|
Teal VanDongen was a typical non-cooking
mother and wife one year ago.
"I hated to cook," she said. "My family could have pizza, tacos or
spaghetti for dinner."
Nowadays, she's a cooking fanatic.
"I've learned the chemistry of cooking," she said, "and every chance
I get, I watch the Food Network."
VanDongen has learned cooking isn't so tough at Ecole Dijon, a
cooking school she prodded her uncle, Chef Drew Ellsworth, to begin
approximately one year ago. Now she gathers with friends and strangers
alike in Ellsworth's home and classroom every Monday night to learn the
art.
More than anything, class at Ecole Dijon feels like a club: lots of
wine and happy chatter about life. At least half of the class participants
are regulars - some of them friends and family who use the class as an
excuse to get away.
"I come to be with friends and to have a night away from the family,"
joked pupil Stacie Marchessault.
Everyone comes for the gourmet meal or to improve their cooking
skills.
"Anything I can do to make people see how much fun [cooking] is,
that's very important to me," said Ellsworth.
Students are encouraged to participate in food preparations, which
include taste testing all of Ellsworth's concoctions before and after they
are completed.
On this particular night, the meal consists of whole wheat French
bread, broccaflower with mornay sauce, salmon en papillote and sponge
babas with grand marnier cr me.
"Most things are not actually on the recipe," said
student Melissa Genaux. "That's why you've got to pay attention."
Ellsworth creates the menu for each class with a special purpose in
mind. For the first six months of classes at Ecole Dijon, students learned
cooking from the fridge, pantry and cupboards. The class was geared toward
"teaching people to have basic things in their fridge," said Ellsworth.
Since then, the classes have had various focuses, including the
current one: heart-healthy food. Ellsworth hopes to teach participants
that they can create a healthy meal in a reasonable amount of time.
After more than 15 years as a chef, Ellsworth decided to leave the
corporate world of cooking several years ago and return to his home
in Utah.
"When you work as an executive chef in a corporate kitchen, you
hardly touch any food and my love is preparing food," said Ellsworth.
The last time he lived in Utah, he and
his sister operated Restaurant Dijon on Highland Drive in Holladay. He
doesn't anticipate reopening the restaurant, but said "when I do
something like tonight I get a little glimmer."
For Ellsworth, the classes from his home were a natural progression
in his cooking life.
"You have to have that almost stupid naiveté [to work in a corporate
kitchen]: the older you get the harder it is to work in a real, fast
paced, multitasking environment," said Ellsworth . "You have to be able
to multitask and wear a lot of hats and switch hats quickly and I wasn't
like that. I like to mess with my rose petals," explained Ellsworth,
referring to the evening's desert topper - candied rose petals.
Ellsworth, who was trained in Leon, France, after receiving his
master's degree in French at Brigham Young University, said he wants
people in this country to be able to cook a good meal for the family.
Classes at Ecole Dijon cost $40 each with a bulk rate of $98.00 for
three classes.
"You get a gourmet meal," said VanDongen of the price. "I would spend
at least this if I went to a restaurant for a gourmet meal. And, not
only are you eating, but you're learning how to create it."
What's cooking
Jan 23: Chef Drew's clam chowder, French baguettes,
tomato/basil/cucumber salad, and poached pears
Jan 30: Gourmet Salisbury steaks tour kids will love, sauce
financiere, great whipped potatoes, and homemade cookies
Chef Drew explains how to use a
rutabaga at his cooking school.
Salmon en Papillote before cooking
Grand finally...... Sponge Babas with
candied rose petals!
Salt Lake Tribune June 22, 1980
Salt Lake Tribune June 22, 1980
Food Today
Desert News August 5, 1981
Desert Sun
November 2, 1997
|
