July 2010 Millennium Cooking Class

So this summer I thought wouldn't it be a good idea to learn how to make bread from scratch. It's seems such a basic human cooking skill, but one I was put off from as a teen. Why? Well, I sincerely tried to make a bread from scratch when I was 16. Alas, it didn't rise, but I optimistically baked it anyway. Result, a bread that bounced off concrete without a chip. A serious brick. But, I blinked, and summer is almost over and the yeast hasn't been touched...

Happily, my July cooking class at Millennium, taught by Millennium's Executive Chef Eric Tucker, saves the day by providing the opportunity to make a quick-rising French style baguette. I naturally jumped at the opportunity to prove my hopeless bread-baking skills wrong with the help of some expert advice. It was a simple fast-raising, french bread making recipe for Bahn Mi sandwiches. I measured, I mixed, I kneaded. And, by golly, this time it worked! After allowing the dough to rise over good heat, we broke it into baguette sandwiches. See Chef Eric displaying the results above.

Inside this delicious sandwich was Yuba (fresh tofu skin marinated with a Lemon Grass-Shallot glaze):


Here's the crisp and delicious fried version. I can't believe we put this in a sandwich. I can't believe I didn't eat it before the bread was baked:


And tofu marinated and grilled with the same glaze:

And on the hot grill with onions:

So, I think this was the most filling "lunch" I've eaten at a Millennium cooking class:

The Bahn Mi also boasted sesame tofu mayonnaise, plum anise hoisin, pickled carrots, sliced jalapeno. Oh, yes, the salad. Let me tell you about the salad.

A seaweed based salad with Arame, Mendocino Sea Palm Fronds, and Kelp Noodles:

The sea noodles were combined with avocado, plums, and fresh herbs and dressed with a Plum Ume & Shiso dressing:

One class participant was interested in novel uses of potatoes. The result was a potato and corn "risotto" made creamy with cashew cream:

It was then served with Vanilla-glazed Maitake mushrooms:

The mushrooms were delicious!


We then made a South Indian vegetable filling for Buck Wheat Dosas with cumin, curry leaf and asafoetida::

Topped with a mint chutney, these were delicious:


Dessert was typically over the top - shortbread cookies with nectarines, macadamia nut cheese, and a lemon-verbena caramel:


Many thanks to Eric, Ann, Thomas and my classmates for another memorable vegan cooking class.
Here's links to my previous 15 classes:

June 2010 Cooking Class

Spring Cooking Class 2010

Chiles Cooking Class 2009

July Cooking Class 2009

June Cooking Class 2009

Spring Cooking Class 2009

Mushroom Cooking Class

Holiday Cooking Class

Fall Harvest 2008

Indian Summer

Southern Comfort Cooking Class

Spring Cooking Class

Fall Harvest Cooking Class

Chiles Class

Tomato Class