For Christmas 2008 John and I received a voucher from his brother and his wife to attend a couple’s cooking course at the Institute of Culinary Education (or ICE as it is known around these parts). It seems rather crazy that it’s taken us this long to get around to going to an actual class, but I guess that says quite a bit about how crazy / busy / manic this past year has been (AND we’re in November already – how did that happen?).

We finally booked our place, opting to go for the ‘Everyone Cooks Everything: Healthful Dishes‘ course and signed up about six weeks in advance. Apparently all we had to do was show up ready to cook and be hungry. Yes, you actually have to prepare and cook your own food and then serve yourself, sit down and eat your own concoction! All this over the course of four hours on a Sunday evening. So we were sure to have a late breakfast and no lunch and by the time we caught a cab to head downtown to the school, John and I were both feeling less friendly and in need of some serious nourishment. (Enough said, right?)

Luckily, we got right into it after a quick menu discussion with our chef. Eight couples (some married, some mom-and-daughter partnerships) started chopping shallots, adding a dash of this and a splash of that and soon all the gas burners in the test kitchen were going and delicious aromas filled the air. Our menu consisted of Bibb Salad with Warm Cider Vinaigrette and Asian Pears; Cedar Plank Salmon with Blood Orange Glaze; Roasted Asparagus, Peas, and Basil; Herbed Quinoa (a weird but strangely delicious newness for me); and Greek Yogurt Panna Cotta with Strawberries Soaked in a Balsamic Reduction – possibly the reason why we chose this particular course. I have discovered a love for Panna Cotta recently and could never have imagined it this easy to make. (If you don’t like Panna Cotta and get a fancy dinner invitation from me, you might want to reconsider…it’s bound to make an appearance somewhere! Ha ha!)

After making the Panna Cotta, we put together the salad and then all sat down to eat it before getting the vegetables and salmon going. We finished the meal with a big sit-down dinner with wine and fascinating conversation – what a great experience!

So if you find yourself stumped for a creative gift idea this year, take it from me…the recipients will truly appreciate this one (even if it takes them eleven months to use it)!