Sitting here, glancing through myriad emails on my Yahoo Inbox I can’t help but think, I subscribe to too many website updates—how can I possibly… and then I see the sender—Central Market—and the subject line, All Bacon All The Time.  I point my mouse and click.

I’ve always loved Central Market, shopping there regularly, and I’m excited about the prospect of all that bacon. Minutes later I’m telling Michael, “I signed us up for a cooking school at Central Market,” adding, “we’re going to be eating a lot of bacon!”

I think we are early for class so I dawdle, looking at blood oranges, trying to figure out how to determine which ones are best.  When we finally climb the stairs to the kitchen/classroom the room is already three-quarters full of the anticipated sixteen students. Choosing the best of the available seats I’m surprised to see that the number of men outnumbers the women—men with their spouse, men with a friend, men alone, with a few women sprinkled in between. I’m happy to be one of them.

All Bacon All The Time

Immediately after being introduced to our instructor her helpers pour us a glass of wine.  I start with a French Chardonnay, which is absolutely delicious and which I think will be lovely paired with the bacon accented seafood and salad appetizers.

I’m here to taste the food, eat the dinner, and get the recipes, more than I am to learn how to cook—I’ve been cooking for eons. I am pleased to immediately learn that there is another way to seed a tomato other than the accepted one I have been using for eons. Both work, but this one is neat easy and clean, giving you a rectangle of tomato meet to create the perfect uniform dice.

The Appetizers

As we nibble on our generous and delicious portions of BLT Bruschetta and Bacon Wrapped Shrimp, Cindy begins her explanation of the prosciutto used in her Prosciutto-Stuffed Beef Tenderloin.  Another brilliant idea, and one I have to remember.  She chose San Danielle aged for twenty months, sliced paper thin, with each slice stacked on top of the other—sticking like glue. She then cut the stacked prosciutto lengthwise, creating the perfect stuffing for the tender beef. I can hardly wait to sample it.

The Entrees

This is more than a sample—it is a meal! Accompanied by Bacon Smothered Peas, both the beef and the vegetables are delicious. The food is as good as any I’ve had at fine dining restaurants and considerably less expensive! The wine is excellent! And we’re barely halfway through! The helpers serve more wine. This time I choose red, appropriately named Bacon, a blend of Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre, Merlot and Petite Sirah from California’s Central Coast.

For an entrée encore, we eat Pasta Shells with Pancetta and Spinach while we watch our instructor prepare the dish. She talks about the ingredients, giving us tips on her preference of brands and the reasons why. I appreciate the information immensely.

The Dessert

The meal and the instructions end with Bacon Baklava.  I love baklava but the thought of preparing it seems both daunting and labor intensive. However, after watching Cindy deal with the finicky sheets of phyllo dough, nonchalantly patching it together when it tears I can’t help but think—I can do that!

Too soon, the dinner and the entertaining informative instructions are over. All participants are effusive in their praise and thanks for a fun and unusual Sunday evening.

As Michael and I stand in line at the check stand downstairs, clutching an assortment of gourmet items not available to us in Wimberley, I tell him, “This is a great date night! And the food was so good. And I learned something! I want to do this again.”

He smiles.

 

Central Market Cooking School

Almost every night of every month Central Market offers the residents of Austin and the surrounding area the opportunity to be better cooks. From hands-on classes to sitting and observing there is always something to learn and something wonderful to eat.  On Central market’s website, the say Learning Never Tasted So Good.  I have to agree.

https://centralmarket.com/cooking-school/