April 25th, 2013
It really was a great evening on Wednesday, 4/24, when Jody, Donna, and I took off for a cooking class with Paul Cullen at The Cordrey Center located in Millsboro, Delaware. We were looking forward to great food and music. We had heard that the previous event was so much fun and a sell-out.
Now, I was a little worried, since I have been counting fats…and calories too. It would be very interesting…pasta…olive oil; you know what I mean.
A little reception with wine and friends. I only knew a few people.
Bonnie (Paul's wife), Jody, Donna
Paul Cullen has his own wine label. Both, wine and music, were for sale on Wednesday.
Louie and Frank from Frank & Louie’s located at 58 Baltimore Avenue in Downtown Rehoboth Beach, arrived with cheeses and Italian delicacies….They are the Bascio Brothers who are on their own and waiting for you to come to the store and check them out. Their tel. 302-227-5777. You can find them on Facebook.
Maria DeForrest was taking the professional photos of the evening. Please check her out at http://www.deforrestphotography.com.
So let’s get started…we all got the recipes…Paul does not measure; it is a little bit of this and a little bit of that.
Paul had fixed an Antipasti Salad with White Balsamic Vinaigrette. The salad consisted of Romaine, fennel, radishes, cucumbers, red onion, salami, and sharp provolone. The dressing took no time to make with Paul mixing the white balsamic vinegar, Virgin olive oil, stoneground mustard, a dash of salt and pepper. Simple, tasty, and so easy.
Next course was Ricotta Cheese Crostini with a Balsamic Drizzle…..the key for making the homemade Ricotta Cheese is to stir constantly to keep the milk and half and half from burning on the bottom of the pan.
The next course was Homemade Potato Gnocchi with Pancetta Chive Sauce. Plenty of Italians in attendance at this event. They liked them!! Paul did make this dish look easy. To tell you the truth, I would have made such a mess in my kitchen!
You have to work in batches…bring out the potato ricer…make a mess!!
Knead until dough comes together…form into a ball, divide and roll each piece between hands.
Cut and place them in boiling water and as soon as they float, they are ready!!
The Pancetta Chive Sauce was easy and was done in no time…key ingredients? Butter and Olive Oil!
Paul took a little break from the kitchen while we were all enjoying our food and played a little music for us. The evening was flowing well. Everyone was relaxed, taking it all in.
And one more dish…making pasta dough for Ravioli. Again, Paul made it look easy. The necessary ingredients of unbleached flour, eggs, salt….and have fun on the counter.
The ideal is a pasta machine for roling and cutting the dough. And, a glass of wine in front.
On this photo, Paul shapes the ravioli and then will use a glass to cut them. He likes the round shapes.
His simple sauce called Grandma Tags Fast Sauce consisted of San Marzano tomatoes, garlic, shallot, basil and olive oil.
Bonnie watching the sauce.
And then it was our turn to taste again….So good!! Bonnie told us that she never has to cook. Paul does all the cooking at home!!
The evening went quickly..2 hours in the middle of the week with friends…perfect!!
Note: Please check Paul Cullen’s website http://www.paulcullen.net for more information and other events.
Also, please visit The Cordrey Center’s website at http://www.thecordreycenter.com. They have already on their schedule…trips, classes, events, activities and even a cruise!!
Have a good one!!
April 23rd, 2013
It was supposed to have been just one signature event….but the public wants another one. “Tune Your Palate” is an innovative cooking class from former Bad Company Bassist, Paul Cullen.
Paul artfully blends his passion for cool music, jazzy wine and divine cuisine into one signature event. He will demonstrate how to make his Italian cuisine, such as handmade ravioli, gnocchi and ricotta cheese. All this while pairing his delicious wines and playing an intimate concert to finish the night.
The Cordrey Center, a garden event venue, is located at 30366 Cordrey Rd., Millsboro, Delaware. 19966. It will only take you 2 turns off of Rt. 24. The event is from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. The cost is $30 per person. For reservations, please call 302-945-5853.
The evening will have an added bonus with an artisan cheese tasting/demo with Andy Meddick of Morgan and Gower Cheesemongers of Downtown Rehoboth Beach. Also available will be handmade breads from Old World Breads.
The first event was a success; this second one should be a sellout, as well. Talk to you later!!
November 2nd, 2012
I joined my fellow Crawlers, Jody and Jade, as we helped raise funds for the local charities of Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. The Rehoboth Beach Cocoa Crawler was celebrating its second year and for the looks of it….I think people were loving and enjoying every minute of it.
There was a definite chill in Rehoboth Beach. We needed to get our wristbands. They were only $10. The proceeds going to the charities.
The welcoming committee was Maggio Shields Real Estate. They were in charge of selling the bands. They were a happy bunch.
From the Maggio Cafe, at First Street Station, and next to Maggio Shields Real Estate, we were offered tomato bisque. It was warm and delicious.
Grotto Pizza was also part of the welcoming committee…an institution in Rehoboth Beach.
The sun was beginning to set quickly…it is that time of the year. So pretty and crisp. Rehoboth Beach was crowded and hardly any parking available.
Jody, Jade and I decided to stop for dinner at Lily Thai on North 1st St.
They had the Pad Thai, which was very good
I had the Crispy Eggplant in a Chili Sauce with Shrimp…delicious. I do love this dish.
Now that our energies were recharged, we continued to crawl. Our next stop was going to be a shop on Baltimore Avenue that has been there for about 30 years. Crysti. There is a post in the making, but, in the meantime, meet Joyce and Crysti.
The best local restaurants were inside participating stores. At Crysti, Dog Fish Head was serving…beer, of course. But, check the dessert they had available; the bacon chocolate cheesecake. It is available at the restaurant in Downtown Rehoboth Beach.
Outside people were chatting and having a great time. Drinks on hand everyone was crawling through the streets.
By this time, another fellow crawler, joined our group. He is right there on the picture with Jade. His name? Michael from Stephan & Co. Salon & Spa. Jade also works at the salon. I have to write a post on them soon.
Our next stop was Browseabout Books, where we found Cake Break. They were serving mini cupcakes. Perfect because they just popped in your mouth. Not too much guilt, either. Cake Break can now ship gluten free cupcakes and other gluten free baked goods.
Crawling away, we continued….and we found only one dog doing his crawling while wearing his sweater.
We continue on a crawling mode and stopped to see a sign that rain, shine or hurricane…it is always there, reminding us that salt water taffy is still so good.
At Carltons on Rehoboth Avenue we found Lupo di Mare.
They were serving “pot de creme”.
Crawling back to First Street Station, we noticed that there were still people shopping at the Penny Lane Mall.
At First Street Station, Paul Cullen was entertaining the crowds and serving his wines. A future post in the making.
And, then, the crawlers gathered. There was going to be a drawing. You had to be there to win. Well, we did not win, but Danielle did. That was the end of a perfect evening, spending it with friends. Priceless, don’t you think?
So, it was time to go home….a total success it was….
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