On My Radar: Hill's Kitchen

Hill's Kitchen is an independent gourmet kitchenware store in Eastern Market that offers daily cooking classes for you foodies out there. This past weekend I stopped in with friends after brunch to find some new cooking accessories for the kitchen. I was excited to see an amazing roster of cooking classes that I plan to take soon.

See the FULL LIST OF CLASSES and SCHEDULES HERE.

Here are some of my recommendations...........

Pancakes, Crepes, Waffles: Flat, Delicious Friends. - $45
From quick breakfast flapjacks to savory curried-chicken crepes to jalapeno-cheddar waffles, join us as we look at some new ways to use these breakfast favorites for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. This class will cover the above mentioned recipes as well as classic buttermilk pancakes, regular and buckwheat crepes, blinis, and different styles of waffles. This is a demonstration class, but everyone is going to practice making crepes and blinis, so wear an old shirt and get ready to get hands on.

Hand Made Pasta - $45
Handmade pasta is something special- chewy and toothsome but just sticky enough to carry the right amount of sauce. A great accompaniment to fall dishes like beef bourguignon or braised lamb, or as a simple main dish tossed with pesto and early fall tomatoes; handmade pasta is a skill to master for the coming cold weather. This is a participation class, so everyone will be making their own batch of pasta, with enough to take home. Wear an old shirt and bring good questions!

Exploring the Food of Thailand: Central Thai - $55
This series will explore the varied styles of food in different parts of Thailand. This class focuses on central Thai cooking, from the Bangkok and Ayuttaya region. Chef Brock is spending most of January in Bangkok, so this class should be full of lots of stories and great techniques! We will focus on fresh preparations of local ingredients in the Thai tradition- including Pad Thai, Green Beef Curry, and Sweet Rice with Mango. We will also taste some of the basic ingredients of Thai cuisine and discuss where to buy them. Thai food doesn't have to be a take-out only experience join us to learn how to practice this art in your own kitchen. This is a demonstration class, so just sit back, enjoy some great food, and ask good questions. No clean up required!

Khana, Pina, Magana Ho: Eat, Drink, and Be Merry, North Indian Style - $55
When you fry spices in hot oil in North India, it's called “the dawn of flavor. Come and enjoy the dawn of awesome as we explore the food of the sub-continent. We are preparing Malai Kofta (cashew dumplings in a piquant curry), Alu Ghobi (spiced cauliflower and potato- enchanting, trust me), Palak Paneer (cheese curd simmered in a spinach curry), and homemade chapatti (Indian flatbread, which we will make perfectly round so that someday we will make someone a good wife). This is primarily a demonstration class, but everyone will be poking their noses into pots, making dumplings, and rolling out Chapatti. Please note that like most Indian food, this class is vegetarian.

Harried Chef: Risotto $35
The Harried Chef series presents artful, delicious dishes that can be completed in an hour or less of preparation time (sometimes much less). This series is designed to give you something new to add to your rotation, while secretly (or not so secretly) improving your cooking techniques. Risotto is an amazingly versatile dish- we'll make two varieties during class, while discussing other variations as well as inventive things to do with the leftovers! This is a demonstration class, so join us for a glass of wine after work and a bite of heaven at the end of class.