Perhaps you are not one of the fortunate few to make it over to Europe this summer for a fortnight packed with long, lazy, luscious picnics by the Loire and panini in the Pyrenees!
Who would blame you after all? Have you taken a look at the price of international air travel this season? Coupled with the costs of paying premium for your baggage and a bite to eat, the outrageously dire exchange rate is keeping even the most ardent of ex-pats on U.S. home soil this sweltering, sizzling, summer 2008 season.
Truth is there is plenty to keep us all occupied here in the grand old U.S. of A. And it's kind of nice to not have to deal with out-dated passports, jet-lag, and Euro conversion just when you're feeling the need to kick back for a bit.
So, if you're stuck in the Bay Area for the summer duration, don't be moping around bemoaning the state of the union and the fact that practically everyone else in the world is glad to see the back of us Americans for once in a long, long while.
For there's plenty of work to be done in the 'hood, rediscovering who we really are from the inside out. Sound like a lot to digest? Not really, readers. For this summer it is all about pairing down, simplifying the savoir faire, learning to live a little more responsibly with the bountiful resources available to us in this abundant country.
Which leads me (finally, you say) to the point of the post, which is the sensational summer school program of SoCo's own home wonder chef supreme, the inimitable Kay Baumhefner. For Kay has cleverly concocted a delicious series of summer school classes to capture the essence of a Sonoma County sweltering season, in which all we really want to do is pack a picnic and be off to the Russian River or the beach for the rest of the decadent day.
"Picnics happen when you pick up your pail and shovel," says Kay, from her inviting West Petaluma teaching kitchen. "Come play in my kitchen and we'll build layers of flavor."
One of Kay's most appetizing classes this summer school season is undoubtedly her traditional red, white and blue Buttermilk Fried Chicken, with Red and White Summer Bean Salads and Blueberry Shortcakes.
How about Zuccini Blossoms, Sauted, Roasted and Stuffed?
Staying around town? For more information contact Kay at:kaybaumhefner@hotmail.com.
Kay Baumhefner is the chef-owner of Come Home to Cooking, where she teaches small classes in her professional home kitchen. Before opening this school, Kay was the executive chef at Della Fattoria Café & Bakery in Petaluma, which was awarded a rating of 27 (=“extraordinary to perfection”) for its food by the 2007 Zagat Survey. She is an experienced teacher who has been instrumental in creating and shaping a number of Sonoma County restaurants, while also working as a consultant on recipe and menu development. When her career first turned to cooking over thirty years ago, the only way she could get truly fresh, flavor rich ingredients was to grow them herself. Now she is grateful to take advantage of the abundance in our local farmers’ markets as the inspiration for her seasonal, country cuisine.
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