La Cucina Italiana Cooking Class – September 10, 2015

Our La Cucina Italiana Cooking Class, which will be held on September 10, 2015 at the Westchester United Methodist Fellowship Hall is one of the favorite cooking classes that I teach. There are so many possibilities…so many great Italian recipes to choose from. So delicious. Everyone seems to love Italian food and culture, so make plans to join us.

This year I decided it would be fun to plan a menu that included the classic Bolognese sauce. This is not anything like jarred spaghetti sauce. It contains 18 ingredients including onion, celery, carrots, ham, pork, ground beef and the secret ingredient – a bottle of red wine. When you make up a large batch of Bolognese sauce and freeze numerous containers of this stuff, you will be ready to make a lot of classic Italian dishes in no time…spaghetti, lasagna, ravioli and more.

When I was working for La Cucina Italiana magazine a few years ago, I read an interesting story in the September/October 2012 issue written by John Mariani about his search for the perfect lasagna in the city of Bologna.  Lasagna Verdi alla Bolognese is a creation indelibly associated with Emilia-Romagna’s capital city of Bologna.   I was entranced by this idea.  The classic Lasagne Verdi alla Bolognese al Forno is an artform. Like all classic peasant dishes, every family has it’s own way of making it.  Could we make a Fresh Food in a Flash version still keeping true to its roots?  So I thought we could give it a try in this class.  We are going to make the fresh spinach pasta and roll it out in the classic Atlas Pasta machine.  Then make a classic besciamella or béchamel sauce.  Marry the two sauces between the spinach pasta and Voila!   A marriage made in heaven – La Cucina Italiana heaven!

Sign up today for this class and experience it all.  Italian food at its authentic best.   Here’s what we will be making:

• Bruschetta with Grilled Tomato and Cucumber Salsa (Salsa delicate ai cetrioli e pomodori)
• Green Bean, Potato, Tomato and Pesto Salad (Fagioli con patate e pomodori pacchini al pesto)
• Classic Bolognese Sauce (a tomato and meat sauce like no other)
• Lasagna Verdi alla Bolognese al Forno (an authentic twist on lasagna) Vegetarian available upon request.
• Cantucci alle Mandorle con vin Santo (Crisp Tuscan Almond cookies with vin Santo)

Patricia K. Rose, of Fresh Food in a Flash will lead this hands-on cooking class on Thursday, September 10, 2015, 6:00-9:00 at the Westchester United Methodist Fellowship Hall. Once we complete the cooking, sit down and enjoy a meal you and your new friends made together with a glass of wine.

Cooking Class fee $50 when you reserve by September 7, $55, thereafter if space is available. To reserve your spot, email Patricia@FreshFoodinaFlash.com. This class will be held at Westchester United Methodist Fellowship Hall, 8065 Emerson Avenue, Westchester, CA 90045.