A Shameless Plug

When I was the Executive Chef at Neiman Marcus, I somehow got myself involved doing cooking demos and classes at a place called Celebrity Kitchens in Wilmington, DE. Back then, I used to do three or four a month. When I went back to working nights and weekends, I dropped off for a few years, but never fell out of touch with them. Now that I'm back in the land of the day job (and in search of some extra income) I have begun doing classes again.

Let me tell you a little bit about Celebrity Kitchens. As I mentioned, it is located in Wilmington, DE, on 202 in the Independence Mall. This is a very campy little shopping center that looks like a reproduction of Independence Hall. It's basically a small dining room with a demo kitchen in the front. Almost every night of the week, they have some sort of program: a demo, a hands on class, a private event, a kids class, etc. They have a different chef every night. Some are local folks, some out of Philly, some more well known then others. (Not sure where I fit in that mix, but they love me anyway) Most of the programs are four courses, either cooked by the chef, or cooked by the group. After each course is prepared, they are served to the guests, and a complimentary wine is poured. I can't tell you what happens with the other chefs, but when I do these classes, it's kind of like a stand up comedy routine with food. I also get to deliver my diatribes on responsible farming, healthy eating, sustainable foods, etc. to a captive audience. And they are actually interested! They laugh, they learn, they eat, they tip...oh wait, did I just say that out loud? Ooops..

The reason I am bringing up this little tidbit of information, is because I will be there two nights this month; April 4th and April 19th. The first (this Friday) the menu is called "April in Paris." The four courses are: Spring Pea Soup with Minted Creme Fraiche, Hazelnut Crusted Goat Cheese over Mache Salad with Bacon Lardons, Baby Beets and Honey Vinaigrette, Spring Lamb Chops with Rainbow Swiss Chard and New Potatoes, and Seasonal Berries with Chocolate Mousse. Wanna join us? Sign up! On the 19th, I'm doing my "I Love Beer" menu, with Mussels in Belgian Ale with Leeks, Chicken cooked in Lambic Ale with Dried Cherries and Wilted Spinach, Grilled Steak Marinated in Brown Ale with Roasted Potatoes, and Guinness Brownies.

Check out Celebrity Kitchens on their website: celebritykitchens.com. Their whole calendar is available to see. It's always a good time-even when I'm not there..

For those of you who live too far away, sorry. You'll just have to pay my plane fare, and I will gladly come cook for you! (except maybe Michelle Broad DeRosa, who seems to have it all going on in the kitchen!)

I promise I'll post pictures of Friday night's food. Meantime, take it easy, and enjoy life. And food.