We had a fantastic time at the Pippin Hill Farm – Cooking for Two class on February 13th!
How did this come about?
It all started when I was looking for a unique gift for Christmas because, as I’ve been told for 25 years, I’m a terrible gift giver. C’est la vie! Seeing as how we’re on the verge of being full time empty-nesters, I looked for something that would be an experience we could share. Somewhere I’d heard about cooking class being a fun couple’s event so I headed to the great search bar in the sky … the Google did not let me down. I quickly found a unique offering by Pippin Hill Farms and there it was … COOKING FOR TWO … Perfect!
Don’t you already know how to cook?
This was the common refrain when we told friends and family we going to a cooking class. Yes, we do … but … one can always learn more and that was the case with this fabulous experience.
What was it like?
We headed out to North Garden, on a blustery winter evening, not really knowing what to expect. As we pulled into the property, we were immediately impressed with the surroundings – rolling hills, mountains in the background, and an amazing modern barn-like structure. We entered the main hall and were immediately greeted by our hosts, and fellow classmates. Also on hand were about 20 bottles of Pippin Hill Farms wine – Easton Blue and Chardonnay. We were ready for a drink and to learn more about what was in store for us.
Time to Cook!
Chef Ian introduced himself, handed out the aprons and decreed it was time to get to work! We were led back to the kitchen for an overview of the meal we’d make as teams. This included great information about the source of the ingredients, and the techniques we’d use to prepare them. To our surprise, we’d be grilling whole fish (not something we’d ever done before) and would be treated to three varieties of oysters. Chef Ian added that little treat to expose his inner Cupid as it was, after all, Valentine’s Day eve!
The meal we were to prepare consisted of the following elements:
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- Oysters with Spicy Ginger, Jalapeno, Lime Sauce
- Charred Herb Vinaigrette
- Whole Dorade, Stuffed and Grilled
After the orientation to the meal and process we self organized into teams of 4-5 newly anointed chefs. With the guidance of Chef Ian, and his assistant Nate, we were off to the races! Teams were gathering their ingredients and utensils etc. feeling each other out and trying to stay on track with the plan. Alpha cooks emerged along with those who simply slunk away to get another glass of wine – wink, wink! The highlight for our team had to be charring the greens and learning how to shuck the oysters. We had French Kiss from New Brunswick, Wellfleet from Boston and Chesapeake Gold from Hooper’s Island in the bay.
Let’s Eat!
After the fun and excitement in the kitchen, the staff informed us that they would be prepping some additional side dishes to accompany the food we cooked. We discarded our aprons and headed back out to the great hall for more wine and conversation with our new found friends. In short order the staff emerged with trays of food to reward us for our dedicated teamwork in the kitchen. The grilled fish was absolutely amazing as was the overall experience. And, I’ve finally moved up a notch in the gift giving category. I’m reminded I have a loooooong way to go but this was a great start!