Category News & Events

Parties That Cook Prepares for Another Great Mother’s Day Brunch Cooking Class

0 comments By The Kitchen Whisperer Filed in Menus & Recipes, News & Events April 26th, 2013 @ 1:50 pm

Parties That Cook has been hosting Mother’s Day brunch cooking classes in San Francisco for as long as I can remember.. or maybe more like 2010. Still, we have about 14 years of hands-on cooking party experience to bring to the table – literally. If you’re on the fence about what to do with your Mom this Mother’s Day, let this sample itinerary and visual stroll down memory lane help you decide on a cooking class! You can still join Parties That Cook for Mother’s Day brunch cooking class in San Francisco, or look for a similar option in a city near you.

Mother’s Day Sample Itinerary:

10:30am – Arrive at the beautiful Ferry Building on the (hopefully) sunny Embarcadero. Look for the Parties That Cook sign, prepped cooking stations, and smiling PTC staff in chefs coats or purple aprons. Check in, fill out a fun name-tag and grab a white apron.

10:37am – Looking for something to sip on? Grab a cup of OJ or coffee while you chat with the other guests. Expect to see new Moms, “seasoned” Moms, Moms with their husbands, Moms with grown children, groups of Mom friends, and more. It’s like a Mommapalooza!

10:49am – Is your stomach starting to rumbling? Head over to one of the antipasti platters floating around. Nosh on the delicious assortment of cheese, crackers, and maybe some other fun surprises. Problem solved. Hunger vanquished.

11:00am – Notice your lead chef calling everyone together? Gather ’round one of the cooking stations prepped for successful recipe execution. If you’re lucky, Heather will be the chef leading guests through a few safety tips like how not to pass a knife to your new friends. Hint: do NOT throw. Heather, I mean your lead chef, will also go over a number of useful tips & tricks to help you conquer the morning’s recipes. Pay attention! Or just ask our helpful chefs to clarify later. They don’t bite.

11:27am – Break into groups to tackle a couple recipes on the menu. Skip the flashbacks of middle school kickball team selection. You will not be separated from your Mom, fellow mom-friends, neighbor, or anyone you else came with.

11:35am – Steal away to grab another drink, this time a soda. Wash your hands. Yes, both of them! And get to cooking!

11:41am – Cook. Cook. Cook. Cook.

12:13pm – Remember you aren’t the only team cooking! Walk around and check out what other groups have going on. Don’t worry, you’ll be able to taste their yummy creations, too. Cook more.

12:24pm – Hijack Mom and start an impromptu dance party. Why not?

12:30pm – Ding! Your dishes are ready, and it’s time to feast. This year’s menu includes Bacon Wrapped Apricots with Blue Cheese (a favorite), Zucchini Pancakes with Smoked Trout (YUM.), Chorizo and Potato Frittatta Bites (your new go-to brunch item), Crostini of Artichoke (you’ll want this in your party dish arsenal), and Brioche Bread Pudding (DECADENT!! must be said in Oprah voice). My mouth is watering already!

1:30pm – We know you’re full. Savor any remaining morsels you can before heading out to enjoy the rest of the gorgeous day with Mom. Or, you know, take a nap.. Either way, the PTC team will take care of any and all clean up – in true PTC fashion.

All Day: Have a fabulous Mother’s Day! Spend time with loved ones, and maybe a few new friends.

Update: For those in SF looking for a restaurant, look no further than Tablehopper’s round up of just about every dine-out option available!

Are public cooking classes not your thing? Consider booking a private cooking party! The Ferry Building is just ONE of our great venue partners – and we can even come into your home or office. You know you want to show off your kitchen skills, competitive nature, and maybe even your favorite apron to all your colleagues, and a Parties That Cook corporate team building event is the perfect place to do so!

Competitive Corporate Event Recap: Yahoo! at Jeld-Wen Field

What do you get when you combine gorgeous weather, a world-class soccer stadium, and a PTC cooking competition? One awesome corporate cooking event! The event recap below was submitted by our Portland city manager, Carolyn. It’s been a while since our last guest post, so let’s just jump right in.

We were very excited to host this corporate group from Yahoo! at one of our favorite Portland venues: Jeld-Wen Field, the stadium where our beloved Portland Timbers play. (Then again, how could you not love cooking with a view of the Timbers field?) We were lucky enough to have the sun shining brightly as PTC team members Chris, Lauren, and I set up in the Key Bank Club. Oh, the perks of being a completely mobile cooking party company. I love working in new venues, transforming event spaces into the perfect Parties That Cook “kitchen”. Have I mentioned that all we need is a sink?!

Yahoo! guests arrived on schedule for an informative tour of Jeld-Wen Field. The tour ended at the Key Bank Club, where we welcomed everyone with an apron, name tag, beverages and antipasti platters. We kicked off the event with our favorite question: “When you’re at a party, where does everyone like to congregate?” Answer: “The Kitchen!!!” We gathered everyone around the same cooking station, and Lauren demonstrated a number of culinary tips and tricks that would help during the cooking — both at the event and at home. As soon as I explained how the competition works and covered key safety tips, the group was ready to cook!

Yahoo! host, Kevin, had organized a Sumptuous Small Plates Challenge, so we knew we had a pretty competitive group on our hands. Kevin also told us that this event was meant to celebrate the team’s achievements — how fun! Despite being under the pressure of a timed competition, each team had a great time cooking together, adding their own creative twists to our recipes, and bonding over a hot stove.

The group prepared a mouthwatering menu including Crostini of Smashed Cannellini Beans and Feta Salsa Verde, Hosomaki Spicy Tuna Spiral Rolls, and Chocolate Stout Cupcakes with Porter Frosting and Chocolate Bubbles – YUM! We chefs circulated to see how the teams were doing and give them further guidance along the way. After 60 minutes, we called for teams to present their plated creations. Each team picked a representative to tell us why their dish should win – in just 1 minute! After a few laughs and a few more theatrics, guests enjoyed the fruits of their labor, sampling each others’ dishes while the chefs tasted and judged the submissions.

The winner was decided based on taste, presentation, creativity, and display of teamwork during the cooking. It was tough to make a decision, as usual, because all the food turned out great. We loved the creativity of the Sweet, Sour and Spicy Chicken in Won Ton Cups team, who used Sriracha sauce to draw a picture of a car and wrote “Vroom!” on their platter (a representation of their Auto team back at Yahoo!). It was the Mini Skewers of Roasted Lamb with Indian Makhani Dipping Sauce, however, who pulled ahead for first place! Congratulations!! They did a fantastic job cooking the lamb so it was still juicy. And the Makhani sauce they made was to die for! We chefs wanted more – how did they make it so good??

We awarded the winning team with bright green garlic grippers, and congratulated everyone on a job well-done. Guests continued to mingle, enjoying their food and drinks while listening to rad 80’s music and even watching the Timbers practice out on the field! Bonus!! We ended the day with a lovely group photo with the soccer field in the background.