Butchery, Top of the Town, and More – What’s News at Cook Street
Meat: Remember the butchery class we featured a few weeks ago? Well, registration is up and running and time is running out! Do your career a favor — invest in full-scale meat fabrication skills taught by Il Mondo Vecchio’s Mark DeNittis. Click here for full details and registration information.
Eat: It’s not too late to go on a fun-filled date (or treat yourself to better cooking skills)! Wield a knife with savvy and confidence with Knife Skills (March 3) and take control of the wine list with Wine 101 (March 4). And that’s not all. Click here for a full class calendar.
Vote: It’s that time again…time for 5280 Magazine’s Top of the Town awards! Vote for Cook Street for Best Cooking Class or Best Rainy Day Activity. Voting is open until March 18…tell a friend, and thanks for your vote!
Announcing Exclusive New Butchery Extension Program
Do you have a professional interest in butchery and charcuterie? Cook Street will soon launch Foundations of Meat Fabrication Professional Series, a new extension course. Taught by Mark DeNittis, founder of the Rocky Mountain Institute of Meat, owner of Il Mondo Vecchio and a member of the Denver Five, this class offers the once-in-a-lifetime chance to master all facets of meat production and charcuterie under the tutelage of a local master.
Learn basic butchery and meat fabrication, from safety to grading, product acquisition to advanced processing (that’s right: we’ll be butchering whole carcasses and tackling charcuterie hands-on!). Gain skills to last a lifetime (and help make your career). We anticipate high demand for this unique course, which is limited only to Cook Street graduates and those with a year or more experience in food service. Stay tuned for more information!
A Slew of News at Cook Street
January’s always a busy month at Cook Street, but this year is off to a better start than ever! Here’s what you should know about what’s new at our lovely LoDo kitchen:
Feed Your Dreams: Learn about how the Cook Street 180° Professional Culinary Arts Program can help you live your dreams in the culinary world on Saturday, February 5 from 5 to 8 p.m. Feed your senses as you join Cook Street’s chef instructors in the kitchen to prep a three course meal and learn why Cook Street is right for you! Come ready for more information on our professional culinary arts program and leave with a special early application incentive. Limited seating available – $10 registration fee per guest. Call (303) 951-6688 or email admissions@cookstreet.com to attend.
Wine and Dine: Cook Street is pleased to announce a new partnership with the International Sommelier Guild (ISG) to offer professional wine instruction to the school’s world-class professional culinary program. As part of this new offering, Cook Street students will have the ability to earn a level one ISG certification upon completion of their professional program, availing themselves of the top-notch resources, pooled knowledge, and rigorous standards of the ISG. Chef Instructor Thomas Allen will continue to provide wine instruction to Cook Street recreational students, while seasoned wine professional Kathryn Brinkmann will take over wine buying for Cook Street. In addition, Cook Street is pleased to announce its plans to renovate a dedicated wine space within the Cook Street Café, where it will move its recreational wine instruction starting in March 2011.
Chef de Cuisine: We’re proud to welcome Charles MacDonald, our new Chef de Cuisine. Charles began his culinary career in 2003, when he attended the ACF apprenticeship program through Keystone Culinary Institute in Summit County, CO. Here he was given the opportunity to work in AAA 4-star, 4-Diamond restaurants such as Keystone Ranch, Alpenglow Stube and Ski Tip Lodge. Graduating with honors, he was awarded Student Culinarian of the Year in 2007 and received his credentials through the American Culinary Federation as a Certified Culinarian. He then joined the Keystone staff, assisting with the progression of up and coming apprentices around the resort. After traveling coast to coast cooking in prestigious restaurants, Charles found his home at Z Cuisine in the Lower Highlands of Denver Colorado. Initially as Sous Chef under Chef Peter Ryan and eventually becoming Chef de Cuisine MacDonald spent the next two years honing his skills and passion for traditional and regional French bistro cuisine, all the while exploiting the use and importance of fresh, farm to table, local and organic products. During his stint at the bistro, Z Cuisine was rated “ Best French Restaurant” by Westword Magazine and recognized by Zagat as one of the top 20 restaurants in the state of Colorado. Welcome, Charles!
Classic Techniques I: Your 2011 Resolution
It’s almost here…an entirely new year! To kick things off right, we’re offering our popular Classic Techniques: Essentials I not once, but twice in the month of January. Here are ten reasons you should sign up now:
- It’s never too late to improve your cooking skills. This class offers the foundation you need for a lifetime of great cooking.
- It’s entirely experiential. You’ll cook each meal hands-on, then enjoy it with perfectly paired wines and great conversation with your classmates.
- It’s warm in here! Cook Street’s woodfired oven, warm brick interior, and welcoming atmosphere provide a delicious winter respite.
- It’s practical. With techniques like omelettes and roasting on the docket, you’ll be using your newfound skills forevermore.
- It’s impressive. One word: Flambé.
- It’s gotten great reviews…in fact, Smart Money Magazine recognized the class in its Best Of Everything Issue!
- It’s all about you…your knife skills, your presentational skills, your ability to season and store food. Invest in yourself.
- With dishes like fresh pasta, le grand aioli, romesco and mojo sauces, potato gratin and more, you’ll be ready to party all year long.
- It’s a prerequisite to Classic Techniques: Essentials II, which will require CT: I starting in 2011.
- It’s accepting reservations now! Click here for Monday and Thursday dates throughout January and quick registration. See you in the kitchen!
Thanksgiving Cooking Crisis?
We know, we know…sometimes the hype surrounding America’s favorite food holiday can lead to a bit of paralysis. Not feeling up to the challenge? We’ve assembled our favorite sources of Turkey-Day solace. Now get out there and cook!
- Thanksgiving newbie? NPR to the rescue!
- Prefer your Turkey day high-tech? Try these Thanksgiving-oriented iPhone apps.
- Burnt turkey is preferable to a burnt kitchen…we promise. Get your kitchen safety tips here.
- Prefer what’s tried, and tried, and tried, and true? Cooks Illustrated has you covered.
- Confused about your (gasp!) Butterball turkey? Operators are standing by.
- Last-minute menus and plenty of cocktails are on tap at Epicurious.
- Need video tutorials and tips? Turn to CHOW for help.
- Sometimes it’s time to just give up. Westword lays out recommendations for five Front Range restaurants that stay open on Turkey Day.
Dare we ask if you have a hostess gift in mind for that fabulous fete? We can help. Drop by the Cook Street Café…we’ve got gift cards and plenty of gift-ready packages to make sure you don’t show up empty-handed!
Special Wine Class at Tony’s Market
Please join Tony’s Market and Cook Street School of Culinary Arts for a special wine tasting on Tuesday, October 19. Sommelier Thomas Allen will conduct the tasting in the Bistro at Tony’s on Broadway from 7-8pm.
Enjoy a selection of regional artisan cheeses and charcuterie that will be paired to four wines. Learn how the wines are made, discover their history and take part in an aroma component exercise that will help you pull the “smells” out of the glass.
$20 per person, seating is very limited. For reservations call Tony’s Market at and ask for the Bistro.
Colorado Culinary Events…Right Now
How can it be Friday again? Luckily, there’s no dearth of culinary events to tempt you this weekend. And remember, it’s always a good time to check out Cook Street’s chock-full calendar of cooking and wine classes so you’ll have great plans for weekends to come. Here’s a taste of what’s going on in Denver and around Colorado:
- GrowLocal potluck/party: Get serious about your locavorism in a dining event that takes place in an urban garden and benefits Growing Our Urban AgriCULTURE at 2828 Larimer Street. Bring a potluck dish to share (preferably one that incorporates local ingredients). Call 303.389.0085 or visit GrowLocal for more information.
- Great American Beer Festival: Yes, this beer festival is still raging on, and if you can snag tickets, you’re in for a craft-brewy treat. Can’t make the cut? Try the Denver Beer Fest instead. Tons of local restaurants are working to make this an unforgettable September.
- Telluride Blues and Brews Fest: Like your beer in a high-altitude setting? Join B.B. King and other blues legends for a festival that’s as much about the juke-joint atmosphere as plenty of delicious beer…53 microbreweries of beer, that is. The festival takes place in Telluride Town Park from 11 to around 9 Friday through Sunday. Click here for more details.
- Colorado Mountain Wine Fest: Beer not your thing? Go for the vino at this wine festival in Palisade. Tastings, classes, food, music, even grape-stomping should sate your curiosity about the nectar of the gods. Visit coloradowinefest.com for more information and a complete schedule.Dish: Brush elbows with Denver’s most devoted foodies as you sample the city’s bounty Wednesday the 22nd at Dish, Denver Westword’s celebration of all things Denver food. Click here to learn about tickets to the event and win some yourself!
Upcoming Denver Culinary Events
That first feeling of fall has finally arrived…and with it are some amazing culinary events that have our mouths watering. Don’t forget to check out Cook Street’s complete culinary calendar for a list of recreational classes at our gorgeous LoDo kitchen.
Boulder FourMile Fire Food Truck Benefit: Get your grub on while benefiting victims of the still-burning fire in Boulder tonight between 4 and 8 p.m. Your favorite food trucks and Boulder businesses will be there. Click here for details and location.
Denver Food and Wine Classic: This event lives up to its name with a classic reputation that’s all about taste. Join Chef Paul Prudhomme and more than 30 area restaurants for food, wine, and flavor. Friday, September 10 from 6 to 9 p.m. and Saturday, September 11, 12-4 p.m. at Metro State University. Click for details.
Denver Beer Fest: It’s finally here…a week deliciously devoted to all things brewed. A huge variety of events are planned at venues around Denver, so get out there and enjoy Colorado’s craft beer tradition! Click here for a complete list of events.
Upcoming Denver Culinary Events
There’s a long weekend ahead, and of course that means that Denver is itching for a great foodie event or four. Here’s what’s on our radar. While you’re at it, check out our updated list of rec classes that focus on fall flavors, classic techniques, unforgettable wines and some international flair.
- A Taste of Colorado: Yup, it’s already time for Denver’s greatest free food fair, featuring over 50 fine food vendors and much more. City Park, downtown Denver, September 3-6. Click here for details.
- Taste of Keystone: Prefer to have your fine food sampling in a resort-style setting? Keystone’s your destination this weekend, with demos, samples, and a good cause. Lakeside Village at Keystone , September 4. Click here for details.
- Denver Beer Fest: It’s (almost) here…a week when beer mysteriously takes over the hearts and minds of all Denverites and gently threatens to overwhelm the world. Yum. September 10-19, various locations throughout Denver. Click here for details.
Upcoming Denver Culinary Events
As summer winds down, Colorado’s culinary events are heating up. Here are a few we’re thrilled about (and while you’re at it, check out Cook Street’s long list of recreational classes by clicking here).
- Lafayette Peach Festival (Saturday, August 21): Enjoy over 30,000 pounds of organic peaches in a festival that explores every facet of the fabled pitted fruit. Click here for details.
- Justice League of Street Food Bash (Sunday, August 22): Food carts are Denver’s new culinary trend…join their gourmet masterminds at a culinary bash that’s all about the cloak-and-dagger cool. Click here for details.
- Denver Harvest Week (August 21-27): Late summer means a bountiful harvest, and EatDenver is hosting its third annual Harvest Week to showcase local harvest-centered menus and the skills of some of Denver’s top restaurateurs. Click here for details.
- Telluride Mushroom Festival (August 26-29): Celebrate all things fungal at the 20th annual Telluride mushroom bash, which features education, demos, and plenty of samples. Click here for details.
What’s on your culinary calendar?
