Summer may be officially nearing its end, but that doesn’t mean we’re getting tired of grilled pizzas, one of our very favorite dishes.  Pizza isn’t just easy to make…it’s a great canvas for the explosion of summer flavor we’ve come to expect from the local producers we love.  Here are some tips for your next pizza party:

• Go simple.  A few vine-ripe tomatoes, a sprig or two of basil, some low-key mozzarella…you don’t need the fanciest ingredients to come up with the best flavors.
• Go seasonal.  Why not plunder the bounty of your nearest farmer’s market or CSA share for your next pizza?  Squash, potatoes, greens, and even peaches love pizzas (especially on the grill).
• Go sweet.  It’s easy to overlook the power of sweet pizza, but why not try some figs, berries, or even nectarines on your next pie?  Pears and brie make a great combo, too.
• Go for broke.  What’s the fun in making your own pizza if you’re hampered by fears or convention?  A blank pie means a blank canvas, ready and waiting for your creativity…and your mistakes.  If you’re not making a few gaffes over time, you’re not doing it right!
• Don’t go it alone.  Need to perfect your dough or come up with some fab flavor profiles?  We’re here to help with Pizza, Pizza, Pizza, a class that’s all about everyone’s favorite pie.  Prefer to have your pizza made for you?  You can’t go wrong with Cook Street alum David Bravdica’s amazing Brava Pizzeria, a wood-burning pizza oven on wheels that’s usually located at 16th and Arapahoe in downtown Denver.

Summer at Cook Street means many things.

Grilling classes with plenty of patio-pounder wine selections and local microbrews…

The hustle and bustle of Rockies games and throngs of people getting to know our LoDo digs by sight and eventually by smell…

Fresh vegetable drop-offs from the Grant Farms CSA that has designated Cook Street as a drop-off location this year…

And tender cooking demonstrations, like this one on pork tenderloin thanks to Executive Chef Instructor Chef Peter Ryan…

This hot weather means one thing…BBQ!!!  And Cook Street is hastening to serve up a handful of hot grilling classes perfect for summery days.  As we prep for our upcoming BBQ Classics class, we’re thinking of why grilling is the way to go…so let’s count to seven:

• It’s basic.  BBQed meats are a great basic staple…and is there anything simpler than meat plus fire?  That’s not to say BBQ can’t be gourmet.
• It’s dangerous.  Yeah, we admit it…we love the fear factor that accompanies flames.
• It’s not just for men.  We love it when women defy stereotype and rock the grill!
• It’s nutritious.  Did you know you can grill things like lettuce leaves and even peaches?
• It’s all about the great outdoors.  ‘Nuff said.
• It goes great with beer.  We recommend something by our neighbor, Great Divide Brewery!
• It’s delicious.  Chipotle glazed chicken…pulled pork sandwiches…grilled corn on the cob…what’s not to love?  Click here to view our BBQ Classics class or to your left for a full class calendar!

If you’re intimidated by the idea of a cooking class, chances are you’ve been scared off by long words in different languages. One of the joys of Cook Street’s Essentials classes is helping students strip away the fancy language and get down to what counts…the food!

Why the fancy phrasing? Why on earth would we talk about a “bouquet garni” instead of a “bunch of herbs” or “flambe” instead of “light something on fire”? Using classic cooking terminology isn’t just a way of paying homage to the Escoffiers of the world…it’s an essential shorthand for cooks everywhere. Mathematicians of all nationalities know and understand mathematical notation and the Pythagorean theorem…and cooks of all races, languages, and places of origin use the same terms to refer to cooking techniques. This shorthand assures that food truly is the universal language.

Here are a few great resources for those looking to demystify cooking terminology:

• Epicurious Food Dictionary: A huge online dictionary with more than 4,000 food terms.
• Cooking Terms: Feeling old school? Check out this fun video on cooking terminology from a 1950s home ec class.
• History of George Auguste Escoffier: Learn about the man behind much of the confusing French cooking terminology out there!
• The Food Lover’s Companion:  Amazing and comprehensive resource for all things food.
• On Food And Cooking:  The Science and Lore of the Kitchen:  McGee’s bible of gastronomic lore.

Photo courtesy of teagrrl

Summer means light, healthy meals and bright, refreshing wines.  Whites always fit the bill, and Pinot Grigio is a Cook Street favorite!  Here’s what you need to know about this golden girl of the wine world:

Where it’s from:  The term “pinot grigio” is the Italian variation of “pinot gris,” but the grapes for grigio are cultivated in a variety of areas ranging from San Juan, Argentina to Germany, New Zealand, Canada, and California.

How it’s grown:  Pinot grapes are grown in small clusters and, shockingly, produce a gray or brownish-pink fruit.  Pinot grigio is thought to be a mutant cousin to another famous grape, Pinot noir.

Flavor profile:  Pinot grigio’s flavor profile depends on where it’s grown.  If you’re drinking a real grigio, it was grown in Italy, where it obtained a crisp acidity with a light body and a sweet, refreshing flavor.  Depending on terroir, the wine can range from light to medium in body.  Pinot grigo is great with seafood and light dishes, but beware!  This wine has a high acid content and doesn’t like to play with tomatoes or citrus fruit.

Up-and-Coming:  Wine snobs are known to look down on this “green” wine, but pinot grigio is the most popular imported wine in the United States.

Want to learn more about pairing wines with food?  Join us for our Essentials I: Classic Techniques class…every meal is paired with two delicious wines!

Photo courtesy of different2une

With warmer weather comes the urge to grill…but what wine goes best with grilled meats or mushrooms?  Malbec is never a bad choice for pairing with your grilled delicacies. Here’s what you need to know about this noir rock star:

• Where it’s from:  Malbec grapes were among the six allowed in Bordeaux blends from France, but the grapes are now grown in France, Argentina, and worldwide.
• How it’s grown:  Malbec is customarily grown as a bush vine for low-yield batches.  The grape needs much more sun than its sisters, Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon, to mature.  Once it’s ripe, the Malbec grape is deep, dark, and plummy.
• Flavor profile:  French wines made from this dark grape have been described as “rustic Merlots” that are low in acidity.  However, Argentinian Malbecs are dark and full of tannins, with herbal, raisin, or tobacco aromas.
• Don’t get it green:  Some immature Malbecs can have an unpleasant “green” taste.  This wine is much better after it’s reached full maturity.

Looking forward to learning more about grilling or wine pairings?  Cook Street’s got a class for you!  Click here for more information.

Photo courtesy of Caliterra

Summer is nigh, and Cook Street is celebrating with tons of grilling classes.  Too often, people think of steaks and maybe vegetables when they think of a grill…and leave out tons of possibilities for a flavorful, quick, and healthy meal.  Here are three less obvious favorites for the next time you fire up Old Faithful:

• Lettuce:  Bring the grilled lettuce Caesar trend home from the hottest restaurants to your backyard.  Grilling gives greens a deeper, more intense flavor and can really intensify your next salad.  Grill until wilting but not charred and cover with homemade Caesar dressing.  Yum!
• Fruit:  Grilling can bring out the goodness in old favorites.  Try some pears, pineapple, bananas, peaches, even berries.
• Pizza:  You’ve probably heard of it, but have you tried it yet?  Thin-crust pizza is perfect for the grill…just oil up the crust (no stone needed) and cook applicable meat toppings before grilling to prevent food-borne illness.

What’s your favorite thing to grill?

Image courtesy of mccun934