What makes homemade yogurt so alluring? Join Maria’s fantastic yogurt-making class this Saturday, February 11 at 10 am to find out! Homemade yogurt can be thicker, richer, creamy, plus yogurt can be made with cow’s milk, goat’s milk, or sheep’s milk.

Here is one of my favorite dishes with homemade yogurt. I serve these pancakes as a first course or as a cheese course at the end of the meal. Of course, you can just serve these light and delicious pancakes with maple syrup for breakfast.

Yogurt Pancakes with Cheese and Chutney

For the pancakes:

• 3 eggs, separated
• ¾ cup yogurt
• ¼ cup flour
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• Zest of one orange
• ¼ cup butter

Mix together the egg yolks, yogurt, flour, salt, sugar, and zest. Whip the egg whites to stiff peaks and fold in the batter. Melt the butter on a griddle and drop the batter with a medium size disher (#50). When bubbly on top, turn over. Serve with a scoop of soft cheese or bloomy rind cheese (such as goat cheese or brie cheese) and a dollop of homemade fruit chutney.

For the fruit chutney:

• 2 cups peeled, pitted, and chopped fresh fruit, such as peaches, pears, apples, tomatoes, figs, mangos, papaya, pineapple, plums, apricots, nectarines, cherries, blueberries, bananas, etc
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger root
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 hot chile pepper, minced

Place all of the ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer for an hour, or until thick and jammy. Taste and check the seasonings. If the fruit is too tart, add more sugar.

Not one, not two, but three Racanelli brothers are team-teaching a class on Italian family favorites. Who will talk the most? Join Vito, Sam, and John on Monday, April 30 for a memorable family feud in “The Racanelli Boys Rack up 85 Years in the Kitchen.”

Several chefs are highlighting Latin cuisines:

• Diana Kennedy, who knows more about Mexican food than anybody else, returns to teach a class on Oaxacan food on Wednesday, April 18 at 6 pm and Saturday, April 21 at 11 am.
• Join us for Cinco de Mayo as Dawn Meyer creates a from-scratch delicious Mexican dinner on Saturday, May 5 at 6 pm.
• David Molina (chef of Bocci Bar) and Wil Pelly (chef of Diablitos) combine their talents and silliness in presenting Mexican street foods on Monday, May 7 at 6:30 pm. How many different salsas can these two chefs make!
• Homemade tamales are on Christopher Lee’s menu, “The Mex-Box” on Tuesday, May 22 at 6:30 pm.
• Wil Pelly presents irresistible Mexican street foods (including the amazing street corn) in “The Little Devil of Diablitos” on Monday, June 4 at 6 pm.
• Yes, paella is an easy party dish. Learn from Christie Maggi in “Easy as Paella” on Tuesday, May 29 at 6 pm.
• More paella and more David Molina (chef of Bocci Bar) is on the menu, “Life of the Paella Party” on Sunday, June 10 at 5 pm.

Our favorites Spring classes are on the schedule again:

• Seasonal fresh morel mushrooms are on the menu with Josh Galliano (chef of Monarch) on Monday, April 2 at 6 pm and Kirk Warner (chef-owner of Kirk’s Traveling Kitchen) on Monday, April 30 at 6:30 pm.
• Remember April 12, 1912 as Mickey Kitterman (chef of Gallagher’s) relives the “Last Dinner on the Titantic. Corsets and dinner jackets are not required!
• April has an “r” in the name, so fill up on oysters before the summer months with Jon Lowe (chef of Oceano) in “Aw, Shucks!” on Tuesday, April 17 at 6:30 pm.
• We are reviving a favorite cooking class from several years ago: “Grilling University.” Join Barb Nack at the grill for fish on Friday, May 4, beef on Friday, June 1, and chicken/pork on Friday, July 6.

Best class title goes to “A Street Cart Named Desire” with Maria Sakellariou presented the favorite street foods of Greece on Friday, May 18 at 6:30 pm.

Register Now.

• Add cheesy croutons to tomato bisque.
• Sear scallops or shrimp for red pepper soup.
• Chicken soup is always better with homemade noodles or spaetzle.
• Stir a spoonful of basil pesto into vegetable soups.
• I love a drizzle of browned butter on top of butternut squash soup.
• Another great topping for squash soups is candied nuts.
• Onion or mushroom soups are improved with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar.
• Fish soups are delicious with a swirl of spicy mayonnaise.
• Fresh fruit salsas are a great topping for dried bean soups.
• Try sauteed mushrooms on top of cauliflower or potato soups.

Here is a comforting yet exciting soup for a snowy day:

Lentil Soup with Goat Cheese Garnish

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup chopped onions
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1/2 cup chopped carrots
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 cup dry sherry
• 1 cup dry lentils
• 4 cups chicken or veal stock (bean soups taste much better with veal or beef stock instead of chicken stock)
• 6 ounces goat cheese

Heat the oil and saute the onions, celery, and carrots. Season well with salt and pepper. If desired, add some cayenne pepper. Add the garlic. Add the sherry. Add the lentils and cover with stock. Bring to a boil and simmer until tender, about 30 minutes. Use an immersion blender to partially puree the soup. Taste and adjust the seasonings. (If desired, add some Tabasco sauce.) Ladle the soup into bowls and top each bowl with an ounce of goat cheese.

Master another great soup with chef Helen Fletcher on February 23 as she demonstrates beef stroganoff soup.

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 pounds chuck roast or beef short ribs

1 onion, diced

1 celery stalk, diced

1 carrot, peeled and diced

1 tablespoon flour

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 cup red wine

½ cup balsamic vinegar

2 sage leaves, chopped

1 rosemary sprig, leaves chopped

Salt and pepper

2 cups beef stock

¼ cup honey

2 tablespoons raisins

2 tablespoons pine nuts

1 tomato, peeled, seeded and diced

Heat oil in skillet. Brown beef in skillet and set aside. In the leftover oil, sauté the onion, celery, and carrot until tender. Add the flour and tomato paste. Add the wine and boil until reduced by half. Add the balsamic and reduce by half. Season with salt and pepper. Add the stock. Return the meat for long cooking, about 3-4 hours. Strain the meat, place the sauce in a gravy separator, and remove the fat. Finish the sauce at the end with honey, raisins, pine nuts, and tomato.

Pizza with fig jam, prosciutto, and blue cheese, which Christie Maggi is teaching on January 14.

Tuna confit salad with white beans, which Cassy Vires (chef-owner of Home Wine Kitchen) is teaching on January 18.

Pave d’amour (a cake with two different buttercream frostings plus chocolate ganache), which Helen Fletcher (pastry chef of Tony’s) is teaching on January 19.

Pan-seared halibut with green coconut curry sauce on jasmine rice cakes, which Christopher Lee (chef of Sanctuaria) is teaching on February 8.

Pear-red onion crostini with homemade yogurt, which Maria Sakellariou is teaching on February 11.

Foie gras flan, which Bernard Pilon (chef of Norwood Hills Country Club) is teaching on February 18.

Lace sandwich cookies with orange buttercream, which Margi Kahn is teaching on February 26.

The best diet for a new year is food that tastes delicious! Sign up for these scrumptious classes!

Go to www.kitchenconservatory.com and log in (button in the upper right-hand corner) and set up an account with us with your email and password.

Choose the gift certificate amount and fill in the “to” and “from” on the gift certificate. Add to basket and complete the check-out process. There is no shipping charge on gift certificates.

Go to Account (button in the upper right-hand corner) and View Order. Press the View Printable Gift Certificate. Press print and, voila, you have completed your gift list! You will also receive an automatic email with a link to your account.

Gift certificates can be used for cooking classes or merchandise, plus they can be redeemed online or in person or over the telephone. Each gift certificate has a unique 16-digit number in the upper left-hand corner.

Yes, you can purchase and immediately print gift certificates on December 25!

Have a joyous holiday!

Friday, December 16: 9:30 am to 8 pm;

Saturday, December 17: 9:30 am to 8 pm;

Sunday, December 18: 12 to 5 pm;

Monday, December 19: 9:30 am to 8 pm;

Tuesday, December 20: 9:30 am to 8 pm;

Wednesday, December 21: 9:30 am to 8 pm;

Thursday, December 22: 9:30 am to 8 pm;

Friday, December 23: 9:30 am to 7 pm;

Saturday, December 24: 9:30 am to 5 pm.

Plus, we offer complimentary gift wrapping with beautiful bows!