* In the Kitchen is excited to continue building our professional relationship with Living Lands Agrarian Network…..next week we will be hosting a food safety and Soup Making 101 workshop for the new Living Lands interns! Living Lands has a robust and exciting internship program for budding farmers each year and as the program it expands, it is able to offer not only hands on farming education but also workshops on bee keeping, animal husbandry and now, COOKING!!

We will also be making a big pot of soup for the fundraiser on the 14th at the Stone House! Hope to see you there!

Food Love Project Soup Night Fundraiser

Please join us for the second annual benefit Soup Night on Wednesday, March 14th from 5:30PM-7PM at the Stonehouse

Enjoy a locally grown, delicious soup and bread dinner
($7-$10 donation per person, $5 for kids—bring a bowl and spoon!)
Watch a short film about the Food Love Project’s first year
Hear more about the Food Love Project from Farmer Amanda Thibodeau
Buy seed packets decorated by Deer Creek Elementary students

The Food Love Project is designed to inspire a love of local, fresh food. Though a partnership with the Bear Yuba Land Trust we are continuing to develop this project at the Burton Homestead, now in its second season. This site is a dedicated farm where both youth and adults can come and immerse themselves in the activities of growing, harvesting, and eating fresh food.

In 2011, the Food Love Project provided farm education to over 700 local school children, and logged nearly 1,000 hours of community volunteer hours!

Additionally, the farm donated over 1,000 pounds of produce to local schools, the food bank and the greater community.

In 2012, we are aiming to increase the number of students served, and to create additional educational collaboration with groups such as Live Healthy Nevada County, Sierra Streams Institute, and 4 Elements Earth Education.

Garden donations are welcome! Please bring any new or used garden tools/equipment to donate to this developing community education center. You can also drop them by Peaceful Valley until Apr 1st.

For more information, contact Farmer Amanda at amandathib@gmail.com

My good friend and yoga teacher Suuzi, recently showed me how to make these amazing red lentil pancakes! I was so thrilled to learn this spectacularly simple recipe and now I am sharing it with literally everyone I know!

I have my lentils soaking now and I will be making up a batch for dinner tonight! These are best severed with creme fraiche, sour cream, fruit chutney or applesauce because they are the perfect consistency for dipping.

RED LENTIL PANCAKES

1 cup red lentils
2 tsp salt
½ tsp ground turmeric
½ tsp ground black pepper
2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons coconut oil for frying

Rinse the lentils well

Place the lentils in a large mixing bowl, pour over 2 cups warm water and soak for at
least 8 hours or over night.

Drain off the soaking water. Place the lentils in a food processor and blend until
smooth. Blend in a tablespoon at a time of water to make a smooth batter.

Stir the salt, turmeric, pepper and fresh cilantro into the batter. Heat a heavy frying pan over a medium heat for a few minutes until hot. Smear with coconut oil.

Using a spoon, drop spoonfuls of the batter into the frying pan, about 3-4 inches wide and 1 inch thick.

Cook for 1½ – 2 minutes until set. Drizzle a little oil over the pancake and around the edges. Turn over and cook for about 1 minute more, or until golden.

Keep the cooked pancakes warm in a low oven or on a heatproof plate placed over a pan of simmering water and cook the remaining pancake batter in the same way.

Serve with creme fraiche, sour cream, chutney or applesauce. These also make an excellent breakfast!

From Victoria:
My February class series begins tomorrow at In the Kitchen. I’m also teaching classes this month at Sierra Commons and HAALo, also in Nevada City.
Please let me know if there is more interest in classes in the Penn Valley area. I’m happy to start teaching there is people are interested.
You can call me at 277-9707 if you’d like to register.
Happy Valentine’s Day!

What: Stay Slim with Fat February
When: February 15, February 29
Time: 6-7 pm
Where: In the Kitchen, 648 Zion Street, Nevada City, CA 95959
Cost: $15/class, $25 for both classes

Stay Slim with Fat February

In celebration of Fat Tuesday the month of February will be all about my favorite nutrient – FAT! During this class we will discuss fat’s roles in the body, why it is ESSENTIAL for optimal health, what fats are appropriate to eat and why, and how the `low fat revolution’ has devastated our nation’s health. A fun functional testing portion of the evening will prove that fat is the queen of all nutrients.

We just got back from a week on the big island, relaxing and visiting family and celebrating my mother-in-laws 70th birthday! We went swimming, rested and ate a lot of really good food!

My brother in law and sister in law love experimenting with new foods and so we all had a great time creating dishes using some of the more obscure tropical fruits like jackfruit, which we deep fried in ghee and them added to a smokey green tomato sauce that joe brought to them from his canning adventures last summer. The jackfruit actually had a really savory flavor and tasted kind of like chicken!

One morning we used breadfruit, which is like a very sweet and starchy potato, to make “french toast”! We made a batter with raw milk, cane juice, cinnamon and nutmeg and then reduced the sauce in a pan while we fried the bread fruit……yum! Let’s just say I didn’t feel like being in a bikini after that breakfast!

On the night of my mother in law’s birthday, we made cupcakes with a passion fruit icing from passion fruits on the farm!

As beautiful and magical as Hawaii is, I was happy to come home, I love my life here in Nevada City.

The Pop-Up Dinner was a fabulous success,  to begin, we had 4 brawny lads cooking away all day In the Kitchen…..2 of them are cooks at New Moon Cafe. Here they are preparing to plate the first course!

Here we have a composed beet salad with goat cheese whipped cream, roasted beets, shaved radish, cress,smoked carrots and a “soil” made from steel cut oats, beer and some other magic.

Smiling Chef Aaron preparing to serve the soup course! Each bowl had a whole poached egg!!

The dinners look on as Aaron discusses each course…..yum!

Plating the polenta and local rabbit entree with smoked carrots, savory granola and other goodness!

Watching the chefs work was so much fun! The way we set the table up gave everyone a perfect view into the kitchen!

We look forward to hosting another pop up dinner at In the Kitchen, and attending one soon at Polly’s Paladar!

I LOVE bitter, winter lettuces like radiccio and endive. They have such a sharp flavor and a wonderfully crispy texture. They make an impressive salad for guests, but also a special treat just for yourself.

Today I combined one hand full of torn raddiccio and one handful endive leaves into a bowl. I added a handful of sliced almonds, 1 grated carrot, a handful of micro greens (sprouts would work too) and topped it off with a 1/4 cup crumbled gorgonzola cheese.

Talk about feeling healthy but also tasting great!

I whipped up a quick dressing, using my trusty mason jar and lid method. 1/4 olive oil, 1/4 cup red wine vin, 1/4 nutritional yeast and a pinch of sea salt. Lid on and SHAKE SHAKE SHAKE!

Dress salad, toss and plate. I had 2 booming plates of salad and still had some left over for Joe. He better get home soon though…….

I just catered a beautiful wedding in Loomis at a new (to me) venue called the Loomis Flower Farm.

Here are some photos of the wonderful, happy and talented In the Kitchen staff cooking amazing food and creating a convivial atmosphere! Thanks for another great event guys! I love what I do!

*Note the the man at the stove is Aaron Taber who will be cooking this Friday’s pop up dinner at In the Kitchen under the name Archimedes Kitchen….i think there are 2 spaces left!!

* Note the bride in one of the photos helping herself to a very large platter of delicious food!!

I love this feeling, putting to bed the old, the past……..starting out fresh……as an ex- boyfriend said upon dumping me, “New beginnings, babe!” Indeed!

I know 2012 has a lot of fabulous things in store, and I can’t wait to see what they are!

Before we begin a new year, I want to thank you. Thank you for reading this blog, thank you for taking cooking classes, thank you for hiring In the Kitchen to cater your event, thank you for making me feel like a valued part of our community.

Thank you to my family, my mom and dad for believing in my dream to open In the Kitchen. Thank you to my brother  Tim for always be willing to help with the heavy lifting and for picking up the compost each week and for growing AMAZING food! Thank you to my husband Joe for the countless loads of kitchen (and home) laundry, for taking out the trash, for re-prioritizing your own work schedule so that you can help me at the kitchen, for being such a devoted husband and father. Thank you Felix for lighting the fire within me to keep on!

Thank you to everyone who has worked with me this past year to cater weddings and other events, it is very hard work and you are all so gracious and hard working. Thank you to Jen Smitt for often being the lead in this kitchen for these events and making beautiful food!

Thank you to Atma, Susan, Ann, Brenda and many others who create their own yummy food products In the Kitchen, while expanding our community. Thank you to Briar Patch for championing my classes and now offering your own!

Thank you farmers who grow beautiful food. Thank you Zion St neighbors and businesses who have welcomed me to the neighborhood.

Thank you everyone who came out on Sunday for our 4th annual brunch to celebrate the new year together! thank you Amber for taking these photos!

January 1st

1pm

FREE!

You are invited to In the Kitchen’s 4th annual New Years Day Brunch on January 1st at 1 pm!

We are mixing it up this year and will feature a South of the Border menu……all vegetarian, all love.

This is our way of saying thank you to friends, family and community for another year of support of In the Kitchen!

We are looking for a few volunteers the morning of to help prep with us starting at 10:30 am. Email me if you would like to help out, it will be fun!!

I will also be giving out a beautiful In the Kitchen (3 year anniversary!) calendar created by the lovely and talented Miranda Currie!

Saturday, February 11th
KIDS In the Kitchen is BACK! Ages 5-9
Valentines Treats
9-10:30 am
$25/child


Cooking is a great way for children to build confidence and learn about the foods that nourish the body and the soul…….in each class we will discuss proper food handling, preparation, kitchen safety, table setting, manners and well as cooking!

Menu

Easy Chocolate Truffles

No Bake Buckeye Cookies *made with peanut butter

Apple Compote with Cream
Email or call Wendy at 478-0669 or info@wendyvanwagner.com

Saturday, February 25th
KIDS In the Kitchen is BACK! Ages 5-9
Winter Soups
9-10:30 am
$25/child


Menu
Tomato Soup and Cheesy Toasts
Chicken Noodle Soup
Lentil Soup with Caramelized Onions

Saturday, March 10th
KIDS In the Kitchen is BACK! Ages 5-9
Puff Pastry Phun
9-10:30 am
$25/child


Menu
Brie Cheese Wrapped in Puff Pastry
Cheesy Twists
Mini Empanadas

Saturday, March 24th
KIDS In the Kitchen is BACK!
Ages 5-9
PYOL *Pack Your Own Lunch
9-10:30 am
$25/child


Menu

Peanut Butter and Jelly Stars

Ants on a Log and then some

Quiche

Fruit Salad