Sunday, July 22, 2007 - Going Native.... |
...Specifically Southern.
I took my first formal cooking class yesterday. I learnt to make biscuits. For the uninitiated, biscuits have got to be one of the most Southern foods of all, along with ice tea and fried chicken.
However, making good Southern biscuits has eluded me until I took the class. I couldn't get them right whether I made them from scratch or from a packet mix (sad I know).
Anyway, before I took the class I had to prepare myself for a food ingredient that I have forbidden from my crossing my threshold. It's shortening. I just won't allow that ingredient in the house. It's unavoidable in a lot of prepared foods but it's essential to making biscuits as I discovered.
I took the class at Southern Season, a food store extraordinaire in Chapel Hill, NC. It's considered one of the best in the country and a very dangerous place to go because one can be tempted to blow $100s in minutes buying food and food related items there. I usually only go during the twice yearly sale. Fortunately, at least 80% of the food and items they sell are simply not of interest to me.
Anyway, about the class. Since SS moved to new digs in a few years back, they have a custom built kitchen classroom and I'd attempted to get a place on the biscuit class once before and but was only fifth on the waitlist. Luckily I made it for the July class. There were two instructors and each had their own biscuit recipe. Biscuits are a hand-me-down family tradition in these parts and Marilyn's recipe was courtesy of her grandmother. She even demoed the recipe in her grandmother's old fiestaware bowl.
Willard, the other instructor had a quite different recipe that involved no butter (who said home cooking wasn't healthy? Haha!) but more shortening.
There was hands-on time too and we split up into two groups so we had an opportunity to do the latter steps of each recipe. With about 24 students, it took time for each of us to cut or shape biscuits before putting them on the baking sheet. The class had about five men in it I hasten to add. Not all were Southern either.
What did I get out of the class?
Well, Crisco's the way to go for biscuits. You get the flaky layers that way. Another important point is not to overknead the dough otherwise you'll end up with tough biscuits. The correct flour is essential too. It has to be soft wheat flour. This means I'll have yet another variety of flour in my pantry. Oh well.
The class also included making sausage gravy and plum jam. I didn't like the jam much. I prefer my Mum's jams and marmalades, made the British way. There wasn't enough fruit in the plum jam. I'll skip that recipe.
It was enjoyable to see biscuits made by someone more experienced and who was raised on biscuits (so to speak). I also enjoyed meeting others who enjoy their food and cooking. After the instruction and hands-on learning, everyone got to eat a lunch of biscuits (both types), sausage gravy, plum jam, really good country ham sliced very thin like proscuitto and a marinated shimp salad. Ice tea was the drink, naturally.
The class was worthwhile and good value. I've already bought the Crisco to make my own in the near future too. It'll only be used for making biscuits. |
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About Me
Former Londoner, now living in Durham, NC since 2002.
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