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Custom Classes
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This year’s impressive roster of instructors at the Silo Cooking School has included

Desserts are among our favorite recipes, and with summer just around the corner, Abby will share her stress-free strategies and simple techniques for busy people using the bounty of the season. Abyy is utterly down to earth and approachable, with a playful sense of humor that comes across in her motto: “Baking the world a better place, one recipe at a time.”
You’ll make:
Full participation.
A classically trained pastry chef, Abby Dodge is a widely respected, award wining, international acclaimed baking expert as well as a popular cookbook author, food writer and instructor. She studied in Paris at La Varenne and is the author of nine cookbooks, including Desserts 4 Today, a viral sensation, and The Weekend Baker, an IACP Cookbook Award Finalist. Her recipes and articles have appeared in more than six dozen cookbooks, publications, blogs and websites. A long time contributing editor to Fine Cooking magazine, Abby’s recipes have also graced the covers of Bon Appetit magazine. She’s a regular guest on TV and radio, including guest hosting duties on Martha Stewart Living Radio and Food & Wine with Chef Jamie Gwen where she shares monthly desserts. Her ninth book, Mini Treats & Handheld Sweets~Delicious Desserts to Pick up and Eat has just been released.

Students will learn the best way to perfectly prepare two favorites, pulled pork and chicken, on both gas and charcoal grills, as well as a collection of side dishes that will become favorites.
Menu:

Seth will excite the senses of taste and smell in this demonstration cooking class. He’ll share recipes for great summer dishes using flavors from Russia, Georgia and Central Asia: rose petals, tarragon, marigolds, sumac and pomegranates.
He’ll also be joined by Ellen Kaye and Ethan Fein of the Moscow 57 Band for a musical performance and sneak preview of the evening’s Cabaret night.
Ellen’s mother, Faith Stewart-Gordon, the owner of The Russian Tea Room from 1967 to 1996, will be popping into the class to give pointers on the perfect Summer soup – Chilled Borscht with Fresh Dill. Faith, a local artist, shows her work regularly at venues throughout Litchfield County, including The Silo Gallery.
At 7:30 p.m., Ellen Kaye and the Moscow 57 Band will perform their gutsy hybrid of blues, jazz, rock and folk: “Blini Blues.” Lite Bite Zakuska from Chef Seth Goldman and the Silo Cooking School. Click here for more information and to purchase tickets.

In this week of cooking, budding chefs learn basic cooking skills preparing a daily lunch menu with a farm theme. They’ll also engage in a related art, reading, garden or physical activity in our lovely farm setting. Students may spend some time outside and we may have some furry or feathered visitors, so dress accordingly. Sneakers are mandatory for safety reasons (no sandals please).

In this popular class on appetizers you will dazzle your friends with a variety of the most popular recipes from Chef Amanda’s catering business menu.
Together we will make: Vegetable Samosas, Coconut Shrimp with Pineapple Scallion Dipping Sauce, Spicy Crab Cakes with Chipotle Mayonnaise, Hoisin-Ginger Pork Skewers with Mango Mayonnaise, Phyllo Parmesan Wrapped Asparagus, Filet of Beef on Shallot Crostini with Horseradish Cream.
Full-participation.

This class serves as a great introduction to Thai cooking for those who have never tried to make it at home.
You’ll prepare: Chicken Satay with Spicy Peanut Sauce, Thai Hot and Sour Soup with Shrimp, Crispy Snapper with Garlic Scallion Marinade, Pad Thai with Shrimp, Spicy Mussels with Coconut Curry Sauce, Thai Beef Salad, Nam Sod (ground pork, cilantro, garlic and lime appetizer wrapped in lettuce leaves).
Full participation.
The Instructor
Chef Amanda Cushman began her food career in Manhattan working with some of the top NYC caterers: Glorious Food, Panhandlers and Martha Stewart Catering. She became the lead chef for Panhandlers Catering where she cooked for parties of twenty to three hundred people.
She began in the test kitchen at Ladies Home Journal where she learned the skill of writing and testing recipes. Chef Cushman moved on to Food and Wine magazine and contributed to Fine Cooking, Self, Vegetarian Times and Cooking Light. Amanda began teaching at the Institute of Culinary Education in NYC in 1994 and taught the pro program at The Natural Gourmet Cooking School and The New School/Culinary Arts Program.
She has developed hundreds of recipes for cookbooks as well as food magazines and web sites including Foodfit.com, Minutemeals.com and the Time/Life Fitness Series. In 2008, she published her first cookbook, Simple Real Food, which sold out within the year and is now on it’s second printing.
Amanda moved to Venice, California in 2003 and taught hundreds of classes including her highly successful Technique series at Surfas kitchen and restaurant supply in Culver City. She also taught privately to all kinds of students some of whom included: Neil Patrick Harris, Molly Sims, Anne Archer and Randy Newman. Chef Cushman recently returned to her home state of Ct. and presently resides in Old Lyme with her husband and two cats.


In this unique week-long experience, students will incorporate an interconnecting blend of world cooking and art. Students spend the morning with Nancy Stuart creating an international lunch menu full of new ingredients, flavors and cooking techniques. After a sit-down lunch, participants create coordinating and unique art projects. No passport needed!

This hands-on class will have everyone saying Ole!.
You’ll make:
Menu:
Delicioso!

You’ll feel transported to another land in this full-participation class.
Menu:

Join Chefs Kathryn Gordon and Jessie Riley as they share delicious recipes from their classes in the Loire Valley (http://www.loirevalleycooking.com). Kathryn will demo the basics of making pate brisee and pate sucree, and working with puff pastry. You will help prepare doughs, learn how to line tart pans and bake a savory and sweet tart. We will then sit and share them for lunch with a salad. Our menu includes:

Join Chefs Jessie Riley and Kathryn Gordon as they introduce you some delicious tapas from Spain. Inspired by her extensive stays in Barcelona, Jessie will share her recipes of easy-to-prepare Spanish tapas. After cooking, we will all enjoy a meal with a glass of sangria. Our menu includes:
Full participation.


The Hunt Hill Farm location in beautiful Litchfield County, with its popular Silo Cooking School offers a unique and relaxed environment for your corporate function. As a special place in the country, many organizations from Connecticut and surrounding areas have enjoyed our full participation cooking classes which enhance teambuilding among employees.
A Custom Event at Hunt Hill Farm is one organized specifically for your team. The following is a summary of our most popular offerings. We urge you to visit and see for yourself what has become a most popular destination for one-day corporate retreats. Cooking classes are available in a variety of formats and menus are presented or arranged to meet your wishes and fit your budget.
Full Day Meeting and Cooking Class with Dinner- $165 per person
This full day function begins with a light continental breakfast, served buffet style, as attendees arrive. A catered lunch is arranged and served buffet style in the Cooking School. Meetings may be held throughout the day either in the Gallery (depending on its availability) or in our Main House, a homey cozy and more private 1800’s farmhouse. Beverages and snacks are provided in the afternoon. . A full participation cooking class is taught by the Cooking School Director or one of our popular local chefs, as attendees prepare their full-course sit-down dinner. Classes run 2-3 hours, depending on menu complexity.
Full Day Meeting and Cooking Class with Lunch - $140 per person
This full day function also begins with a light continental breakfast upon attendees arrival, with meetings in the Gallery (depending on availability) or in the Main House. For this event, the custom cooking class is held midday and the lunch prepared is served at the end of class. The team continues their meetings for the remainder of the afternoon. Beverages and snacks are provided in the afternoon.
Custom Cooking Class as a Lunch or a Dinner- $105 per person
A three-hour custom, full participation cooking class is arranged with either our Cooking School Director instructing or with one of our area’s local chefs. As above, all cooking classes are held in our fully-stocked professional kitchen. Attendees may participate to the degree they are most comfortable. Classes may come in a menu style where the team breaks into smaller teams each responsible for a portion or the menu and helping other members with their portion to promote teambuilding skills, or in a competitive ‘iron chef’ format. Attendees enjoy the full course lunch or dinner they prepared in a sit down dinner upon completion of the class.
In all cases above, there is a 10 person minimum. A non-refundable 50% fee is due upon contract signing. The second half is due at the end of class. The Silo arranges the scheduling of the chef, all food and beverages for your event.

From The Food Network
Total Time: 50 min.
Yield: 4 individual cakes.
Level: Intermediate.
Ingredients
For the filling:
1/2 stick unsalted butter
4 medium Granny Smith apples
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
1 lemon, juiced
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
For the batter
2 large eggs
1/4 cup whole milk
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, for greasing ramekins
2 tablespoons sugar, for ramekins, plus extra for top
20 slices brioche bread, crust removed
Cinnamon sabayon, recipe follows
Directions
Begin by making the filling. Set a large saute pan or roasting pan over medium heat and add butter. Peel and cut cheeks off apples then cut into 1/2-inch chunks. Once butter has melted and just starting to foam, add apples, scraped vanilla bean and pod, lemon juice, and brown sugar and cinnamon. Toss to coat well and cook for 20 to 25 minutes until apples are just tender and liquid has evaporated. The sauce will caramelize slightly and should be a nice, rich dark color.
In a shallow dish, make the batter by combining eggs, milk, sugar, and cinnamon. Stir with a whisk until fully combined.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and generously butter and sugar 4 (1-cup) ramekins.
Invert a ramekin, or use a round cutter, on half of the bread slices to use as a guide to cut out circles. These will be the bases and top of the charlottes - you should have 8 in total. Cut the other slices of bread in half lengthwise.
Working with the circles. lightly coat in the batter and place in the bottom of each ramekin. Lightly dip the other rectangles of bread in batter as well, then use them to line the walls of each ramekin - standing them upright around the perimeter leaving an overhang that you will later use to fold over and seal the charlotte. It should take about 6 strips per ramekin. Fill each mold with apples and some of the caramel from the pan. Fold over the edges to seal it up completely and sprinkle the tops with a little sugar.
Bake in the center of the oven for 20 to 25 minutes. If the tops brown too quickly, cover loosely with foil. When done, the bread will have puffed up slightly, the edges will be brown and the sugar on top will have caramelized. Allow to cool slightly, then run a knife around the edges and invert onto individual plates. Serve with cinnamon sabayon.
Cinnamon Sabayon
6 egg yolks
1/2 cup lightly packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup calvados or apple liqueur
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
Splash water
To make sabayon, combine ingredients in a large mixing bowl and set over a pot of boiling water on low heat, i.e. a double boiler. Whisk (you can use an electric whisk to make it easier) until the mixture becomes light and fluffy and the volume almost doubles.

Serves 8
1/2 recipe Basic Pie Pastry Dough (recipe follows) or use store-bought pie shell instead of homemade dough. Just let it soften enough so you can ease it into the tart tin
3 large tomatoes, about 1 1/2 pounds, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices-if you can still find yellow tomatoes, add them for color.
Kosher salt for sprinkling
¼ C pesto
1 C coarsely grated sharp white cheddar cheese
1/2 C fresh corn kernels
1/2 C butternut squash, sweet potato or regular potato, small dice, sautéed ahead
Butcher’s Best Broccoli-Rabe Sausage, cooked and sliced thinly
Lemon zest, optional
2 tablespoons mixed chopped fresh herbs (parsley, basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Additional kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Roll the dough into a 1/8-inch-thick round on a lightly floured work surface. Transfer to a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom, cut off any excess dough from the edge, and prick the bottom lightly with a fork. Chill for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Line the pastry shell with foil and fill with pie weights, dried beans, or rice. Bake in the lower third of the oven for 20 minutes.
Carefully remove the weights and foil. Return to the oven and bake for 10 minutes more or until light golden. Cool in the pan on a wire rack.
Turn up the oven to 400ºF. Sprinkle the tomatoes with salt and drain in a colander for 10 to 15 minutes. Spread pesto over the bottom of the shell and sprinkle the cheese over it. Arrange the tomatoes over the cheese in one overlapping layer. Sprinkle with squash/potato and corn. Bake until the pastry is golden brown and the tomatoes are very soft, 35 to 40 minutes.
In a small bowl, stir together the parsley, basil, thyme, olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste to blend. Sprinkle the pie with this mixture while hot and spread out gently with the back of a spoon.
Serve the pie hot or at room temperature. Great for a lunch or light dinner with a side salad.
Basic Pie Pastry Dough
Mix 2 cups all-purpose flour with 1 teaspoon table salt in bowl of food processor. Add 12 tablespoons or 1 1/2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces. Pulse once or twice to blend.
Add the butter and process until blended, about 20 seconds. Add 4 to 6 tablespoons ice-cold water to form a soft dough. Add another teaspoon of cold water if the dough appears to be too dry.
Turn out onto a floured work surface and work gently into a rough ball.
Wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 1 hour. (The pastry dough can be made up to a day in advance or kept frozen for up to a month.) Makes enough for two 9-inch tart shells or a double crust.

Chilled Thai Carrot-Coconut Soup
(serves 8)
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
3 T peeled grated fresh ginger
1 stalk lemongrass, thinly sliced
1 fresh hot pepper, seeds and pith removed, minced. Start with a half. Add more if you like it spicy
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
2 pounds carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
6 cups vegetable stock or water—enough to cover carrots by at least 2 inches
1 can of coconut milk
Grated zest of 2 limes
Salt and pepper to season
To finish: splash of fresh lime juice, chopped cilantro, chopped fresh basil, chopped fresh mint; sauteed chopped shrimp
In a soup pot, saute in a little vegetable oil until softened, but not browned, the onion, garlic, ginger, lemongrass, chili and cardamom. Add the carrots and the stock. Cook at a low boil until the carrots are cooked through.
In a blender or with a hand immersion blender, puree. Add a little stock if it’s too thick. Add one can of coconut milk and lime zest. Chill.
When cold, check seasoning and finish with a splash of lime juice. Stir in fresh cilantro, basil and/or mint. Top with chopped shrimp if desired.
