasing recipe came with tidbits of new cooking techniques and knowledge. For instance, to make the most incredibly tender biscuits I’ve ever tried, we grated frozen butter with a cheese grater and spread chunks of butter throughout the dough. For a creamy mac and cheese, we made a roux, a cheese blend, on the stovetop and then mixed this in with the macaroni in a bowl and baked.
“We try to cater classes to cooks of all levels, from people that can’t boil water to foodies,” said Chef Dianne. “Whether they’re just starting out, or are a seasoned home cook, I love watching people learn something new or different and enjoy it so much that they try it at home and come back to learn more!”
ShopRite Culinary Workshop Details
Classes are 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. and Dianne teaches at the Christina Crossing location in Wilmington on Mondays, the Brandywine location in Wilmington on Tuesdays, and from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. at the West Chester location on Thursdays. Students can register at the courtesy desk and each session is $20 per participant.
Emily Denson has attended Culinary Workshop classes for the past three years with her mother. “At most of the cooking classes around here, you don’t touch anything,” said Denson. “They just do it in front of you and then you eat. At least here, you get the recipes, it’s hands on, you get extras and you can ask them whatever you want. We come home with new recipes and new techniques, things we never thought about before, like roasting vegetables.”
Upcoming Sessions:
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June 24-27, Food Truck Nation: Indian Cuisine
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July 8-11, Hawaiian Luau
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July 15-18, Fishin’ For Some Good Recipes
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July 22-25, From the Kitchen of Downtown Abbey
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July 29-August 1, Very Veggie Mexican Fiesta
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August 5-8, Tuscan Summer Night
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August 12-15, Summertime Dessert Social
Looking to mix up your next get together? Culinary Workshop offers private classes for a minimum of eight people at the Brandywine, Christina Crossing and West Chester locations. To learn more about Culinary Workshop’s classes, visit their website or Dianne’s Facebook page, or email Dianne at [email protected].
Zippy Sloppy Joes
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Makes 8 servings
Ingredients:
- 2 lbs Extra lean ground beef
- 1 onion, diced,
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
- 1 jar Crosse & Blackwell Seafood Cocktail Sauce
- 2 tbsp molasses
- 2 tbsp Shoprite Light Brown Sugar
- 1 tsp chipotle seasoning
- 8 whole-wheat buns, split
Method:
- In a large skillet cook beef and onion over medium-high heat 5 minutes or until browned.
- Drain drippings from pan, and discard.
- Add garlic, jalapenos and bell pepper to skillet, cook 5 minutes more, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in cocktail sauce, molasses, brown sugar, chipotle seasoning, and salt and pepper to taste.
- Reduce heat to low; simmer 5 minutes.
- Spoon into buns, and serve.
