Passion: The Cooking Class

So the other night I went with some of the wardroom wives for a cooking class. I'd never been to Passion's before and had no idea what I was getting into. I've had a hard time figuring out how to describe this experience. It's like sitting at the chef's table. The chef told us about each dish and answered any and all questions.
This was a four course meal.

The first course was White Truffle Risotto with Asiago Cheese and Parmesan Cheese Crisp. I LOVED this. I'm a big risotto fan and the truffle in it was just so yummy! It was paired with Kung Fu Girl 2009 Riesling. The label gave me a chuckle and I thought the pairing was very nice. A bit of effervescence on the tongue and nice and crisp.

The second course was Fried Soft Shel with Bercy Sauce and Seared Asparagus. Originally they were going to pair it with Craggy Range 2007 Chardonnay, but the wine steward wasn't happy with the wine so they switched to a Petit Chenin Blanc by Ken Forrester. It went nicely with the crabs. I have learned that I'm not a soft shell crab fan. Although it was good, I just wasn't into it. I'm glad I tried it. Lesson learned. I think another factor was that it kind of creeped me out. I don't really care much for the look of crabs. They look like mutant insects.

Brandy, who was sitting to my right, has a seafood allergy and had Chicken Francis instead of the Fried Soft Shell. She was kind enough to let me try her chicken. Thanks again Brandy!

And of course the asparagus was fantastic. I don't think I've ever had asparagus that I don't like. It was crisp and still that pretty green color. So I was extremely happy with the veggie portion of this dish.

For the third course we had Crispy Skinned Seared Duck Breast with a Ginger Plum Sauce, Brocollini and Garlic Mashers. They paired this with a 2008 The Stump Jump Shiraz. I wasn't a big fan of the wine, but the duck was fantastic. Duck is either done well or poorly. This was done well. And I loved the sauce with it. I will admit I'm a bit of a potato snob, but the garlic mashers were so smooth and creamy that I could have made a meal out of them. Then again I am the carb queen. Also I'd never had brocollini before, so that was a first. And it wasn't bad. I actually had them box up most of this course because I was filling up and I definitely want to keep that yumminess for later.

The fourth course was Strawberry Passion - Macerated in Orange Cognac and Flambe with Fresh Mint. We cheered, of course, when Chef Barner lit the cognac. I'm not much for ice cream, but this was yummy! They paired this with Elyssia Pinot Noir Brut. Which was very nice. I always love the sparkling wines and the lovely pink color of the wine was a nice compliment to the dessert.

Of course I can't finish this blog without a picture of the chef. The evening was wonderful and Chef Garett Barner did a fantastic job. This is DEFINITELY something I will do again and suggest to as many friends as possible. I had a fantastic evening!