Skip Lawrence Photo Op Supreme

October 8, 2007

You know, I thought I had better pictures. I seem to remember taking more pictures and pictures of Skip and Diane and a whole host of people but I guess they didn’t come out or something.

Well, you don’t need a blog entry to tell you that this class is not only a master class but also a super fun and magincal class. If you always wanted to take a class with Skip, I’d sign up RIGHT NOW. Already, we have 15 people signed up. And don’t worry if you get on the waiting list only, we may get to you.

Here are some pictures. Enjoy. I know these people did.




And you know, Skip is the reason everyone has so much fun but it could also be the chocolates.


Check them out. Milk and dark chocolate cherry cordials, lavender ganache, jellies, truffles, the whole tea set truffles, hazelnut butter cups, hickory smoked peanut butter cups, caramels, banana saffron caramel. The list goes one.

Recipe: Mac ‘n Cheese

August 29, 2007

Here’s another recipe that people want. And yes, I’m going to eventually have a sidebar that will link to the recipe pages. Or I’ll put them on the artworkshops.com website. I’ll take care of that this winter when I have a minute.

This recipe and the tomato salad recipe are the two most loved starters that I do. This Mac ‘n Cheese is inspired by both Thomas Keller and Dave. Just a tin of caviar and you would have been in the finals, Dave.

This feeds about 20.

Boil water with smoked sea salt and olive oil. Put in 80 rigatoni and boil for 7 minutes. Shock that in an ice bath with smoked sea salt in it.

Next you make the cognac cream sauce.

Take a cup of cognac and put it under high flame. You want to reduce by half.

Dice an onion (medium) and put in 3 T minced garlic in a hot pan with olive oil.
Deglaze with good Amontillado. Next put in the by now flaming cognac and follow immediately with 1 cup cream.

Stir. Add Mexican Oregano and tarragon (fresh.) Let this reduce by 1/4. Slice in one fresh French Summer or if you got it Winter Truffle. Reduce until reduced by 1/2.

Next take a oven safe individual dish, we use these boats, and put in a T of mascarpone, put in 4 rigatoni, then slice more truffles on top of the pasta. Add grated Fontal or Fontina and then add grated Parmesan reggiano. Next put on some Italian season bread crumbs (crumbs, oregano dried, basil dried, and sea salt.) Top this off with the cream sauce and put in a 400 degree oven for 15-20 mins until the edges turn brown and it is bubbling.

Take out and eat.

I’ll put the brioche recipe up next.

BTW, the cookie recipe, the chocolate chip, is up here somewhere. And don’t forget to add more chips than you think should be added and I use Callebaut 55%.